5 Employee Engagement Myths

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As an employer you can feel it -- the pain and strain of losing a good employee or many employees. The world of business continues to grapple with this tough struggle of how to engage and retain employees. With strong market and job growth, increasing competition, and complex multi-generational dynamics this dimension of the business will continue for years to come.

Employee engagement is the golden trophy many employers are seeking because of the growing correlation to impacting business results.

Here are some modern statistics that will put the fire in your belly:

Productivity improves by 20-25% in organizations with connected employees. (Source: The McKinsey Global Institute)
Employees who exercise their strengths on a daily basis are 8% more productive and 6x more likely to be engaged. (Source: Gallup)
Organizations with highly engaged employees had an average 3-year revenue growth 2.3 times greater than companies whose employees were only engaged at an average level. (Source: UNC Kenanflager Business School)
Increasing employee engagement investments by 10% can increase profits by $2,400 per employee per year. (Source: Workplace Research Foundation)
Companies that increase their number of talented managers and double the rate of engaged employees achieve, on average, 147% higher earnings per share than their competition (Source: Gallup)
Customer retention rates are 18% higher on average when employees are highly engaged (Source: Cvent)
86% of corporate executives, employees and educators say that ineffective communications is a big reason for failures in the workplace. (Source: Salesforce)
58% of employees say poor management is the biggest thing getting in the way of productivity. (Source: Society for Human Resource Management)

To get started let’s bust some myths:

Myth #1: It’s All About the Money

The exit interview response may typically include they are leaving because of the money. But the truth is there was a first reason why the employee was looking before they heard about the job or got the job offer. The money is an easy neutral reason to give without burning bridges.

Its not to say that pay isn’t important. People do need to make ends meet. However, a paycheck doesn’t buy passion.

Myth #2: You Can Perk Your Way to Engagement

Employee engagement is more than just perks and benefits. Trust me, the competitor down the road is offering just as many benefits and perks.

It’s about employees putting their hearts and minds into the work they perform. It’s about an organization that can connect the hearts and minds to overall purpose and working together.

Myth #3: All Employees Want Insist on Being Involved

There is a difference between being involved in things and having the optionof being involved. I once observed an executive get frustrated that only 42% of her employee group would ever participate in any event or project.

I later learned that her employees very much appreciated having the option of being involved, but they valued also just coming to work and going home. They would be disappointed if we took away events for them to participate in though. The very idea of their employer caring enough to check on there involvement mattered. It’s about freedom to choose and having options.

Myth #4: Employee Engagement Surveys Leads To Employee Satisfaction

A survey is only a bunch of questions. For a survey to be effective leadership must be commitment to learning from the results and sincerely putting what they learned into action. Even better is when you communicate back to employees what was done with the feedback.

If you survey just to survey without action, then stop the madness. Damage is done, participation rates will dwindle or the quality of feedback will decline.

Myth #5: Managers Can Require Engagement

“You don't manage people; you manage things. You lead people” ~ Admiral Grace Hopper

You can’t force people to be engaged. They have to want to put their heart in it. A really good way to start is to strengthen management and improve on internal communication.

Here are some interesting stats:

A business with 100 employees spends an average downtime of 17 hours a week clarifying communication, translating to an annual cost of $528,443. (Source: Siemens)
86% of corporate executives, employees and educators say that ineffective communications is a big reason for failures in the workplace. (Source: Salesforce)
58% of employees say poor management is the biggest thing getting in the way of productivity. (Source: Society for Human Resource Management)

It was Jim Goodnight who said “Treat employees like they make a difference, and they will.” As the marketplace continues to get competitive for talent, we will need to think differently about how we engage and retain employees. Why not start now?

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Tresha Moreland

Tresha Moreland is a 30-year organizational effectiveness and strategic workforce planning expert. She partners with business leaders to develop workplace strategies that achieve best-in-class results. She has held key organizational leadership roles in multiple industries such as manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality, and healthcare. Tresha is the founder and principal consultant of HR C-Suite, LLC (www.hrcsuite.com). HR C-Suite is a results-based HR strategy resource dedicated to connecting HR with business results. She has received a master’s degree in human resource management (MS) and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA). She has also earned a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Six Sigma Black Belt Professional (SSBBP) Certification. She is also recognized as a Fellow with the American College Healthcare Executives with a FACHE designation.