Top tips: Employee engagement

The most practical definition of engagement is whatever it takes to convince someone that their job is worth doing, so that they enjoy doing it and want to do it well. Here are some top tips on working with employees to release motivation.

We must never lose sight of the fact that research has shown that the more motivated someone is, the more they will have higher levels of interest, excitement and confidence, and consequently perform better. Finding out what makes each staff member tick is key to getting the best out of them.

Many people believe that motivation is an inborn personality trait, but in fact there is much that can be done by employers to encourage and promote it. As well as providing appropriate incentives and rewards, organisations must ensure their people have as much autonomy as possible, feel confident and valued in what they are doing and have adequate personal support. Yet despite its significance to a company, employers often fatally overlook employee engagement, as attitude is something which cannot be taught, and traditionally, organisations are used to teach people to do things.