The secret to what gives a company its competitive edge isn't its product, technology or corporate strategy. Instead, it comes down to one thing: employee engagement.
But most employers don't know how to manage this effectively. According to a recent report published by the associates at Dale Carnegie Training, disengagement leads to lower productivity and eventually, high turnover, which costs businesses $11 billion annually (via the Bureau of National Affairs).
In a survey of 1,500 employees, Dale Carnegie found that the most disengaged workers tend to be between 31 and 49 years old. They are also:
More highly educated (i.e. those with a post-graduate education).
Lower-level income employees earning less than $50K.
Newer employees, especially those in the organization less than a year.
How do you start engaging these workers? The report said that there are three key drivers:
Relationship with immediate supervisor
Belief in senior leadership
Pride in working for the company
If you're in a senior position, win your employees over by caring about their personal lives, take an interest in them as people, support their health and well-being and tell them your own story. This will make them feel like they are a part of your mission, hence greater trust, enthusiasm and involvement are created.
Below is a graphic from the report:
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