Building Relationships at Workplace for a Sustainable Employee Engagement

 

(Sanyal, 2022)

Employee engagement in today's rapidly changing work environment is about more than just reaching goals; it's about creating a sense of belonging and fulfillment. Developing meaningful relationships in the workplace is one of the most effective strategies for attaining sustained engagement. We'll examine the value of forming relationships for sustained employee engagement in this blog, as well as practical methods for fostering them.

The Role of Relationships in Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is closely linked to the relationships that workers form at work and is not only about tasks and productivity. The ability of a person to fulfill the necessary duties to hold a position in an organization is known as employee performance (Dlamini, Suknunan and Bhana, 2022). 

Establishing trust and connection, fostering cooperation and teamwork, assisting coworkers' personal and professional development, promoting resilience and well-being, and tracking the quality and engagement of relationships throughout the working time are all fundamental components of employee engagement. 

When considering Sri Lanka, Gallup (2013) looked into employee engagement levels globally in the years 2011 and 2012. It was found that in Sri Lanka, 62% of workers are not engaged, 14% are engaged, and 23% are actively disengaged. Furthermore, reports indicate that there has been a rise in employee engagement in 2017. According to the research, 38% of workers are based in Sri Lanka. 

HRM strategies to resolve difficulties and improve positive connections within the organization.

1. Establishing feedback tools, active listening techniques, and transparent communication methods to encourage interaction and build trust.
2. Facilitating communication between team members, planning team-building exercises, and fostering an inclusive and cooperative atmosphere.
3. Encouraging work-life balance efforts, providing employee assistance programs, and placing a high priority on mental health support and awareness.

Effective HR management is essential for the growth of connections that support organizational performance and employee engagement. HR professionals can create an environment at work where meaningful relationships flourish, which will increase employee involvement and improve organizational performance, by identifying and resolving HRM concerns related to building confidence, promoting teamwork, supporting development, and fostering welfare.

Recognition and Appreciation

Whether they are compensated for their job or not, almost everyone wants to be acknowledged for it. As a result, organizations are learning that recognizing employees is an important component of keeping their staff happy, productive, and loyal to the firm. Besides, fundamental components of human resource management, appreciation, and recognition have a big impact on employee engagement, morale, and overall organizational success.

(McCain, 2022)

(McCain, 2022)

Businesses frequently fail to acknowledge the hard work of their staff members; according to 29% of workers, they haven't gotten praise for their efforts in more than a year, if at all. Businesses are doing more harm to themselves than they may realize when it comes to failing to recognize their employees. Employee performance, productivity, and engagement all increase in companies with employee appreciation programs, and voluntary turnover rates decrease as well. According to employee surveys, 80% of respondents claim they work harder and 37% believe they do better work when they know their superiors would acknowledge their efforts.

The best methods for HRM to incorporate appreciation and acknowledgment into its work

1. To facilitate the transition time and assist fired employees in finding new employment or changing careers, offer professional services.
2. Create an environment at work where people's values are respected and integrated with the organization's principles.
3. Give workers tasks that don't conflict with their basic values and the components of their jobs that they find fulfilling (Brun and Dugas, 2008).

All things considered, HRM may develop a culture of appreciation and recognition by implementing these tactics, which will ultimately increase employee engagement, contentment, and loyalty as well as the organization's success and competitive edge.

Reference list

Brun, J.P. and Dugas, N. (2008). An analysis of employee recognition: Perspectives on human resources practices. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(4), pp.716–730. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190801953723.

Dlamini, N.P., Suknunan, S. and Bhana, A.B. (2022). Influence of employee-manager relationship on employee performance and productivity. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 20(3), pp.28–42. doi:https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.20(3).2022.03.

Gallup (2013). State of the Global Workplace 2013 | Gallup Topic. [online] www.gallup.com. Available at: https://www.gallup.com/topic/state-of-the-global-workplace-2013.aspx.

McCain, A. (2022). 26 Employee Recognition Statistics [2023]: Need To Know Facts For Managers And HR – Zippia. [online] Zippia. Available at: https://www.zippia.com/advice/employee-recognition-statistics/.