This is why employee involvement plays such a big role in today’s ultra-competitive business world. And rightfully so – an enterprise’s failure or success mostly relies on their employees.
And in this regard, companies have realized that when employees are engaged and are made to feel that they are a part of something bigger than themselves, they perform well and produce favorable results.
This is why in the past few decades, entire departments and teams have been set-up to ensure employee involvement and participation in the company. Take Human Resources, for example. From being a purely transactional entity focused solely on administration, HR has now taken on a more transformational role.
Training and Development teams give employees (and thus, the company) a competitive edge through learning and skill-building. The Employee Relations team makes sure that employees’ rights are always protected and upheld. Safety and Risk Management ensures the staff’s well-being at work.
Organizational Development focuses on attaining company goals by balancing metrics, business structures, and employees.
There are even dedicated teams like employee Engagement, whose sole purpose is employee involvement and motivation. The team’s only goal is to engage employees and make work more fun and meaningful.
In every organization, employee engagement has always been the priority in order to stay competitive and relevant. And truth be told, a company’s success doesn’t depend on the culture, the process, or even the leadership – but rather on the employees and how involved they are in growing the business.
What is Employee Involvement?
Employee involvement is the direct participation of staff in activities that help the business fulfill its mission and attain its goals. More importantly, it is getting the employees involved in the management and decision-making processes of the business.
This approach makes the employees – along with the leadership – responsible for growing the company, hitting business metrics, and solving organizational issues. Employees use their expertise, innovative ideas and endeavors to contribute in whatever way they can. And in this aspect, employee involvement builds a sense of community and family within the company.
What are the benefits of employee involvement?
There are benefits to getting your employees involved. Here are five benefits which greatly affect performance both of the employees and that of the business. Furthermore, you can also find employee involvement examples that you can implement in your own company.
1. You have more motivated employees
More motivated employees mean better performance; especially when you have total employee involvement in terms of staff management. Employees do not leave because of the company or pay, but because of their manager. It also works the other way around. Employees stay and get motivated because of who manages them.
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Having an employee feedback to manager process in place can work wonders for motivation and performance. Two-way open communication between staff and managers is definitely one way to retain talent and keep your staff motivated.
2. You retain and attract talent because of your employee-centric culture
Paying close attention to employee feedback is a critical element to retaining key talent. Taking that extra step to show staff that you care about what they think and feel, can go a long way. Employees work best when they’re given a voice on how a company is run and how they are managed. Not only does this make employees happier, but it also makes them stay longer.
Don’t underestimate the power of ‘word of mouth’ too. Word gets out there real quick and next thing you know applicants will be lining up once you have job postings. So, having an employee-focused culture doesn’t only retain employees, it attracts talent too.
3. You manage change better and welcome it
In today’s very dynamic and competitive work environments, it is the organization that embraces change that gets to be on top. Change is constant and is always a part of any industry. And in this aspect, the business that adapts the quickest usually gains the upper hand.
The biggest challenge though is change management. Transitioning is usually a very arduous phase, especially for employees. However, staff involvement in the process can make your organization manage change better – and even welcome it.
Resistance usually happens when employees feel that they are just passengers on a ship steered by someone else. This is where the importance of feedback at work comes in.
Giving employees a chance to be part of the change process can make the transition phase much smoother. Through employee feedback, you can set better expectations and even get great ideas on how to manage the transition better.
4. Your employees care more about attaining business goals
A company’s mission and vision is its driving force and competitive edge, and key business metrics are its measurable manifestations. The best way to reach business goals is to have everyone on the same page. You need your organization running like a well-oiled machine – with each part performing optimally.
When employees are engaged, they get to see the big picture and what their roles in that bigger picture are. And involving employees through different feedback channels makes them part of something bigger than themselves – a family. This conviction to a greater mission and vision is what makes them care more about attaining business goals.
5. You nurture a learning environment
Well-trained employees are the key to attaining business goals, and the most effective way to learn is to nurture a learning environment. A learning environment doesn’t only mean that training courses and learning modules are well-designed. It also means that consistent feedback is solicited from the learners too.
Learning needs can be best uncovered by involving employees in the process. The employees are the best people to ask on what they need to learn to do their jobs well. So, getting consistent feedback on learning needs makes training and development more relevant. It also helps you establish a learning culture – a business where everyone is actually excited to take part in training, and not treat it as a chore.
Conclusion
An enterprise is nothing but a piece of paper without its employees. So, always remember that for your business to flourish, employee involvement will be a crucial key to attaining your business goals. A company’s success doesn’t depend on streamlined processes, exceptional leadership, or even a world-class company culture – these don’t even matter without engaged employees.
Involved employees see the bigger picture, and this allows them to understand their roles in the organization more. Engagement empowers them to be more accountable, not only for their own performance but to that of the business as well.
