3 Things to Remember about Employee Engagement 

A focus on employee engagement is more imperative in business planning and day to day operations now than ever. Businesses have had to deal with an extremely dynamic environment in the past year, whether it is going fully remote or hybrid, higher than average turnover, or a multitude of other issues. With so many changes, the focus needs to remain on employee engagement. According to the American Productivity Audit, “employees who aren’t present at work cost companies more than $225 billion a year.” That’s an astounding figure. Employees are what make businesses thrive or close their doors, and not investing in employee engagement can be detrimental.  
One of the biggest mistakes companies are making when measuring employee engagement is measuring it on a group or team level only and not on an individual level. Measuring on a group level provides companies with some level of understanding concerning engagement trends, but it doesn’t provide actionable data to help manage and coach an individual disengaged employee.  
In an article for online magazine Entrepreneur, Dr. Dan Harris strikes at the heart of the issue with this quote. “Being engaged is a psychological phenomenon that is driven by employee expectations and motivations as well as good leadership and management practices. It requires the employer to take interest in what the employee cares about and what they enjoy doing.” Dr. Harris goes on to propose three different methods to help employers engage their employees. 
Connect Employee Needs to Your Company’s Objectives  
Having objectives that are individual-specific will lead individuals to feel more connected to the company and their role. Setting objectives for employees that tie back to the company’s vision and goals helps with employee buy in.  
Remember the Two Sides of Employee Engagement  
Most objectives are set by middle management, but as Dr. Harris points out, not all objectives should be set by only managers. Some should be set by the employees themselves. Managers often have a hard time setting goals that prioritize the employee’s individual well-being. It’s important to engage with the employee and collect feedback on how an employee views the goals that are put in place for them. When an employee feels that the company they work for has their best interest in mind, they are much more likely to remain engaged and loyal.  
Ask Employees About their Expectations and Measure their Level of Fulfillment  
Dovetailing with point number two is the fact that businesses who take the time to address employee feedback and concerns are much more likely to have productive, engaged employees. Employees should be able to discuss their own expectations with the company and how they view the level of fulfillment of those expectations. If their expectations don’t align with the employee’s role or company objectives, then a meaningful conversation can be had about how goals or views need to change. Leaving employee concerns and expectations unheard altogether, however, is a recipe for un-engaged employees and high turnover.  
Performance Scoring strives to be the tool for businesses to track and measure all facets of their employee engagement. Our application not only tracks employee performance but emphasizes the importance of employee engagement and company/role alignment. We know how important employee engagement is to your business success, so request a demo today and find out how Performance Scoring can help.  
Harrison, Dr. Dan. “Why Everything You Know about Employee Engagement Is Wrong.” Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur, 18 Aug. 2021, www.entrepreneur.com/article/379258.