What will Employee Engagement look like in the workplace of the future?

What will Employee Engagement look like in the workplace of the future?

We know that the type of work we do, our workplaces, the composition of our workforces, and the very nature of work is undergoing radical shifts and will look completely different in as little as five years’ time. The Workplace 2020 is going to encompass agile workforces, a higher degree of automation and a greater integration of digital tools and networks. Moreover, organizations are more focused on creating a benchmark Employee Experience with a more cause-driven, continuous learning, balanced environment which integrates seamlessly into an employee’s lifestyles. But is employee engagement going to transform as drastically as these advances imply?

Engaged workers translate into better quality work, deeper client relationships and higher employee retention, so it has unsurprisingly been at the top of the priority list for many HR leaders. But, what makes an employee want to stick around and contribute more? Accordingly to a recent Dale Carnegie Employee Engagement study in India, the main drivers of workplace motivation:

  • Pride in the organization
  • Belief in senior leadership and
  • A person's relationship with the immediate manager.

But, while we can expect the definition of what it means to be an “engaged employee” to get more nuanced, this might not necessarily lead to a change in the fundamental principles.

So, while the tools that we use and the strategies we adopt to increase engagement will change, the basics won’t.

This means that for an average employee (even if he is part of a virtual team), he will still consider the way his supervisor relates to him, an extremely important factor in how engaged he is in his work. The way an employee is sourced (through a social network or a traditional channel) will matter little if she does not believe in the brand she works for. And finally, if the people responsible for setting the vision of the company are not communicating it clearly, then the amount of automation in his daily tasks will be of little significance to an employee.

Instead, what will change radically will be the methods of engagement. For example, managers using social networks to recognize performers and connect with peers, even outside of work helps build stronger bonds between employees. Having a consistent employer brand at all employee touch points from recruitment to on-boarding to learning interventions, with a genuine sense of company purpose, helps employees connect with the larger organizational vision. A greater use of structured assessments and analytics to measure employee satisfaction and design incentive schemes, while currently a trend, will become the norm. Moreover, the use of newer methods of communicating and disseminating information like video and the cloud are helping global groups become better teams and global leaders unite people under a common mission.

We might not be able to predict exactly what the workplace of the future will look like, but what we can say with certainty is that it will require more of a shift in mindset than a complete overhaul of the basic principles of engagement. The ones who succeed will be the ones who can successfully harness the principles of employee engagement within the new technology and structures to effectively achieve their goals.

What do you think employee engagement will look like in the future? Let me know in the comments below.

Shobha Cecil

Head HR - Hamleys at Reliance Brands Ltd

7y

Essentially I feel Employee engagement would mean involving the Employee on a regular basis. Building the connect with the bigger vision and making sure that the employee realize that he/she has a bigger roadmap to follow.I think sometimes we as HR leaders miss this out entirely. We feel the newer methods of Technology & other practices will compensate. But at the end we forget that Employees are humans .

Rupa, M P

Senior Business Manager Talent Acquisition at Confidential

7y

What can be 'visioned' for the future starts from the present. Employee Engagement is a 2 way communication and commitment and totally based on integrity and trust. If the company you work for makes you feel included fully as a member of the team, trusted and empowered, given regular and constructive feedback, supported in developing new skills, recognized for your achievements, then you can be sure you are working for a company which is serious about Employee Engagement. It can be more Dynamic and Personalized in the future.

Shashvat Barbhaya

Empowering people to change thair life

7y

Nice post pallavi.... It's help a lot

Dr. Vipul Vyas, Ph.D., SpirituaLationship Coach

Sr. Facilitator, Life Coach & Director, The Mind Academy - 10,000+ lives trained at 110+ organizations like - ISRO, TATA, RBI, DRDO, L&T, IndianOil, CAG, Amul, Sun Pharma, Kotak Life, Adani Power, Glenmark, Zydus-Takeda.

7y

Thank you Pallavi Jha for thought provoking post. All three drivers of Dale Carnegie research offers 'Self Esteem', 'Confidence' and 'Peace' respectively to the employee and hence help in engagement. May I add fourth one: 'Meaningfulness of the WORK'. I feel, even if all those three drivers are present, but if employee does not find 'meaning' in the work, it will be tough for him to deliver. Now if an employee, does not find meaningfulness in the work, there is limited authority and choice on the part of an employee or authorities to change the 'work portfolio', to help him / her, find a meaningful work. So, the best option is to help him / her is to know 'how to find a meaning from the work one is assigned with'. You may like to read this where I have tried to propose this idea of helping employees, find meaning in any work. I would appreciate your comments. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/esr-employee-spiritual-responsibility-vipul-vyas-ph-d-eq-mba?trk=mp-author-card

Deepthi N.R.

Chief Operating Officer at Spentacorp

7y

Whatever, we plan finally how an employee is treated is primary. We also need to keep that in mind!

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