BY MARY LOU JAY

How can you tell when employees are engaged with their work? In organizations where engagement is high, employees want to come to work. They feel that they have a say in what’s happening, and they take ownership of their work. They feel like what they’re doing has purpose.

Contrast that with low-engagement companies. Disengaged employees often ignore basic policies. They arrive late, come in out of uniform, use their cellphone when they’re not supposed to. Propose a new initiative and you may hear, “It’s always been done that way,” or, “We’ve tried that before, and it didn’t work,” according to Lorry Parker, principal, HR Advisement.

You can create a culture that encourages employee engagement. “There are three things required for people to be fully functioning and fully engaged,” said Parker, “They are open communication, respect and having the sense of feeling valued. If you’re missing any one of those three components, it will become a dysfunctional environment, and people start to shut down and become less engaged.”

– Lorry Parker, HR Advisement

IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS

Dan Eisenhauer, Vice President of Operations for Express Wash Concepts and founding partner of Flying Ace Express Car Wash, said engagement starts with caring enough about employees to listen to what they have to say.

“I think that employees that are disengaged probably haven’t had proper communications; no one from upper-level management has solicited feedback from them, no one has valued their opinions or taken action to implement ideas that they may have suggested,” he said.

At Flying Ace Express Car Wash, company leaders and managers communicate with employees on a daily basis using messaging apps targeted to different groups. They keep in touch via email, video conferences and in-person meetings. Managers use these communication channels to send out policy updates, employees’ schedules, birthday greetings, customer reviews and other news.

These communications are two-way; anyone can chime in on the group’s discussions. Plus, employees are welcome to call company executives if they have a question or comment they think should be directed to leadership.

Eisenhauer also makes a point of scheduling days for site visits and working alongside his employees. “You truly get a much better understanding of what’s working well and what the frustrations are,” he said. “Hearing about frustrations is one thing, but actually seeing and having to live with them, and trying to work through challenges is another. It makes it so much more effective to try to tackle issues and resolve problems when you’ve worked with them firsthand.”

Employees appreciate the personal involvement. “You get to know more about the people, so the next time you see them or talk to them, you can ask a question about how things are going,” he added.

SHOW RESPECT

Surveys are another valuable communications tool. “Employees may sometimes suppress their opinions because they are afraid of repercussions. Surveys let employees open up and express how they really feel,” said Kevin Eikenberry, founder and Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group.

— Kevin Eikenberry, the Kevin Eikenberry Group

Just conducting a survey isn’t enough, however. “You have to truly care and express your desire and interest in their opinions … You can’t always take every idea and make it part of the company, but as often as you can try to implement employees’ suggestions and ideas so that they feel truly valued,” he said.

When their ideas have weight, employees feel respected. “I think that’s the biggest hurdle that many companies face,” Eikenberry said. “When you truly care about their opinions, it shows, and people appreciate that and work hard for you.”

One area where you might consider soliciting employees’ opinions is company policies. “Everyone should be held accountable to the rules, provided those rules make sense. And the rules are changing,” said Claudia St. John of Affinity HR Group. You don’t want employees on their cellphones when they’re loading cars into bays because that creates safety issues. But if there’s no one in your waiting area, does it really hurt to have your receptionist look at her cell to see if her son has texted her when he got home from school?

APPRECIATE THEIR VALUE

In companies where engagement is high, managers communicate their expectations of what employees should do and how they should act. When employees meet those expectations, managers let them know that the company prizes the work that they do.

According to St. John, managers should be regularly having conversations like this: “Steve, I saw you load that car in, and you did it exactly the way I would have wanted you to do it. I know it was a little tricky given the model and make of the car, but you did it perfectly. Thanks! That’s why we are the best car wash in the region, because of employees like you.”

If you have an employee who is consistently on time, works hard and is always courteous and helpful to customers, don’t wait for a special occasion to say thanks. Have a company leader send a handwritten note telling him that he is noticed and appreciated. Send a letter to his wife telling her what a great employee he is.

St. John observed that 10% to 15% of employers’ conversations with workers should be corrective, with the other 85% to 90% positive. But the reverse is true for most companies.

OFFER A WIDER PERSPECTIVE

It’s easier to do a good job when you understand that there is a purpose to it.

“Our job as leaders is to help people find purpose and meaning in their work because when we find purpose and meaning in our work, we are more engaged in our work,” said Eikenberry.

Try to move your workers’ focus beyond the particular jobs that they’re performing. Place their work in a larger perspective. For example, employees aren’t simply washing cars; they’re making people feel better because they have a clean car that looks good. That means they’ll be ready to pick up their date that night, bring home a new baby or go on a road trip.

“As leaders, we can help people see that; we can create conversations about that,” Eikenberry added.

OFFER HELP

When employees have a bad attitude or regularly ignore policies, don’t immediately assume that they’re disengaged. There could be something going on in their lives that you aren’t aware of. Ask questions, offer help and remind them that they, and the work they do, are important to the company.

No employee shows up at work every day with the intent of performing poorly or doing a bad job, St. John said. So, if they’re not doing a good job, if they’re not engaged, managers should try to figure out the reasons behind it and help if they can.

Most employees want to feel good about the work they do. “I believe if we listen to employees, if we treat them with respect, and we give them ample opportunity, they will rise to the challenge,” St. John said.

FOUR WAYS TO ENGAGE

Employee engagement globally is at its highest level in almost 20 years, but that’s not saying much. According to a 2018 Gallup survey, 34% of employees are actually engaged with their companies, 53% are not engaged, and 16.5% are actively disengaged.

To help ensure your employees are among that engaged 34%:

1 Go on a listening tour. Ask employees, “How can we make things better around here? What would make your work more meaningful, more effective? How can I help you to be more successful?”

2 Schedule time in your calendar once or twice a week to go out and observe your employees doing their jobs. Give positive feedback and recognition. Don’t look for mistakes they’re making or things that need to be improved; stay focused on letting your employees know that you see them, care about them and appreciate the good job they do every day.

3 Take the 10-penny challenge suggested by Claudia St. John of Affinity HR Group. At the start of each day, fill your right pocket with 10 pennies. Transfer a penny to your left pocket each time you give an employee praise or recognition. By the end of the day, your right pocket should be penny-free.

4 Model the behavior you want. If your goal is to have employees report on time, make sure you clock in when you’re supposed to. “Employees are watching your feet more than your lips,” said Kevin Eikenberry, founder of the Kevin Eikenberry Group.