Many leaders would love to know the key to staff engagement in their workplace.
Well, let’s start with manager engagement.
Managers not engaged globally
Only 3 in 10 managers globally are engaged in their jobs, according to Gallup’s most recent global survey of workplaces (engagement meaning feeling involved and enthusiastic about the workplace and one’s role).
The obvious question is: how can managers who aren’t highly engaged in their jobs engage and improve the wellbeing of those they lead? Clearly, they can’t! General staff engagement levels globally were even lower, at 25%.
But there is hope – Gallup’s meta-analysis of more than 200,000 teams found that more highly engaged managers also have more engaged teams. Gallup has previously found that managers account for 70% of the variance in employee engagement.
Leaders must act
So what to do? Leaders must intentionally prioritise the organisation’s culture and managers, by:
- Inspiring and supporting their managers to be system thinkers and team players,
- Hiring and developing managers who can be effective coaches working closely with their teams on goal setting, ongoing feedback and accountability,
- Integrating engagement and wellbeing into all stages of the employee life cycle: starting with attraction, hiring, and onboarding, and through to performance management, development and career growth,
- Being visible and consistent in their support for employee wellbeing, with a holistic approach integrating benefits and resources across multiple wellbeing domains, including culture, workspace, and health.
Leaders and managers have a HUGE impact on the wellbeing – including mental health – of the workforce through the cultures they build.
Create an engaged workplace now
To have a high-performing, engaged workplace, it’s essential to make this impact a positive one.
Check in any time to discuss how to build wellbeing and engagement in your workplace. Atwork can support you with tools including the Global Leadership Wellbeing Survey (GLWS) for leaders and teams, our amazing Leadership Circle suite, and a full engagement strategy for your organisation.