The result of engaged employees in your company is satisfied clients and customers that continue to add to the revenue of the company. The impact of engagement is important but it is equally important to understand if employees are engaged and to create a company culture that continues to nurture that mindset. Creating engaged employees means focusing on the signs of those who are engaged and those who are disengaged. It is easier to recognize disengaged employees because they are the ones who do everything in their power to avoid being at work, avoid responsibility, routinely missing deadlines and being defensive while deflecting blame for mistakes. On the other hand, those who are engaged take pride in their job, care about the business and often lay low. Here are the top signs of an engaged employee:
- They always look for and share ways to improve. They are not focused on just what needs to be done that day. Instead, these employees look, for ways that the entire team can improve and share these processes about how the workplace can become more efficient while saving the company money.
- Turnover and referrals. If your hiring process is one that you have to conduct often, it could be that your employees are not engaged. If, however, your employees refer their friends to your company and they stay for the long term they are definitely engaged.
- Open Communication. Employees who are engaged seek feedback from their coworkers and managers. They have continuous discussions regarding current projects and want you to understand their thought process while understanding yours. They are open to constructive criticism and communication and are good communicators.
- Create a Positive Work Environment. Engaged employees work hard at making the workplace better for those around them. They work on making the environment a positive one through their good attitude and strong mentoring skills.
- Professional and Personal Development. It is simply not possible to measure the engagement of an employee by the number of hours that they work but the way that they behave while they are at work can give you an indication of their overall attitude. Are they interested in attending workshops and conferences? Do they want to learn new skills and take courses to help them improve? Those who are engaged want to learn and to grow.
- Surpass Expectations and Exceed Goals. Whenever a project is completed an evaluation should be conducted to determine how all of the team members performed. Employees who are fully engaged will surpass goals that you have set and if the project does not turn out as planned will learn from their mistakes so that they do not do the same on future projects.
If you want to have engaged employees, it is important to encourage them and reward them. Learn the signs of engagement and develop a company culture that fosters it. When employees are struggling to stay involved, try to find out why that is, whether it is through meetings, surveys or personal discussions.
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