Do you actively listen to your staff and track engagement? 
 
According to Gallup, typically around a third of employees are ‘engaged’ and about 15% actively disengaged with the remainder (around half) disengaged. 
 
It is important to all of us that we feel listened to and valued in all aspects of life. Motivation often comes from feeling that we are truly contributing something to the greater good. Part of a combined effort that makes us think "that was a good day's work, I am getting some fulfillment."A paycheck is motive enough to show up, but not to be enganged and put forward our best effort. Remember that as the business owner we have a unique motivation that staff will never have, the business is our baby. They need different means of engagement. 
 
The same goes for team members; the best retention plan of all is to ensure that all team members are happy and engaged at work. It is easy enough to do once you start, just check in once in a while and really get a feeling of how each individual staff member is feeling. 
 
Happy staff; happy, successful business. 
 
But what really is engagement and how do we know if we have it? 
 
1. Engaged Employees -“Engaged employees work with passion and feel a profound connection to their company. They drive innovation and move the organisation forward.” 
 
2. Disengaged Employees -“Not engaged employees are essentially ‘checked out.’ They’re sleepwalking through their workday, putting time — but not energy or passion — into their work.” 
 
3. Actively Disengaged Employees – “Actively disengaged employees aren’t just unhappy at work; they’re busy acting out their unhappiness. Every day, these workers undermine what their engaged co-workers accomplish.” 
 
Our research into the challenges of scaling up showed that staff challenges rose to the top of all challenges preventing growth with business over £500k turnover, the main aspect being ‘Getting staff to think and act for themselves and take responsibility in the way that you would’. This was reported as the number 1 challenge by business with a turnover between £3m and £5m – and part of this is around engagement. Despite this, only 4% of the top 5 reporting key performance indicators related to staff KPIs such as engagement and satisfaction, suggesting that we struggle to find ways to measure it. 
 
If you are wondering whether improving engagement can impact the bottom line, then Gallup’s own research shows that the most engaged teams show 41% lower absenteeism, 10% high customer metrics and 21% higher profitability. 
 
Invest in the people you have trusted to help raise your baby and you will receive their invaluable effort back.  
 
Join us at ScaleUp Club on the 5th of July where we will be discussing Leadership. Your first visit is free - register HERE
 
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