To Create a Great Workplace, Engage These People

by Leslie Caccamese on June 05, 2012
         3 People Critical to Your Employee Engagement Success

Conversations about employee engagement often strike me as too scientific, too distant. The focus on metrics and key performance indicators often drives the conversation away from the most significant, most critical element for achieving employee engagement success: people.

At Great Place to Work, we recognize that relationships are at the heart of every great workplace. The relationship between employees and management, between employees and each other, and an individual's relationship to his or her work, combine and collude to create a great work environment, one where employees feel engaged, happy, and proud.

If you are on the journey to building a great workplace, or are working to enhance levels of employee engagement, here are 3 people you need engaged in your engagement efforts.

1) Your CEO. In all likelihood, your CEO has mandated your great workplace efforts, asking you to get the company on one of those "Best Companies to Work For" lists, or demanding that you control costs from high turnover, or increase productivity. But if that CEO is not fully on board with the behavioral, structural, and program changes necessary to sustain transformation, your efforts may fall short. Moreover, when leadership does not walk the talk, employees perceive the superficiality of your efforts, and are less likely to follow along.

2) Your Line Managers. The people most responsible for how your employees experience their work environment are more often than not, their direct managers. Having managers equipped to lead their teams in ways that support your employee engagement efforts, is critical to building a great workplace. I repeat, you cannot build a great workplace with mediocre managers. This is why Great Place to Work partners with companies who understand that leadership development plays an enormous role in enhancing employee engagement.

3) Your Employees. It's fantastic that more and more leaders are convinced of the benefits that can come from having an engaged workforce and a great work environment. However, employee engagement efforts often fall flat if you don't bring the crew along with you. Engage your employees in your efforts to build a better work environment.
Employee surveys or focus groups are great ways to collect their feedback.
Ask employees directly, "what can we do to build a better work environment?" And finally, don't forget to share your findings and action plans with employees.

Employee engagement is not the responsibility of one particular department or person. Make certain you get these folks on board and engaged in your efforts.

Read more: To Create a Great Workplace, Engage These People