Abstract
This paper is about the need to foster employee engagement in organizations, as the concept has significant impacts in business management. The study acknowledges employee engagement (EE) as emotional commitment that employees develop to meeting organizational objectives. The paper appreciates that employees require empowerment, recognition, and reward for their contribution to the development of EE. The paper utilizes the case study of Putteridge Solutions plc to show an example of an organization that needs to implement EE to experience better results. Different tools are used in measuring the concept, with employee survey being a common approach, as it helps managers to understand specific areas that require improvement. The study further acknowledges that organizations can use various ways to improve EE in their management. Despite giving recommendations on how the concept can be fostered at Putteridge, the study concludes by indicating that EE has vital roles in influencing organizational success and should be appreciated.
Part 1
1. Introduction
Employee engagement (EE) has over the years attracted concerns from different people as it has proved to have significant roles in influencing organizational success (Rees, Alfes and Gatenby, 2013 p 2780). Although the concept has received various definitions, a common understanding is that it makes employees committed to their jobs and in achieving organizational goals. This paper appreciates the need to introduce EE to Putteridge Solutions plc, as one way through which the organizational workforce can be made committed to achieving business goals. To realize the study objective, the paper starts by introducing the concept of EE and discusses how it is measured and improved in organizations. The paper further indicates why Putteridge should embrace EE and proposes recommendations to solve various human resource (HR) issues experienced in the company. Implementing new strategies faces a lot of problems in the market, and the study indicates some of the common challenges experienced and how they can be overcome.
2. Literature Review
2.1 Definition
The concept of EE has received various interpretations from different scholars over the years. EE is a workplace approach that contributes to development of right conditions for employees to give their best each day, commit themselves to company goals and have a sense of motivation to organizational success (Engage for Success, 2016, para 1). Kevin Kruse defines the concept as having an emotional attachment to the organization and its goals (Haydon, 2016). In another definition, EE is considered as a sustainable level of performance that impacts well on both the company and employee (Lauby, 2013).
2.2 Measuring Employee Engagement
The traditional approach of measuring EE is conducting an employee survey to evaluate the commitment of their staff in achieving the firm's goals. Initially, companies used to conduct an annual survey of their employees with a focus on specific areas to evaluate the state of employees' commitment.
Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) - this is a common method used in measuring EE and strives to evaluate employee willingness to recommend their colleagues to work at their company (Office Vibe, 2016). However, it is also a strategy that is commonly used to analyze customer loyalty to a firm. This method is an easy approach to evaluate employee commitment hence an ideal opportunity for the management to identify areas that need changes.
Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) - UWES is a self-report questionnaire that seeks to measure EE using three main dimensions which include vigor, dedication, and absorption (De Bruin & Henn, 2013 p. 789). The three dimensions used have a total of 17 items which have been reduced from the traditional scale that used 24 items. The new approach is replacing long questionnaires which are considered to be inefficient. The UWES-17, therefore, has different features for its scores that are evaluated to determine an employee's engagement level. The various items scores range from 0-6, indicating a different level of EE in an organization.
2.3 Ways to enhance employee engagement in an organization
2.3.1 Inspiring leadership
A competent leader is key to development of EE in any organization as they have a significant influence on the success of the business. Leaders need to show interest in their workforce which includes understanding their individual needs and aspirations. This will make such employees to fill valued for their contribution to the organization. Furthermore, when an organizational leader checks ways on how employee experience can be enhanced, it inspires employees to work hard.
2.3.2 Recognition and rewards
Recognizing and rewarding employees makes them give their best, hence an important source of motivation. This includes thanking organizational employees for their input in the organization as a sign of recognition. Organizational management should thus find time to celebrate accomplishment and reward their employees to encourage them to work better in future.
2.3.4 People focused culture
For a company to benefit from an engaged workforce, it has to appreciate that understanding its employees is necessary. This includes understanding their individual responsibilities and coming up with ways that can make them enjoy their work and social life (DeAscentis, 2016). The employees should be encouraged to share ideas with colleagues, and find time to socialize and have fun.
2.3.5 Meaningful work
2.3.6. Growth and opportunity
Giving employees a chance to progress in their career growth is another significant source of EE. This includes making them aware of the need to have a career plan that will allow exploiting their strengths and abilities in the organization entirely.
Part 2
2.4 Problem with the current strategy
2.4.1 Reliance on financial incentives
Putteridge Solutions plc HR strategy is ineffective for various reasons and does not make its employees committed to organizational goals. The company uses financial incentives to attract employees and retain talented workforce, which is costly for the business. This makes employees to work with an aim of getting more money instead of dedicating their efforts to achieving the organizational goals. Financial incentives alone cannot be used in motivating employees to be engaged to their company and job. Putteridge experienced a failure in its business because of its overreliance on financial rewards to its employees. Therefore, the company should introduce other recognition strategies that will motivate employees to be focused on meeting organizational goals.
2.4.2 Employee training
Based on the case study, it was revealed that Putteridge does not engage in training of employees, leaving the task to competitors and other educational bodies. This will make their employees incompetent hence contribute to increased turnover, an approach that will cost the firm. Training employees enables them to achieve the different goals of an organization as they understand their responsibility in the firm. Moreover, it makes employees motivated hence an opportunity to enhance employee engagement in the company. Putteridge should thus consider introducing more training programs in future to enhance the skill level of their employees as one approach of improving EE in the organization.
2.4.3 Failure to concentrate on employee relations
Putteridge has not invested its resources in enhancing employee relations but has focused on providing attractive reward package as its primary approach. The strategy employed by the firm as evidenced in the case study is inefficient as a decline in the company's revenue will act as a disincentive to the workforce. By focusing on developing employee relations in the organization, managers need to understand the needs and aspirations of their employees. This will make the workforce engaged to their company goals and values as employees will feel appreciated. Failure to develop a people focused-culture in the organization will make the workforce to lack passion for their work as staffs will not be emotionally attached to their company. For instance, when the company experienced a decrease in its revenue, some of the employees failed to report to work indicating that they are sick. Putteridge failed to assess the different needs of their employees, an aspect that discouraged the employees from going an extra mile to meet the set goals of the organization. Putteridge lacks a leader that will develop a culture where employees are valued and appreciated for their contribution in the organization. This includes putting the needs of the employees the first priority, an aspect that will impact positively to the business.
Moreover, organizations in the modern world are moving from collective bargaining to building individual relation which is understood to be more efficient. The concept is known to support employee involvement, commitment and engagement hence making them develop a passion for their job (Jenkins and Delbridge, 2013 p. 2670). It is something that will contribute to increased general performance of the business. Therefore, the firm has no option but to select a leader who acknowledges the need to empower, recognize and foster a culture of EE in the organization.
2.4.4 Semi-autonomous teams
Putteridge used semi-autonomous teams indicating that the work groups were self-managed and lacked empowerment. To enhance the culture of EE in the organization, it is important for the organization to consider establishing empowered teams. This includes developing a team that understands its purpose and is committed to achieving its goals as directed by the management.
2.5 Recommendations
Putteridge should employ a broad range of practices that support successful EE plans. To resolve the issue experienced at Putteridge, it is important for the corporation to consider implementing the following recommendations.
The organization requires measuring engagement in the company and taking necessary actions based on the survey results. Conducting employee survey will offer the company an ideal opportunity to understand barriers to EE experienced by the company. Based on the survey findings, the management can thus recommend on appropriate strategies to overcome the challenge.
It is important for the organization to make managers accountable for EE. Accountability will commit the organizational managers to ensure that EE is adored by everyone in the company. To adequately embrace the culture at Putteridge, aappreciating the significant role of managers in fostering EE is important. Some of the changes that need to be done in the organization include the need to emphasize the purpose of relation oriented-behaviors. Organizational managers should spend more time with their employees to show their commitment to the job.
Puttridge should introduce bonus schemes as one way of increasing awareness on the need to enhance employee engagement in the organization. This will make more people to embrace the culture as they understand that their effort is recognized.
The company should further focus on developing an organizational approach to fostering EE in their business. This includes the formation of an engagement board that takes care of aspects like employee training and other factors like worker involvement. Therefore, every level of the organization should be made aware of the benefits of EE. Some of the important stakeholders to be included in the engagement board include senior management as they will engage in developing a culture of EE in the organization. Furthermore, such individuals have the responsibility of selecting individuals who will create awareness on the rationale of EE and its power to the success of the company.
Employees should be engaged in almost all activities carried out in the organization as this motivates them to go an extra mile. Furthermore, individuals should work as a team with a motive of enhancing EE in the company. Bonus schemes should thus be introduced as one way of recognizing employees for their improvement in EE and in meeting their set goals more efficiently.
Putteridge experienced different challenges in its management because of failing to embrace EE. However, by adopting the different best practices discussed in the paper, it will experience a significant improvement in its management. The practices will overcome the barriers experienced in the organization, an aspect that will contribute to success of the business.
Putteridge as revealed by the case study lacked a leader that makes the organizational employees aware of their impacts to the business success. Making employees aware that their responsibilities in the organization contributed to the company success will motivate them to go an extra mile. Moreover, it will make employees to perceive things differently and appreciate the need to improve the organizational performance by committing themselves to the goals and values of the company. Instead of using financial incentives, organizational leaders should introduce other rewarding systems that will keep their employees motivated to achieving organizational goals.
Part 3
3.1 Implementation
For successful implementation of the recommendations, it is important for the management to support the change by communicating and interacting with the workforce. The management should make a case for change known to everyone in the organization. For the case of Putteridge, the case for change will be enhancing EE in the organization. For effective implementation of the change, the management should consider involving organizational employees at different levels. This will make employees understand how they will conduct themselves to embrace EE in the organization. The communication on some of the aspects that will change in the organization should be done in a structured and systematic manner. Successful implementation will be done using a logical framework which indicates the time frame within which the change should be achieved. However, after implementation, the management should make a mandate of monitoring and evaluating to see if the change was accomplished as planned.
3.2 Potential financial and HR resource issues that may arise in the implementation
Some of the potential challenges that might be experienced during implementation include the following; the first issue is poor coordination within the management as different stakeholders have different perceptions towards change. Such issues can make implementation of the recommended strategies to fail, an issue that needs to be addressed. Another challenge is if organizational employees are not buying the recommendation, especially when they do not understand the benefit of EE. The management should make it clear on the benefits attained from EE and involve them in the implementation plan. Lack of existence of adequate measures of progress is also a challenge that needs to be addressed as it justifies the rationale of the program. Finally, implementing the recommended solution will require a lot of cash to conduct the survey and putting results into action. However, in implementing various recommendations, the organization will realize more benefits than cost hence the organization should consider implementing. This is because the strategies will overcome organizational issues such as the one that contributed to financial down turn in the organization in the recent past.
3.3 Introducing recommendations to managers and employees
Neglecting EE at Putteridge will result in more harm than benefit as it significantly lowers the company profitability and reduce customer loyalty. EE should be appreciated as it impacts positively on the company and employees’ well-being. Moreover, a culture of EE will give the company a competitive edge in the market, which is necessary in the current global setting. It is for this reason that the organizational management should consider embracing the various recommendations as they have more benefit to the company than cost.
Conclusion
EE has proved to have significant impacts on the success of any organization. Different scholars have indicated that organizations with engaged employees outperform their counterparts as such individuals go an extra mile in meeting the organizational goals. This has made many organizations consider implementing strategies that can raise engagement level of their workforce. For instance, the challenges faced at Putteridge were because of lack of proper plans to foster a culture of EE. Therefore, implementing the recommended solution will help solve the issues in the organization and enhance organizational performance as members of staff will be emotionally attached to their jobs and company. The attribute will thus give the firm a competitive edge, an aspect that is necessary for the global setting characterized by intense competition.
References
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