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The Great Resignation continues to be a concern as we move forward in the post-pandemic workplace. Employees are still looking for jobs. Most seek higher pay while others seek more fulfilment in their work. With our 2022 Pulse of Talent report showing that 61% of employees are a flight risk, leaders understandably wonder how to keep their best employees.
One of the best ways to retain employees is through employee engagement. Executives are aware of this, with 72% of respondents from the 2021 Executive Survey listing it as their top priority. However, only 24% agreed that they were agile in addressing their employee experience challenges. This leaves close to half of organisations without effective means of measuring and promoting employee engagement.
To become agile, the key is ensuring your team has access to the right data, and that they can translate this data into actionable insights. Without knowing what is motivating your employees, it’s hard to know which initiatives are going to make an impact.
Data is powering a personalised employee experience
Employee engagement extends beyond one-off and short-term perks. It’s less about yoga classes and fruit bowls and more about a holistic approach to wellness, which includes offering flexible working practices, building financial resilience, and creating development opportunities.
Offering a blanket engagement strategy is no longer enough. Tools for gathering people data, such as engagement surveys, can help leaders make informed, strategic decisions. Forward-thinking organisations create employee engagement initiatives and programs tailored to personal preferences and goals.
Measure engagement success to iterate and improve
Iterating and improving your engagement initiatives is impossible if you don’t measure your efforts.
The good news is, organisations are getting better at this. Our 2021 Executive Survey research found 89% of respondents reported that their organisations track employee sentiment every six months or more. This is a significant improvement from the old days of once-a-year employee surveys.
Keep in mind that measuring employee engagement doesn’t have to be limited to employees. Clients can be an excellent source of feedback on employee engagement and service delivery levels. After all, we know that happy employees mean happy customers.
You can also use this information to influence decisions around improving product and service delivery.
Use data to embrace flexibility and resilience
Businesses need to be flexible in implementing strategic initiatives to sustain business growth. Employees strongly prefer flexible work practices, and employers are responding by adapting their workplace strategies to accommodate hybrid work preferences.
One of the keys to being flexible and adaptable is using data-driven intelligence to inform your direction. Only by knowing where you are and where you need to improve can you begin to move your business forward.