Employee Engagement Trends for 2020: Insights from a Professional Recruiter

Are you energised for work each day? Do you feel engaged, connected and supported by management? Or, like so many others, do you endure the hours, working only for a paycheck? When employees don’t feel connected to their role or to the company, the result can be high employee turnover rates and poor performance. Staff who are not engaged reportedly cost the US economy up to $605 billion per annum in lost productivity. If disengagement is so detrimental and costly, employee engagement should be high on the people management agenda. Executive recruitment firm, Mindcor InterSearch Global, examines some of the latest employee engagement trends.

Are Your Employees Engaged?

It’s easy to identify engaged employees; they exude positivity, interact well with their peers, and deliver high-quality performance. They are proactive in working towards company goals and bring the best version of themselves to work each day. Creating a sense of belonging for employees requires more than an annual Christmas party or quarterly team lunch. It requires a commitment from the leadership team to focus on the specific needs of each employee.

Millennials Rule

Statistics show that millennials will comprise 75% of the workforce by 2030. Businesses therefore need to tailor their employee engagement strategies for this cohort. Millennials are motivated by a meaningful purpose and a supportive work culture with honest, transparent communication. They are eager to learn and thrive in collaborative environments high on psychological safety with authentic peer relationships.

Psychological Safety First

Psychological safety refers to an environment that encourages experimentation and learning without the anxiety that ensues from being judged for making mistakes. Relationships are paramount as psychological safety is not possible without collegial support and genuine rapport with managers. If employees don’t feel acknowledged or if their opinions are ignored, performance will suffer. Candid conversations and constructive feedback on both positive and negative performance during one-on-ones are valued in a safe environment. Imperative to psychological safety and high levels of engagement is compassionate leadership. A compassionate leader is described as someone who holds others accountable, who is authentic and present, and leads with a sense of dignity.

Reaching for the Stars

Millennials, in particular, shun stagnation and to keep them engaged, organisations need to design environments for learning, growth, mentorship, and advancement. Younger employees are naturally problem-solvers and thrive when work is interesting and challenging. To keep motivation high, promotion and recognition practices should be visible, frequent and transparent. Suggestions and questions from staff should be encouraged and welcomed.

What’s On Offer?

A trend that’s influencing the redesign of many company packages is unique, personalised and thoughtful employee benefits such as free access to power-boosting snacks and napping/meditation rooms. Flexibility has been linked to more productive and engaged employees, and is entirely possible for many modern functions which do not necessarily require a daily trip to the office, or a traditional 9 to 5 mentality.

Need Help?

As professional recruiters, with over 20 years’ experience, Mindcor InterSearch Global, has a good understanding of what attracts employees to new companies or keeps them committed to their current roles.  For assistance in creating an employee engagement strategy that works, please contact executive recruitment firm, Mindcor InterSearch Global on (011) 551 5500 or email info@mindcor.com