18 August 2008

Engaged and disengaged employees view the boss differently

Survey says supervisors need to do more to make staff feel valuable.

by Annie Waite, Global Editor, the Internal Comms Hub

A significant difference exists between how disengaged employees feel about their boss versus engaged employees.

This is according to a recent study by management consultancy, HR Solutions, of 9,500 employees across a range of different industries.

Time to step up support
Of those questioned, disengaged employees registered 56 percentage points lower than engaged employees on the following survey items:

• My supervisor supports employee suggestions that are meant to correct existing problems. (Engaged employees: 88% favorable, disengaged employees: 32% favorable).
• My supervisor makes people in our work group feel that they're a valued and important part of the team. (Engaged employees: 88% favorable, disengaged employees: 32% favorable).

Empower employees for engagement success
The second most significant gap was found when employees were asked whether they find their supervisor friendly and helpful.

Disengaged employees only scored 40% favorable compared to a high of 90% favorable for engaged employees.

Murat Philippe, principal consultant with HR Solutions commented on the results: “These scores underscore the importance of the immediate supervisor in engaging the workforce. A supervisor’s chances of having productive, engaged employees can hinge on whether the employees feel valued and empowered.”

Ways managers can show appreciation
An article published in The Province over the weekend backed up Philippe's point above.

"Irresistible employers know that to attract and keep the best, they've got to show their love," it said.

Do your managers regularly "show their love"? Do they convey enough appreciation to employees to acknowledge a job well done? And do managers listen to and act on employee suggestions?

How e-cards can boost engagement
One way employees can feel valued is simply by being "noticed". "Sending birthday e-cards to colleagues to express your friendship and care is one of the easiest ways to show your warmth and feelings for them," a post on the Workplace Communications blog says this week.

Managers can use ideas like this to foster better relationships and show their employees they're valued. "Remember urgent always takes precedence over important. That is the reason most colleagues forget the birthday of their co-workers," says C.D. Mohatta on the blog.

The message goes on to advise a practical method to ensure birthdays are marked at your organization. "Make a sheet with names of all the co-workers and circulate that in the beginning of the year. Ask everyone to fill in their name and birthday. Now prepare photocopies of that sheet and pass one to everyone. This will ensure that no one will forget the birthday of a co-worker."

"On an e-card," the blog suggests, "the text should appreciate their qualities. Rather than selecting a card saying only happy birthday, select the ones that also have nice words to say about them. For example, an e-card that says 'we all appreciate your work and friendly spirit. Here is wishing you a Happy Birthday' will make the recipient feel much better."

Define inspiring supervisor behavior
At Credit Union Central of British Columbia (CUCBC), managers have been working on other ways to help transform themselves into "star communicators". Working in break-out groups, managers at the organization were asked to identify the behaviors they felt they would need to exhibit and model as communicators.

The break-out groups then shared their ideas and learnings with the rest of the managers.
All of the ideas were collected, prioritized and further defined as required. In the end, the following 11 behaviors were accepted as the standard – unsurprisingly, one of the behaviors identified was "I recognize employee efforts on an ongoing basis":

1. I understand communication is a process that does not end.
2. I understand our mission and goals and use that knowledge to build employee commitment.
3. I actively champion our vision, mission and goals through clear, consistent messages.
4. I walk the talk. My actions match my words and I align my behaviors to our core values: integrity, member-centric and respect.
5. I listen attentively and actively, striving for clear two-way communication.
6. I work to develop relationships and am accessible to my employees.
7. I understand each employee is unique and I customize my communications accordingly. I am flexible in how I communicate.
8. I proactively seek feedback and am open to all ideas.
9. I close the communication loop. I always get back to employees.
10. I provide feedback in a constructive manner.
11. I recognize employee efforts on an ongoing basis.

Have your say
Do you have informal employee recognition programs? If so, how exactly do they benefit the business? Do managers have the means and skills to praise employees – with gifts, or otherwise? Do employees and management see the difference these programs make or is it seen as a waste of time and effort? What incentives and communication practices have you found to have the most resonance with employees and why?

Share your experiences with the Hub's readers by leaving a comment below.