Employee engagement is one of the most important aspects of managing a company. It encourages employees to contribute as much as possible and discourages them from leaving, preventing a talent drain and saving money hiring replacements.
The challenge, however, is to find the formula and develop the corporate culture of values that engages them in the first place.
We have a pretty good idea of who the most successful global companies are in general terms (looking at a combination of brand status, income, position in their market and so on), so how do they engage their employees?
How do they ensure that their employees at ground level — in addition to their key corporate personnel — want to remain with them and do their best work on their behalf? And what can they teach other businesses about engaging their own employees?
At a company like Google, where creativity and innovation are paramount, it is important to recognize that people need time for their batteries to recharge. While most companies would just point to the weekend as a time for that to happen, Google has a policy called "20 percent time," which sees one day each week set aside for them to work on something outside their regular roles.
Additionally, Google's corporate culture is well-known, as it has created an environment tailor-made for employees to thrive — with free restaurants, napping rooms and all manner of extracurricular fun. You can even live at their offices if you want, and some people have done so.
The company also values the opinions of its workers, and hires new associates by committee.
Apple
Employees want to be sure that their work is having a real impact and contribution to their company's goals and aims — this is one of the main aspects of a successful employee engagement program. Businesses should be promoting clarity and highlighting the effect that everyone's work has on an overall project.
This is something that Apple does well, according to a user on Glassdoor, a website that allows employees to rate and review their employers:
"I got to work with some of the smartest people in the world on really tough problems, and got to really contribute; my work shipped in an identifiable way — which in such a large company was an amazing thing. At Apple, everyone focused on product; everyone knew that what they did made a difference and poured their hearts and souls into every day there."
Businesses should therefore endeavor to ensure their employees always know what contribution they're having to overall projects and work. The more they feel as though their work is making a difference, the more engaged they will be.
Coca-Cola
With more than 700,000 employees worldwide, Coca-Cola has the same challenges that companies of that size all have: making each individual feel like an important part of a multinational corporation's work.
One of the things they do is encourage employees to "be the brand," taking pride in the company's work and achievements and acting as ambassadors outside the company. This helps develop their sense of vitality and personal pride at being part of Coca-Cola.
Additionally, the company encourages workers to take time out at regular intervals to do what they enjoy and come up with ideas and improvements that can be taken on board and spread throughout the entire organisation.
Nike
One of the main things employees want to see from their companies is the opportunity to develop themselves and progress within the organization. This is something that, according to a Glassdoor user, sports equipment retailer Nike does extremely well:
"They have been great about recognizing talent and rewarding through career advancement and stretch assignments to learn and grow. Nike has so many opportunities that you can literally change career paths without leaving the company. They are willing to allow you to move from something like operations to marketing or from production to finance if you can demonstrate that you are capable. I've now worked in three different countries, and have enjoyed all of them."
An employee is much more likely to stay with a company if there is a clear path of advancement available, and they can see themselves taking on a higher level of responsibility in exchange for a higher salary and a continued sense that their work matters. This is especially important as far as millennial workers are concerned.
Disney
Working for Disney would probably be high up on many people's dream job wishlist. Who wouldn't want to be involved with all of the magic and fairydust undoubtedly floating around the place (even the corporate offices)?
Disney's ability to create employees who are, frankly, world-class in everything they do owes a huge amount to the development of Disney U, the university-esque program that allows employees working at the Disney Parks in Anaheim, Paris and Orlando to become immersed in Disney heritage and culture as well as enhancing the skills they need to do their jobs.
Corporate employees are also offered a high number of personal and professional development and training programs to help them progress within the company or at least make them more employable should they decide to change career paths. With the Disney brand and career development opportunities behind them, though, why would they want to move?
That's what employee engagement is all about, and it's clear that companies of all kinds should adopt a similar strategy to Disney to develop and retain their most talented workers.
