Employee engagement – the key to healthy work environment

Given the nature of the fast-paced life today, where making money is growing difficult with each passing day, it is only obvious for the employees to form a quick disconnect with the organisation, thus exhibiting low levels of productivity. In fact, various researches have often proven the fact that employees would rather take more rest than work for about 50 hours a week.  All this can really turn out to be rather unhealthy for the organisational framework. Hence, this needs to be addressed sooner than later. And an amazing way to address this problem and turn it into strength rather than a weakness is to encourage Employee Engagement. 

Employee Engagement can be best put as enhancing the overall experience that an employee enjoys during his active hours that are spent within the premises of the organisation, an experience which stays with him even when he leaves for home. This includes everything right from the simple amenities like free flow of tea, coffee and food, to in-house day care centers along with recreational facilities like swimming pools, gymnasium, pool tables, etc. Some companies have even gone to the extent of offering services such as laundry, just so that the employees get just some more leisure time. 

Apart from these, it has also proven to be rather helpful to offer employees with the flexibility of working from home, whereby they can take a maximum of 2-4 days off from the office, and accomplish their tasks and assignments from home. Paid maternity leaves ranging anywhere between three to twelve months as well as additional leaves for new fathers are fast becoming a rage, as a way of contributing towards higher rate of retention as well as greater job satisfaction.  In fact, the employee wellness programs are being taken to a whole new level by creating spaces in the office premises where the staff members can meet-up for a casual chit-chat session, thus strengthening the bond that they share. Right from celebrating various festivals, holding in-house events on at least 2 or more occasions as well as acknowledging the contribution of individual employees from time to time have proven to go a long way in establishing employee engagement. 

As can be easily deciphered it is the mix of all these little yet significant measures on the part of the organisation that allow for a considerable level of employee engagement. This in turn makes the employees more happy, collaborative and productive, thereby reducing the voluntary turnover rate. And it goes without saying that a happy employee, contributes to a healthier work environment! In short, a complete win-win situation for one and all!