Employee engagement: Rule #2 - Include them

“Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment.” – Stephen Covey. 

So, what exactly is employee engagement? We like the CIPD's definition which proposes:

 "a ‘mutual gains’ employment relationship, creating a win-win for employees and their employers. It’s usually seen as an internal state of being, both physical, mental and emotional, but many also view it as encompassing behaviour and in particular work effort."

Leaders should focus on listening, engaging and retaining their teams:

While most leaders are measured on the basis of business results, organizations must begin holding leaders accountable for building a strong and enduring culture, listening to feedback, and engaging and retaining their teams. – Global Human Capital Trends

Here are our top tips on how to include employees:

• Encourage and promote  participation (team events; days out; birthday mentions etc.)  – especially in foundational activities like formulating mission statements and objectives 
• Opinions matter - 91% of highly engaged employees say their opinions count at work. Improve your feedback loop
• Make information readily available, not just to the chosen few, but to everyone
• Ensure that there is consistency of delivery in importatant matters - video messages from the boss are worth exploring here. 

Want to better include your employees - there’s an app for that

Check out Employee Engagement: Rule #3 - Empower them

Missed Rule #1: Valuing Employees? Read it here