Employee engagement is becoming top priority for many employers; in last month’s article we discussed the importance for businesses to understand the level of engagement of its workforce. An engaged workforce is a key driver to increase productivity, innovation and to maintain a competitive advantage. Although regularly measuring employee engagement through surveys is an important component to understand job satisfaction, there is a lot more management can do on a daily basis. The 'Employee Turnover and Retention' study by the CIPD, groups the reasons as to why many employees choose to resign into two distinctive groups:

The 'Pull' Factor: Sometimes it is the attraction of a new job or the prospect of a period outside the workforce which 'pulls' them.

The 'Push' Factor: On other occasions they are 'pushed' (due to dissatisfaction in their present jobs) to seek alternative employment.

Line manager’s who foster a “poor relationship” with employees can be a push factor behind an employee’s decision to leave their job. Often times, a poor relationship with a manager is hard to define, but a thorough exit interview is a step in the right direction in identifying potential issues. A recent study by Henley Business School highlighted factors employees identified as a way a line manager can affect engagement:

  1. By fostering a participative, facilitative and empowering management style - not controlling or micro-managing
  2. By being approachable, available and open and willing to share thoughts and feelings
  3. By giving ongoing, constructive, open, direct and timely feedback
  4. By working with honesty, authenticity and competence

Organizations should also examine ways to support line managers in engaging their employee’s. This might include setting engagement-based targets for management which are linked to rewards, team goals and team rewards. According to the same study, a lack of training, development and career opportunities were also major reasons why many employees resigned from their jobs. More companies are now implementing a workforce management approach as part of a strategy to help them identify unutilized skills within the company and the best ways to develop them. A workforce management strategy of fully utilizing skills is of particular importance in the current economy with many businesses running lean.

Organizations that view employee engagement as an ongoing process rather than a once a year survey are sure to see a more productive workforce! Midwest Staffing Group has a team of dedicated HR professionals that are ready to assist your organization in evaluating and implementing a comprehensive workforce management strategy through a variety of programs including line manager training, diagnostic survey’s and a variety of other methods! Contact your local branch office for more information about how we can assist your organization reach your strategic workforce goals.