What boards can do about employee engagement
While many companies are trying to bring hybrid work policies to address return-to-work issues, Gallup’s research shows that engagement has about 3.8 x as much influence on employee stress compared with the work location. This means that the way people feel about their jobs depends more on how they get along with their team and their manager rather than about being in an office or working remotely.
Instead of reacting after attrition happens, companies can use various methods to understand what their employees feel.
Most people working in companies would have had some experience with answering employee-feedback questions on a multitude of parameters. Some organisations also collect pulse surveys for periodic checks on how employees are feeling, and organise skip-level meetings to understand team feedback. Companies also incorporate a variety of communication forums such as town hall meetings, 1:1 discussions and, in a few cases, actively collect feedback on the changes required.
Despite this, employee engagement is a moving goalpost for many organisations. Merely organising team lunches and fun get-togethers do not solve the core issue if people are disengaged with work, or with the way of work.
Roles and Responsibilities of CXO
What role can the boards play to improve employee engagement?
As companies become bigger and new employees get added, the importance of having a strong culture gets intensified. Inadequate leadership and governance issues can lead to employees not connecting with the organisation’s goals, being unclear about their roles or feeling stressed.
McKinsey’s State of Organization Survey highlights some important factors in this regard. The report states that compensation and job
