Job Engagement: How to Improve Work Performance

Job Engagement

Employers face the complex tasks on finding ways to improve job engagement, work performance and job satisfaction. A global economy of discriminating employees has placed demands on employers never before seen. Employers face the challenges of maintaining productivity, job performance as well as keeping their workforce engaged and satisfied with their jobs.

Environmental pressures, increased regulations, rising costs, and the needs of the workforce have placed management in a complicated and tenuous situation. The answer lies with creating a work environment that maintains employee job satisfaction as well as motivates people toward exceptional performance.

A survey conducted by the Conference Board showed only 45 percent of Americans are engaged with their jobs. This is the lowest job engagement level ever recorded by the Conference Board in more than 22 years of research.

Those that fail to improve job satisfaction are at risk of losing their top talented people to the competition. Supervisors and managers who maximize the potential, creative abilities, and talents of the entire workforce have a greater competitive advantage than those who don’t. Employees that are engaged in their work have a higher level of job satisfaction and motivation. Engaged and motivated workers provide the health insurance businesses desperately needed in these chaotic times.

Here are a few job engagement techniques that can boost job performance.

Team Assist Boards: Best Buy Company, Inc. has boards, which are located in multiple areas within a department. Peers or managers recognize the excellence of others by writing a quick message of thanks, and then post it on the board.

Tool for New Employees: Northeastern University has many divisions, each containing several departments. The division decided to develop a tool to assist the new employees. It is an orientation/training manual, and the entire company helps direct them where to go, who to speak to, and what they need to begin working on.

Staff Excellence Award: Northeastern University has developed a staff excellence awards. These are done monthly and the winners are nominated by those in their department. They receive a gift certificate and plaque.

Perfect Attendance Recognition: Graybar has weekly or monthly drawings for perfect attendance. This is for those who have had no tardiness, etc. for the previous weeks. They give one gift certificate per week.

On the Spot Award: NexCom uses the “On the Spot Award.” Any supervisor who finds an employee doing the right thing gives it. They give that employee a gift certificate, minimum $25, maximum $100.

Breakfast Burrito Reward: Sandia National Labs has the Breakfast Burrito reward. When a team or individual meets a certain performance goal, they get a Breakfast Burrito party. Status towards achievement is tracked on a poster… red chilies indicate falling behind schedule, and green chilies show if they are on time, or ahead of schedule. This is very inexpensive, but well received. Employees love to eat!

Feed the Teams: Smith and Nephew encourage their various departments to select a weekend to feed the mfg. teams that have to work. They arrive at 8:00 p.m. Friday night for the second shift, 2:00 a.m. for the third shift, and at noon on Saturday for the first shift. The teams have been very appreciative.

Executive Lunch: Tenet HealthSystem selects an employee from each department via e-mail to join Executives (VPs) for lunch. Approximately 10 executives and 15 employees have lunch in a conference room on the Executive floor on a monthly basis. There is no set agenda. Coworkers get a chance to interact with one another, and interact with executives on an informal basis. This program has done a lot for job engagement.

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