ROI: Unlocking Work and Employee Engagement

Well-being is a top topic in HR circles these days, and why shouldn’t it be. If an organisation has happy and healthy employees, and they feel looked after by their employer, then they are more likely to be productive and loyal. By showing that organisation has not only its interests at heart, but also its employees without becoming their Nanny, it can increase its return on investment (ROI), sales and profits. While there is an increase in automation, employees are still vital. 

Conversely, languishing engagement; mounting workload stress; absenteeism and ‘presenteeism’ surges;’ and leadership gaps can lead to a negative impact on productivity and performance, increasing costs; and ultimately, they will have an impact on the bottom line. Part of this equation will be employee churn, and that could also lead to customer churn. 

Organisations therefore need to think long and hard about how they value their employees – including people with different personality types. There is so much focus on ‘being a team player’ in many companies that the needs of individuals are often forgotten. Why should they be considered? Well, the result of not considering them is that their full working potential and talents could remain locked. This could lead to general misunderstandings, dissatisfaction on both sides, and to an increasing cycle of recruitment and employee churn, which can be averted. 

Beyond the team
Employee engagement is not a simple concept, and while there is often much work in communicating goals, objectives, and values to team, there should also be bilateral communication about what motivates and inspires individuals. When communicating with employees, there should always be some discussion, without reprimand, about any issues they face that might be causing them concerns, dissatisfaction, demotivation, and so on. 

Healthy employee engagement
Stavy Papasotiriou, Organizational Psychologist & Employee Happiness Expert at Workunlocked, and a regular contributor to Engage Employee: 
“As an organizational psychologist, I’ve witnessed the profound impact that unhealthy and uninspiring workplaces can have on both individuals and organizations. This personal experience has been the driving force behind the creation of our psychology-driven solutions, designed to cultivate work environments where employees not only excel but also find genuine happiness in what they do.”

Beyond financial metrics
With formal and informal audits, psychology-backed strategies, action plans, workshops, employer branding initiatives, she says it’s possible to achieve greater levels of employee well-being, performance, and ultimately ROI. However, in one of her company’s blogs, it says: “If your organisation vies to attract and retain top-tier talent, you must look beyond mere financial incentives and also consider the quality of the work environment you offer.” That’s certainly true, but all of the above must feel authentic, genuine, and sincere in order to work effectively. 

Why not contribute an article on how you are unlocking your employees’ individual and team performance, as well as ROI? Please drop me a line and get in touch. Meanwhile, read this week’s insight to learn more about how to unlock work, and employee satisfaction and performance. 

By Graham Jarvis, Editor