Employee turnover is one of the most discussed and analyzed topics currently for businesses. From return-to-office pros and cons, the appetite for more development opportunities, and the cost of onboarding new employees, companies are looking at all the ways to increase employee retention. And employee engagement is becoming one of the strongest measures for predicting employee turnover.
According to a recent Gallup survey, employee engagement in the U.S has seen its first annual decline in a decade – dropping from 36% engaged employees in 2020, 34% in 2021, and now 32% in 2022. But with employee engagement often being confused for job satisfaction, companies can easily miss the mark in terms of how to connect their employees more closely to their organization.
The Gallup survey also reports that the engagement elements that have declined the most are things such as clarity of expectations, connection to the mission or purpose of the company, and opportunities to learn and grow- all which a learning and development platform can support. Here’s how, along with some examples from our own learning and development (L&D) platform, Cognition.
Identifying Your Workforce
From the smallest store front to the largest corporation, knowing who your employees truly are sheds the biggest light on what will engage them. What are the opportunities that would be of most value to them? What communication or brand investments need to be made to have them feel like they belong? Some of our clients have utilized surveys delivered through the L&D platform as a part of their constant effort to gauge employee engagement. You can use learner data or interviews to help you gain insights into background information, goals, and pain points, as well as information geared towards curriculum design – like job functions, learning preferences, and attitudes. You can even use this data to create Learner Personas to help keep your learner’s goals top of mind when making training decisions!
Onboarding Is Crucial
Communicating and demonstrating core values during the onboarding process is crucial. Be specific about how they apply to an employee’s every day; this will have them feeling more grounded, with a compass by which to navigate their role in your company. Your learning and development platform is most likely one of the first, if not the first, interaction that a new hire has with your company – so take the opportunity to make that experience as meaningful and as impactful as possible! Our clients have found value in being able to brand their platform to support the company’s vision and values, as well as utilizing features such as On the Job Training (OJTs) to foster actual relationships during onboarding, and providing clear and personalized development plans. Not only does this support a new hire in feeling valued, but it also starts to lay a foundation for engagement. Successful onboarding experiences create positive memories; they can shape employee expectations about what the organization values and how your brand meets both the needs of the customers and employees.
Promote Communication and Transparency
Informing employees of upcoming events, promotions, business objectives, successes, and even lesson learned, will help them know how to invest their energies in their role - it also helps them feel part of something bigger. In Cognition, and in many learning and development platforms, announcement channels can be used to communicate everything from open enrollment of Benefits to the latest community project the company is supporting. Another way to outmaneuver turnovers is to have frequent, meaningful conversations. Whether these are regular “stay conversations” to reveal risk factors for turnover, or using something like Cognition’s Performance Management where you can clearly communicate the competencies and goals you want employees to work on throughout the year (as well as let employees set their own goals!), having recurring conversations show employees that you truly care.
Carve Out Career Paths and Opportunities for Growth
In a recent survey by CNBC, out of 9,000 professionals, only 62% felt satisfied by the career support their company provided. Communicating growth and opportunities creates excitement and reduces stress. When employees are aware of opportunities and the company's commitment to growth, they can let go of that question "Am I in the right place for my career?" For our clients, the Talent Management feature uses talent profiles to collect information about employees, such as education, work history, skills assessment, as well as ask about their current career goals and areas of interest. Inviting employees into the talent planning process not only communicates to employees that there are opportunities available, but that the company cares about how employees want to grow in their careers. Combine that with additional insights from a manager or mentor, and you have a talent review that empowers both employees and leadership on next steps for growth and development. This gives your employees the drive and clarity on how to acquire new skills and advance their careers.
Recognition
Employees are probably the most engaged when they feel their work is valuable to the company. Regularly showing employees that you recognize and appreciate their efforts is a simple gesture that goes a long way in making them feel valued. Features like our Progressive Development Documentation tool enable supervisors to recognize their employees for their work and celebrate their wins. Making recognition a part of your learning culture will also have your employees creating community around celebrating one another and their accomplishments.
According to a recent LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report, 83% of organizations want to build a more people-centric culture. And utilizing your talent and development platform can help re-engage your workforce and create a work environment that has your employees feeling wanted and needed. Need some help in identifying how to do that for your company?
Whether you’re using our platform or another, we’re here to help! Set up a 20-minute consultation today by clicking this link. Have some tips for other readers? Leave a comment below!
