What Drives Engagement?
Aon Hewitt’s 2012 Trends in Global Employee Engagement report recently looked at which engagement drivers had the most positive impact on engagement and opportunity for improvement. According to the analysis, organizations are likely to get the highest return on investment in employee engagement if they focus on improving the following drivers:
- Career opportunities. For the fourth consecutive year, career opportunities remained the top driver to positively impact overall engagement levels. Now more than ever, organizations must communicate clear career paths, prepare employees for the next role and provide lateral growth opportunities for key people.
- Recognition. Recognizing the extra effort employees have given in a tough business climate by providing feedback and positive reinforcement will pay big dividends – and it often comes at no cost to the organization. Researchers found that recognition has a higher impact for employees in Asia Pacific and Latin America than in other regions.
- Organizational reputation. People want to be part of a respected and winning team. Aon Hewitt found that European and North American employees are more concerned about their company’s reputation and what it stands for in the market versus recognition.
- Communication. Effective and engaging communication resonates with employees in rationally, emotionally and behaviorally relevant ways.
