Fostering an effective culture of engagement
The current work environment is marked by increased talent mobility, leading to shorter tenure within organisations. This necessitates fostering engagement with a forward-looking vision. Developing engagement as part of the business strategy is crucial for enhancing performance.
How can organisations cultivate employee engagement today? A corporate culture built on shared, celebrated, and lived values fosters greater commitment, involving employees as stakeholders in their future and that of the company.
To achieve this, it’s essential to focus on performance management through clear expectations, professional development, and positive workplace relationships. However, engagement is often measured solely by satisfaction and happiness, which does not always lead to desired outcomes. The level of commitment and passion employees have for their company is directly influenced by their emotional and intellectual connection.
Today, professionals seek enriching and meaningful work experiences. To understand these needs, it’s vital to listen to them individually, as feeling heard and having the opportunity to express themselves—regardless of their position—are immensely rewarding. Professionals desire deeper connections and wish to feel valued in their roles. Nevertheless, many companies still rely on outdated strategies for addressing engagement and retention.
Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School, coined the term psychological safety in 1999, defining it as the shared belief that the workplace is safe for interpersonal risks, driving innovation and productivity in high-performing teams. In this context, Google’s Project Aristotle identified essential characteristics of its most effective teams, highlighting psychological safety as a key factor. When employees feel safe taking risks and sharing ideas, performance and team engagement improve significantly. This results in increased productivity, better retention, and an enhanced customer experience, ultimately boosting revenue and profits.
The key to achieving these goals lies in implementing concrete actions that promote a culture of engagement, such as fostering open communication, conducting regular feedback sessions, providing training in interpersonal skills, recognising and celebrating achievements, promoting diversity and inclusion, encouraging professional development, and establishing clear boundaries and expectations.
In conclusion, establishing a culture of engagement involves more than simply conducting an annual employee survey. Organisations must define, communicate, take action, and measure results. Additionally, it’s essential to involve employees in shaping their future within the company by valuing their contributions. In today’s uncertain and changing environment, these practices will enable companies to differentiate themselves and create a robust culture of engagement.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. [2023-1-FR01-KA220-VET-000152480]
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