Employee Engagement: Tips To Measure it
The issue of employee engagement is of crucial significance to any business leader. The ability to be productive, innovate and create loyal customers requires a dedicated and committed team. Employee engagement is not that difficult to measure. There are surveys and diagnostic tools available to measure where a given company is at any given time. These at times can be costly and may not actually be a perfect fit for a particular organization.
A recent article posted in Linked-In highlighted ten (10) ways to measure whether employees are disengaging from an internal only perspective. The article made some great points that would be a beneficial gage on this important area. Here are three (3) tips that can assist:
Tip #1 Customer Complaints are Increasing
The main objective of any business is to obtain and retain customers. This goal cannot be reached if customers are unhappy with the product or services received. This tip is only effective if the business has effective and appropriate measurements in place to capture the needed data. Remember most unsatisfied customers do not complain in any formal manner. They simply go elsewhere for the product or service in the future.
It is important to have both formal and informal tools in place to measure this information. Customer surveys are a good start. Simply keeping track of customers in a manner that captures repeat customers is recommended. A loyal customer not only returns but brings other customers with them. Track referrals from customers closely.
Tip #2 Negative Employee Interactions Increasing
Employees who are unsatisfied with their work environment are more likely to engage in negative behaviors. Here is a non-inclusive list:
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Employee Complaints/Law Suits Rising
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Increase in Sick Time
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Turnover Increasing (only in good or stable economy)
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Productivity Decreasing
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Lack of Participation
Employees may not always speak up when they feel things are not going well. Good leadership within an organization at the management and executive levels maintains a constant awareness on the overall pulse and climate of the employment atmosphere. Good leadership development and management development within an organization will catch issues much earlier and provide solutions to get the team back on track.
Tip #3 Quality Of Work Issues
Engaged employees perform at a higher level. A drop off in quality may be an indicator that something is out of sync with the employees in general. Here again is a non-inclusive list to consider:
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Missed Deadlines
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Increase in Customer Returns or Poor Quality Products
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Lower Level Management Frustration With Performance at Employee level
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Less Innovation From Staff
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Lack of Participation At Meetings
The quality of the product or service is a direct reflection of the people in the organization. Issues with quality will likely reflect issues with people. This is not an exact cause and effect situation but should at least turn on a warning light for the leadership team.
Employee engagement at a high level will provide for a competitive advantage. Do you know where your organzation stands?