Encouragement from managers increases staff engagement

There is a direct correlation between staff engagement and the amount of guidance, feedback and autonomy that managers are willing to provide workers, according to research.
 
In general terms, employees feel more supported if their bosses focus on what they do, feel good about themselves in their role and act in a way that demonstrates commitment to the organisation’s values and commitments.
 
But motivation levels also increase if managers show an interest in staff as individuals, offer feedback, praise and recognition, review and guide them in their work and empower them by providing them with appropriate levels of autonomy to get on with tasks themselves.
 
Ben Willmott, senior public policy adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, which co-funded the report, said: "In today's tough economic environment, how managers manage is even more important in supporting employee commitment and motivation in the face of job cuts, pay freezes and cuts to training and development budgets."