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Employee Engagement

The New Rules of Engagement

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Employee engagement is consistently ranked as a top priority by a large majority of business leaders, however, only a small percentage say they actually have highly engaged workforces. The challenge is that most engagement approaches are decades old and likely to do more harm than good. Business dynamics in the 21st century demand a different approach.

How can I raise employee engagement levels in my company?

Living in an always-connected, online world has brought about many changes to traditional business models and long-standing assumptions about social interaction and personal motivation. This is especially evident in today’s workplace, where traditional employee-recognition programs no longer work because the needs and wants of your employee base have likely changed significantly.

Today's hybrid workforce has varying needs of who are working from home and those who are working from the 'office', but we also have a multitude of ways in which our workforce has diversified. For example, we have a multi-generational workforce with baby boomers leaving the workforce in a few years and the Gen Z entering the workforce. This generational shift has changed the landscape and how we engage employees. No doubt the definition of the word employee itself has changed!

We have flexi-time workers, gig workers, part-time, or contractors. Then we have those who work in an office vs in a factory or a retail store or a warehouse — or are on the go! We have a hybrid of employees with different personalities, how they handle the new work situation, their personal situations at home and in life. And, of course, diversity of the workforce has always been a focal point.

So with all this change, we need to reimagine our recognition framework. The traditional recognition framework, based primarily on reach and frequency, may not be sufficient anymore — we need to focus on how employees think and what they feel. We need to find genuine ways to get and maintain employees' attention and focus?

The New Rules of Engagement℠ are 12 imperatives for leaders and managers because the degree to which an organisation delivers on each has important consequences for the motivation of its employees. Because people are strongly reciprocal, a company gets the level of performance from them that it deserves.

The New Rules of Engagement survey asks employees a series of questions relating to the 12 rules.

Learn more about each of the New Rules of Engagement.

More than ever, great managing is a matter of intense understanding of each unique employee, knowing their abilities, what makes them happy and how they work best. Get inside their heads and bring out the best in them.

Nobody can promise job security anymore. But that doesn't mean you can't make your people courageous and able to focus on the company's goals rather than self-preservation. Be fearless and take your team with you.

Money isn't everything. It only gets you so far. But companies that mishandle this emotional area will make it a bigger deal than it has to be. Make money a non-issue so your employees can strive for more.

Work conditions and policies will always affect people's health. Getting them right doesn't just reduce costs, it invigorates the employees and the business. Create an environment where your employees can thrive.

Talented people don't have to work for boring companies and most won't. Making a uniquely stimulating culture creates a real competitive edge.

There are no more secrets - everything about a company is public, or will be. Behave accordingly. Allow your employees to trust your transparency.

People need to be part of something bigger than just a job and a salary. Meaning drives higher performance.

What people do today is largely motivated by where they think it will take them in the future. Companies that are deliberate about helping employees chart that future get those people's best work. Be the company where your employees want to see their future.

What a company does not recognise, it should not expect to see repeated. Making a big deal of employees' accomplishments ensures the victories will be multiplied. Recognise your employees to ensure your mutual success.

People have always been willing to take one for the right team but players get traded much more these days. As people move between companies at a faster pace than ever before, it's never been more important to create conditions that foster strong collaboration. Unite your employees so they want to be on your team.

Employees don't just want their opinions to count. To accomplish all they can for the company, they need the chance to take the lead. Create a space where your employees feel confident to lead.

Your best people are itching to accomplish something incredible together. Challenge, rally and support your people — and you will be struck by what they can do.

Why are there "New Rules" of Employee Engagement?

Ready to leverage the New Rules of Engagement at your company?