The effect of engaged employees on long-term profits
The superstars in your workforce are the ones that are engaged. Engagement does not just mean happy or satisfied. It is the emotional commitment that the employee has to the company and its goals which results in the employee going beyond the basic requirements of the job. Engaged employees think on their feet and look for opportunities to apply their skill sets in ways that will benefit others and the company as a whole. They are more productive because they care more, and the trickle-down effect is increased profits due to customer satisfaction and employee retention.
That all sounds good, but just how does one get employees to plug in and engage? Current research indicates that 69% of all U.S. employees are disengaged, so there is obviously something missing.
Of course, there is no silver bullet when it comes to fixing wide-spread breakdowns in the system. There is one valuable component, however, that is vastly underestimated; workplace traditions. The observation of traditions and the importance placed upon them clearly communicate the degree to which the company values its workforce as PEOPLE, not just employees. In turn, employees reciprocate by investing their best effort in the company that values them so highly, i.e. they are ENGAGED.
Unfortunately, this model does not easily fit within the paradigm of many businesses today. They are so immediately profit-driven that they lack the visionary skills required to recognize the benefit of long-term investments in people. As a result, they are enslaved to excessive recruitment and training costs in a never-ending attempt to maintain staffing, never realizing that by simply investing in a few employee-centered traditions, many of their people will blossom into workforce superstars that stay on the job longer, and improve the long-term profit picture.
HR consultant and executive coach Rita Craig is award-winning human resources consultant, keynote and TEDx speaker. This is no surprise when you look at her professional profile; with over 40 years of professional human resources experience, including 23 years as an HR professional for an electric utility company, Rita’s first-hand insights engage, instruct and motivate professionals throughout the U.S. and abroad. Her career experiences, coupled with her upbringing in a household of 14, supply enough anecdotal ammunition to keep audiences and clients entertained and engaged in a way that is all at once disarming and inspirational.
Along with an MBA with a Specialty in Human Resources, Rita’s achievements include being the first ever recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the HR Association of Palm Beach County, numerous recognitions from various HR and civic organizations and two governor’s appointments to serve on Florida state commissions.
Her great love of developing the next generation of leaders inspired her to write Foresight: Finding Your Footing in a Fast-Forward World, and her unique point-of-view is sure to resonate with any person who has ever asked the question, “What’s next?”
Rita is on Twitter at @RitaBarretCraig and on Linkedin.
www.toptierleadership.com
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