Cornerstone of HR Value Chain (Employee Engagement) Part - 1

In continuation to the last article on HR Value Chain (Organization Development - Part 3), let us take the series of HR value chain forward to understand the third cornerstone i.e. Employee Engagement.

To refresh the learnings on Talent Acquisition & OD, you may like to click on the following : -

OD -http://hrsuccessmantra.blogspot.com/2009/06/cornerstones-of-hr-value-chain.html

TA - http://hrsuccessmantra.blogspot.com/2009/05/cornerstones-of-hr-value-chain-talent_02.html



In my view, Engagement is the state in which INDIVIDUAL’S are emotionally and intellectually committed to the organization / group.
There are 3 types of employees.
1) Engaged
2) Not engaged
3) Actively disengaged
Engaging all three leads to enhanced Employee Satisfaction which is directly linked to organizational productivity.
Employee engagement practice assume larger significance in IT, ITES & BPO industry due to high Churn. Average age of resources working in this industry is less compared to other industries. Tight deadlines, high volume, zero tolerance to defects, demanding work environment, night shifts coupled with high aspirations of young work force could be the some of the key reasons for high attrition in this industry. Organizations that believe in increasing employee engagement levels focus primarily on:

Building a Strong Performance Culture: This primarily consists of a foundation of leadership, vision, values, communication channels, strategic plan, and HR policies that are focused on mutual growth of the organization as well as employees.
People-Focused Approach: Human Capital is the most important asset and is a key differentiator. "Growth from within" should be at the forefront of leadership mindspace. For this it is imperative that Leadership empower the resources to experiment and leverage their potential.

Metrics: Like routine medical check ups are done to prevent any unforseen situation, similary, it is important that we measure factors that are essential to the organization’s health/performance. Regular review of the metrics / dashboard will naturally drive the people-focus of the organization and lead to planning / execution of programs and practices that shall enhance the productivity of the staff and ultimately leads to high levels of trust, pride and satisfaction.

In my next post i shall touch upon few pointers on How to increase employee engagement. Watch out the space!