According to Gallup, 70% of the variance in employees’ engagement is determined solely by their direct leader. And, given the financial benefits of having an engaged workforce, such as increased profitability, higher sales, lower turnover, etc., you would hope that frontline leaders would have their employees’ engagement level as a top priority.
Yet, according to a recent study by Dale Carnegie, just 26% of managers (i.e., frontline leaders) surveyed said that employee engagement is a very important part of what they think about, plan, and do every day. Given that, it’s no wonder that less than one-third of employees surveyed by Gallup say they are engaged at work.
Building trusting relationships and carrying out the practices that motivate employees to become engaged can only occur if frontline leaders shift their priorities and devote a greater portion of their time and attention to their people. Employee engagement should be that leader’s most important and principal responsibility.
And, in our estimation, the following three sets of actions need to be consistently carried out to create a positive employee experience—an experience that causes employees to feel valued, connected, and engaged.
With the labor market being tighter than it has been in generations, if not ever, ensuring that your frontline employees have a high engagement rate has never been more important. They stay longer and they produce at a much higher level.
And, the most effective way to impact that engagement level is through your frontline leaders, and their three key actions of Appreciating, Connecting and Coaching their teams.