How to Engage Employees Strategically
By Mary Lewis
Are you still treating employee engagement as a buzzword?
Earlier schools of thought would associate employee engagement to ‘employee happiness or satisfaction’, but this definition is very limited, since companies would expect its human resources to contribute to bottom-line, organization success.
Highly engaged employees are those who enthusiastically see their work as part of a larger company mission, thus their commitment is not just limited to their functional roles. Engaged employees are driven to contribute to the business goals as they see how much it fulfils their own personal growth goals, as well.
Beyond employee surveys, higher bonuses, trip incentives or regular team huddles, getting the modern employee to be emotionally invested in their work isn’t as easy as it seems to be.
Data from Workday and IDC reveals that about 79% of Asia/Pacific employees surveyed are very/somewhat satisfied at work. Yet, when given the right opportunity, 73% of employees are likely to switch jobs, with 43% on average considering to do so within a year.
With job switching becoming easier in open job markets, it is quite an uphill battle for HR managers to find that compelling strategy to nurture and retain highly engaged talent.
Meanwhile, here are some of the best-practice approaches on four employee engagement drivers that can be applied at scale:
早期的思想流派将员工敬业度与“员工幸福感或满意度”联系起来，但这一定义非常有限，除了员工调查，更高的奖金，旅行激励或定期团队聚会之外，让现代员工在工作中投入情感并不像看起来那么容易。
以下是可以大规模应用的四种提升员工敬业度的最佳实践方法：
1. Help employees find their Sense of Purpose
Get to brainstorm as a group to uncover the deeper reason why your team/unit/department continues to exist and to what role does your group serve in fulfilling the overall needs of the company? Upon finding that ‘deeper why’ be sure to write it down and post it for all to see.
Meet with your team members individually and allow them to discover and voice out how they see their motivations or values as aligned with your team mission.
Next, help your employees explore their strengths --- those that gives them fulfilment in accomplishing for your team or department. Once you are aware of this, be sure to incorporate their strengths as part of their assignment or task.
1.帮助员工找到使命感：
首先，发现团队在满足公司整体需求方面的作用，请将其写下并发布。其次，与团队成员单独会面，让他们表达他们与团队使命保持一致的动机或价值观。最后，帮助员工发掘自己的优势。
2. Invest in Continuous Learning
Employees choose the company that will be able to equip them for their future roles-- as a thought leader or a senior executive someday.
To start, how about checking whether your internal training programs are responsive to modern times?
Author Michael Allen of “Designing Successful e-Learning” describes four elements that contribute to effective instructional design. Forbes’ Stephen Bear coined these as micro, mobile, memorable and measurable data.
Consider these essential ingredients in designing your training program:
• Microlearning refers to small, short, on-demand and specialized learning opportunities. These are easy to implement and quick to update whenever needed.
• Mobile-friendly training platforms ensure that your employees can engage with it at their convenience.
• Memorable content and delivery would refer to experiential, simulation and gamification elements of the learning program.
• Measurable data entails recording and tracking the gathering insights from all the learning technologies that are undertaken by employees in your organization. There are already some tools that enable this through learning management systems (LMS) applications.
2.投资持续学习
首先，检查您的内部培训计划是否顺应时代要求？
在设计培训计划时考虑以下基本要素：
•小型，短期，按需和专业学习机会。
•适合移动设备的培训平台。
•模拟和游戏化元素的学习体验。
•通过学习管理系统（LMS）实现员工学习数据收集。
3. Employee Wellness
Having ongoing wellness programs sends a reassuring message that the company cares for its employees, however, if the initiatives aren’t engaging enough, workers lose interest quickly, the programs become less effective, then it will be discontinued.
Companies, which are able to succeed in this arena, were found to be applying these principles:
• Get the topmost "buy-in". When senior management gives their nod of approval or leads by example, you capture the path of the least resistance. As this may be easier said than done, you can also try the pocket approach when you start with one department, location or site to gather champions, who can help bolster the program with their success stories.
• The easier the program, the more likely people will stick with it. Here, technology can help in automating the enrolment process, track activity via wearable gadgets like Fitbit and synch up data and reporting. But make sure to streamline the process of awarding incentives to encourage sustained participation, too.
• Gentle reminders encourage progress. Once wellness goals are set by each individual or team (like in an Amazing Race style), a messaging system can help motivate employees to ramp up their fitness commitments. Automated reminder system can also be used to recognize employees or departments that are able to achieve their wellness goals.
• Wellness culture should be a built-in culture. Does your reception serve fruit or candy? Are your staircases well-lighted and conducive for walking? What kinds of meals are served during staff meetings or company events? Do you have changing rooms or shower rooms for those who exercise before the start of their work? Are your office chairs and tables ergonomic in design? Do you have sufficient water stations per floor?
3.员工健康管理
第一，获得高管支持，通过分享成功案例来使员工参与；第二，通过技术支持简化流程，便于员工坚持下去；第三，使用系统消息及时激励和提醒员工；第四，健康文化应该是一种内在的文化。审视你的公司设备或相关支持系统是否足够有效。如招待会是否供应水果或糖果？公司办公桌椅是否符合人体工学设计等？
4. Explore flexible work arrangements
Consider these statistics: 82% of professionals said that they would be more loyal to their employers if flexible work options were available (Entrepreneur.com, 2018) and 76% of respondents identified flexible work schedules as the best incentive their employer could offer (Quickbooks, 2018)
There is an array of setups which can be studied by HR managers and adapted based on job requirements and employee capacity:
• Flexitime - flexibility in arrival, departure and/or meal breaks with a designated core work time where all staff members are present.
• Telecommuting - allows an employee to work off-site (or work from home) for a part of the work week on a regular basis.
• Compressed Work week - this distributes the 35-40 hour work week in less than five workdays. Another option would be to compress two weeks of work into nine or nine and a half days.
• Jobs sharing - full-time job split between two individuals, sharing the position with typically a prorated salary and paid time off.
• Part-Time Work - a regular arrangement consisting of a work week that is less than the standard 40 hours per week.
4.弹性工作安排
如制定弹性工作时间制度； 支持远程办公；或是将两周的工作压缩到九天或九天半；还有，如两个人分享一个全职工作内容，按比例分配薪水和带薪休假；以及每周工作时间少于40小时。
