OK, so Beyonce's talking about an entirely different kind of engagement, but she still makes a very good point; if you want to hold on to somebody great then you'd better make sure that they know how much you value them and want them to stay.
Engagement has become the buzz word of the last couple of years, but those who brush it off as just the latest trend in L&D are making a huge mistake. There is an abundance of research on the subject and those sceptics amongst you would be wise to take note. Employees that are highly engaged are not only less likely to be off sick or leave the company, but they will also reward you with increased levels of efficiency and productivity. Additionally, they'll provide you with your very own positive PR. And what does all this mean for you? Well, in addition to the free advertising and reduction in costs incurred from high absenteeism and staff turnover, the increase to overall business performance has been well documented. That's right, employee engagement impacts directly on your bottom-line!
Despite this, according to the 2008 report by Accor Services Reward to Engage: Rewards, benefits and employee engagement in today's organisations, although 90% of employers surveyed recognise that engagement has a significant impact on the success of the business, a worryingly large percentage (75%) have no strategy in place to tackle it.
So, it's time to listen to Beyonce and start taking engagement seriously.
