Engagement surveys and the benefits on employee wellbeing
Employee engagement surveys are quite a hot topic now, and for good reason. Both people and organisations benefit from employees who feel listened to and in turn, engaged. Research shows that passion, purpose, and energy increase when your people feel engaged, and this also has positive overall health impact. Hence, purpose and energy are strongly linked to well-being.
What is employee well-being?
HR teams in all organisations are starting to understand the importance of engaged employees to reduce sick leave and keep employees healthy both physically and emotionally. The definition of employee well-being is the overall mental, physical, emotional, and economic health of your employees. Employee wellbeing defined by the different drivers of employee engagement, such as the relationships with co-workers and managers, autonomy, and access to the tools and resources necessary to perform a great job. Research clearly shows that engaged employees experience better well-being and it has benefits for both the business and the people. No wonder employee engagement is at the top of the agenda for HR teams in all types of organisations worldwide.
Only 15 percent of employees are engaged
We know that employee engagement improves not only employee wellbeing, but also productivity, health, and profitability. Yet, a staggering 85% of employees are not engaged in their work. According to the Gallup report State of the Global Workplace, an average of only 15 % of employees are engaged in the work they do. Gallup defines engaged employees as "those who are involved in, enthusiastic about, and committed to their work and workplace". It will have serious repercussions for the business if only 15% of the workforce feels this way.
Engagement surveys increase employee engagement
Digital employee engagement surveys that are regularly sent out to employees are called pulse surveys. They enable HR, management and employees to understand how employees experience their work environment, how they feel about their work, and where there is potential for improvement and change. Pulse surveys are a modern and efficient way of collecting feedback, enabling a more agile, scientific, and data-driven approach to organisations people strategy. When organisations start gathering data about their people, they can also start making changes that make their employees more engaged and healthier.
Below we have listed some of the most important benefits of employee engagement when using employee pulse surveys:
- Increased productivity and greater profitability
- Reduced sick leave and less long-term sickness absence
- A stronger employer brand
- Employees become advocates
- Increased staff retention
Employee engagement benefits wellbeing
Unfortunately, sick leave is a challenge for many organisations in our modern society. When employees do not show up for work, projects take longer and productivity decreases, and the most important thing, people are unwell. Some absence due to illness and injury is of course a part of life and cannot be avoided completely. But some absences are symptoms of other problems within the organisation. These problems can be avoided if they are addressed properly and in advance. Work-related stress and a lack of engagement often account for part of the absence. Addressing these issues and raising the level of employee engagement often have an immediate effect on sick leave. Happier and healthier staff are simply less likely to take sick leave and have overall better well-being and performance at work.
A proactive approach to employee engagement
By continuously and proactively analyzing survey results and connecting them to action plans, organisations can work to increase engagement levels and well-being. Pulse surveys usually create much higher response rates than annual engagement surveys. This means HR and managers always have updated access to how the employee view specific topics, as well as overall insights about the state of the organisation.
So, get the tools you need to measure and increase engagement and well-being and build a culture of self-leadership with Eletive!
Johanna Marcusson for Eletive.com
