Everyone knows how important employee engagement is. However, human resources professionals often feel cut off from the day-to-day operations of their companies, making it hard for them to have an impact on engagement. Here are a few ways HR departments can have a positive impact on employee engagement:
Feedback mechanisms
Despite the fact that managers have more direct contact with employees, HR likely has more insight into engagement levels. It's generally the duty of HR to conduct surveys and ask for feedback from staff. This often means the HR department is the first to see potential problems among staff. HR staff should pass on any important information to direct managers and use their overall perspective to increase morale across the company.
Train managers
According to HRZone, most employees agree that their managers have significant influence (http://www.hrzone.com/engage/employees/the-essential-role-of-hr-in-employees-engagement-and-commitment) over their engagement levels. Employees struggling with bad managers may lose some of their commitment to the business. To avoid this kind of situation, HR should work with managers to teach them some skills that will increase engagement. For instance, make sure they check in with their employees frequently so they know how staff are actually doing and make sure their concerns are heard.
Know employee history
Out of all departments, HR has access to the most robust information about each employee. Using employee management software (http://na.sage.com/us/sage-hrms), HR can quickly pull up a staff member's history and find out if his or her recent performance adequately reflects what that employee is capable of doing. If workers' performance isn't great, HR might be able to see what has changed in the meantime that may have affected their state of mind. Having a database of employee data is key in identifying potential issues.
Provide incentives
It's hard to keep up the good work when there's no reward for a job well done. HR should work with executives to establish a reward program for employees. According to Human Resources IQ, the incentives could be monetary (http://www.humanresourcesiq.com/hr-talent-management/articles/three-ways-hr-managers-can-improve-employee-engage/), such as a raise. Administrators could also offer gift certificates or even paid time off. On the other hand, an incentive could be as simple as demonstrating to individuals exactly how they contribute to the overall team.
Employee engagement is an important driver of success at many companies. Engaged workers simply perform better. It's up to HR to use its unique perspective and insight to help companies support their staff and lead to happier, more productive employees.
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