Four out of five employees admit that they are engaged in their work – according to a study by the Enpulse and Nais platforms. However, the authors of the study point out that this does not necessarily mean actual engagement. For companies, a conscientious approach to employees’ duties means better results and less turnover among staff, but few of them place appropriate importance on employee engagement. And employee expectations in this regard are increasing.
The president of Zmotywowani.pl, Magda Pietkiewicz, who also owns the Enpulse platform that conducts employee engagement surveys, said to the Newseria Biznes agency: “It is estimated that around 14 percent of Polish employees are engaged. But, they themselves feel engaged in their work. These are two different things, of which we need to be aware because the subjective perception of engagement by each of us is at a very high level. In the latest “Engagement and benefits 2024″ survey, done jointly by Enpulse and Nais, respondents, and there were over a thousand of them, indicated in 80 percent, that they feel engaged in work. This discrepancy is significant and we should consider why it is so.”
Half of the employees surveyed rated their engagement at 5, 33 percent – at 4, and only 7 percent gave themselves a failing grade. Regardless of the degree of engagement, employees still perceive it as an important element of their work, which is a positive sign for companies. Employee engagement is one of the key elements influencing the company’s condition. It can translate into greater efficiency and hence the financial results of an organization. It also reduces staff turnover and sick leave.
Magda Pietkiewicz explains: “Engagement means good relationships, good communication, satisfied customers, and higher company profits. It is estimated that if you have a highly engaged team, profits can be up to 22–24 percent higher, but the loss from a lack of engagement can result in up to 34 percent of an employee’s annual salary. So it is worth considering what to do to engage employees.”
According to data from the “State of the Global Workplace 2023” report by the Gallup Institute, low employee engagement costs the world economy about 8.9 trillion dollars, or 9 percent of global GDP.
As the expert emphasizes, many companies do not see these benefits and do not consciously work on employee engagement. Just over half of the employees surveyed admitted that their company supports activities that build engagement, and every fifth declared that their organization does nothing in this regard. Those that take action in this area often do not realize the importance of communicating such initiatives – both internally and externally. Every fourth respondent admitted that they are unsure whether their company supports such activities or did not have the appropriate information.
“How do employers support employee engagement? In very different ways. Some do it consciously, others unconsciously. One of the first steps is benefits,” says the president of Zmotywowani.pl. “24 percent of employees believe that benefits do not build their engagement, but over 50 say: yes, I feel more engaged because I have benefits at work.”
76 percent of the employees surveyed stressed that their company provides them with non-pay benefits. For comparison, 56 percent of respondents can count on additional financial benefits. The most popular benefits include private medical care, lunch cards, or life insurance. This aspect of motivating employees has evolved significantly in recent years.
The president of Zmotywowani.pl, Magda Pietkiewicz explains: “Employee benefits used to be mandatory sports cards, which sometimes created quite awkward situations because it turned out that half of the staff cannot swim, but they had swimming pool passes. Absolutely wasted money. Then there was a trend that the more benefits, the better. This also proved to be a delusion because employees did not know what they could benefit from. The current trend, which is very strong and is very healthy, both for the employee and the company, is to match benefits to employees’ needs.”
As she emphasizes, companies are increasingly using new technologies for this, such as platforms for managing benefits and examining employees’ needs. 56 percent of respondents declared that non-pay benefits offered in their company are appropriately matched and meet their expectations. Almost 25 percent of respondents gave their organization a negative rating in this regard.
“Let’s remember that these needs change over time, so it is not the case that if we measure the needs today, in five years the employees, even if they still work in our company, will still have them the same,” adds Pietkiewicz.
Pay and non-pay benefits are not the only motivators that employees need.
“Employees really need agency, but not on the level of managing the entire company, because not everyone wants to take responsibility for large processes or large amounts of money. They want to have an impact on how they work, they want to be listened to. When we have agency, when we have control over what we do, how our work looks, we feel more confident, and thus reduce stress and can be more creative and innovative,” explains Magda Pietkiewicz. “Employees also tell us that they want to be appreciated, they want someone to notice that they are working well. There are many methods of motivation, it is important for each employer to tailor them to the needs of their team, because there is no one golden rule.”
Working with employee engagement is also important due to the risk associated with excessive engagement, which can lead to rapid job burnout.
