4 Ways to Know if Your Workforce Is Properly Engaged

How engaged is your workforce in what they do? Are they committed to their jobs, and to improving productivity, both for themselves and for the company as a whole? Or do they simply come in, do the bare minimum, and count down the minutes until it’s time to clock out? An engaged workforce is good for your company on a number of different fronts. Here are four questions to ask, to gauge just how engaged they are.

1. What’s the Quality of Work in Your Workforce? This is the easiest way of knowing how engaged your workforce is. If they’re doing well, meeting or exceeding productivity goals, then they’re engaged. If they’re constantly falling short, causing delays in meeting deadlines, or having quality problems that they or someone else needs to go back and fix later, then you’re having a problem with employee engagement. Even if employees are meeting their goals, but don’t seem to be making any improvements over time, and are OK with a job that’s “good enough,” rather than one that’s exceptional, then engagement is likely an issue that needs to be addressed.

2. Do Employees Interact Regularly with Management? An employee who isn’t engaged will try to drift into the background when their superiors come around. Someone who is engaged, though, will talk to management regularly, asking how they’re doing, what areas they can improve in, what they can do to advance within the company, etc. But communication is a two-way street. If you want to engage your workforce more effectively, you need to make sure you’re communicating effectively with them as well. Find out what they need help with and figure out ways to help them improve. Remember that management is there not just to crack the whip, but to help employees realize their full potential.

3. Do Employees Collaborate Well with One Another? Your company isn’t just a collection of individual employees doing their own thing. It’s a team, and it’s essential they be able to work well with one another, as well as with management. If they have trouble communicating and interacting with one another, or accomplishing goals in a group dynamic, then they’re not engaging properly with each other, and thus not engaging properly with your company as a whole. On the other hand, if they specifically seek out the help of their coworkers and actively work together to get things done, then their engagement level is a lot higher.

4. What’s Your Employee Turnover Rate? One of the most important ways of determining how engaged your workforce is, is by looking at how long they stay with your company. It’s in your best interest to keep your turnover rate as low as possible. Hiring and training new employees costs money, but keeping a good employee around longer will help you increase productivity and maintain your team’s group dynamic. An engaged workforce is committed to your organization and the team that you’ve built, working hard to rise through the ranks over time, and ultimately trying to improve things, both for themselves and for everyone else. They’re invested in your company and will want to make their time there a lifelong career. If an employee isn’t engaged, however, then they see their job as just a paycheck, or a stepping stone to something better. They’re constantly looking around for the next opportunity, and will leave in a heartbeat if that opportunity comes from somewhere else.

So what does it mean, if it turns out you don’t have an engaged workforce—or if they’re not as engaged as they could be? Well, the problem could be with them, but more likely, it’s with you. Keeping your employees engaged is an important part of any business. Figure out why they’re not being engaged the way they should, and what you need to do to engage them more effectively. By improving employee engagement, you’ll be able to increase productivity, improve morale, decrease employee turnover, and have a better, more dynamic team that will serve you well for years to come.

Paypro Workforce Management Solutions gives you the services you need while putting your needs first. We offer a comprehensive suite of solutions that give you the accurate, real-time information you need to make informed decisions. Please contact us with questions – we are here to help simplify your workforce management!