A recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shed light on current levels of employee satisfaction and engagement in organizations: only 39% of respondents, across various countries, said they were ‘very satisfied’ with the companies they work for.
Here in Brazil, according to the latest survey conducted by the consulting firm Catho, only 32.9% of professionals said they were satisfied, and in an even narrower bracket, 5.1% declared they were very happy in the work environment.
What are the reasons leading to such low percentages? What management errors are companies making so that their employees do not feel engaged and motivated? We started from these questions to build this article. Continue reading!
1. Not having a good organizational climate reduces employee engagement
Catho’s report shows that, for 70% of Brazilian professionals, good relationships at work are fundamental to their satisfaction. Furthermore, 43.4% of people say that autonomy and freedom of decision are essential to feel motivated to ‘wear the company shirt’ for their employers.
The data shows that companies need to strive to generate and maintain a good organizational climate. This requires the optimization of the set of values, attitudes, and behavioral patterns — formal and informal — diffused by management and fostered in daily operational relationships.
2. Not showing the connection between daily activities and organizational goals demotivates people
Commenting on a Gallup research, which shows the relationship between productivity and engagement levels, scientist Jim Harter related the lack of connection between work and business objectives as a major difficulty for employee engagement.
As the coordinator of the study, he told the Harvard Business Review that engaged people are more attentive and vigilant in their activities. ‘They must have clarity in their roles, have what they need to fulfill them, and easily see the connection between what they accomplish and the global business objective,’ the scientist emphasized.
3. Not involving employees in planning decreases levels of strategic perception of the business
Perhaps one of the reasons that helps disconnect people’s daily work from company goals is the centralization of decisions. For 34.3% of people who answered the Catho survey, participating in strategic decisions is very important. Moreover, 23.9% feel that having an active voice with their leaders makes them better and happier professionals.
These numbers, among other things, demonstrate how centralized power can be one of the management errors that most hinder employee engagement. Especially if we look at Generation Y, which is beginning to reach adulthood, we see that managers need to make an effort regarding the democratization of corporate deliberations.
Bonus: How to enhance internal communication with Corporate TV?
4. Not having efficient internal communication reduces levels of integration and collaboration
Communicating clearly, providing constant feedback, and allowing the exchange of ideas can make professionals feel more connected to strategies and motivated to collaborate. This is what a study conducted across 214 manufacturing units in China throughout 2015 points out. The researchers proved that well-executed internal communication facilitates team integration and improves people’s performance.
Among the main errors that companies commit when it comes to communicating with the internal community are:
- Not prioritizing the team in important news (e.g., the employee learning about major decisions through the press);
- Not having channels for dialogue and collaboration (intranet, corporate portal, Corporate TV, internal publications in general, etc.);
- Leaving communication processes in the hands of professionals who are not specialized in the subject;
- Lack of coherence between what is preached and what is done;
- Not involving leadership (conflicts and communication noise due to a lack of speech alignment).
5. Not allowing people to innovate causes them to resign
Innovation is also a driver of engagement. Its absence makes people feel demotivated and even resign. According to Catho, 22% of professionals who resign in Brazil consider that not having an innovative environment is one of the biggest motivators for seeking a new job.
In a time of technological prowess, with innovations emerging constantly, companies must further foster so-called internal entrepreneurship, meaning they should allow their employees to create new products, services, and work processes. This is good both for business results and for the retention of top talent.
6. Not investing in knowledge decreases performance and demotivates professionals
Another very common management error is failing to invest in team qualification. According to Catho, developing skills and gaining more knowledge is fundamental for 90.3% of Brazilian professionals. So much so that 31.1% of them dedicate one to two hours every day to update themselves.
Among the courses most valued by workers are language courses (27.6%), technical courses (12.1%), and postgraduate studies (9.9%). Therefore, companies that offer educational subsidies as a benefit tend to achieve better engagement, motivation, and loyalty (job retention) from their employees.
7. Not paying adequately makes professionals disloyal to the company’s success
Although the labor turnover rate in Brazil dropped from 52.5% in 2014 to 42.9% in 2015 (data from the General Register of Employed and Unemployed Workers — Caged), companies continue to face difficulties in retaining senior executives and salespeople in their workforce, for example.
This aligns with what Catho discovered in its survey: the difficulty of obtaining good salaries led 22.6% of Brazilians to set out in search of a new job in 2015. This percentage of workers stated they preferred to change jobs rather than try a salary negotiation.
Therefore, having well-defined positions and salaries and paying adequately is also a way to secure employee engagement, keep them motivated to give their best, and remain loyal to the success of companies.
How have you been working on employee engagement? Are any of these management errors still being committed in your company? Join the debate by leaving your comment below!
