Employee Engagement Matters

The research is in and reflects common wisdom about engaged employees: they’re essential to organizational success. 71% of people surveyed in a Harvard Business Review report agreed. It’s no secret that people who feel valued by and connected to their organization are more productive than those who don’t.

It’s also no secret that employee engagement hovers around 33%. You may be good at hiring folks who fit your company goals and culture, but how good are you at keeping them onboard and helping them be glad they are?

50/50 they’re looking to leave

While comprehensive benefits, a friendly work environment, and snacks in the kitchen help, there’s strong competition for your best workers. There are more jobs than people to fill them, and your employees may find an offer with the allure of stronger compensation packages somewhere out there. Some will take it and go. Gallup says about 50% are looking. Employees who feel strongly engaged report that their manager helps them set work objectives and goals. They state they want challenging but achievable goals.

The Right Goal Make a Difference

Connect employees to the big picture. Employee goals aren’t just about successfully completing individual tasks, important as that is. Great goals—goals that engage your workforce—connect the employee to the bigger picture, both yours and theirs. Here are some questions to consider:

  • What is your organization’s mission? What are its values? Can you articulate them? Could your employees? Your goals are tied to these.
  • Are organizational goals clear to everyone? Awareness of mission, values, and priorities makes the “why” of employee goals easier to see.
  • Do you engage employees in creating personal goals, showing how their work contributes to long-term company goals as well as more immediate campaigns and projects? Do employees feel like they are important to the organization's success?
  • Are goals and deadlines reasonable, and do they fit into employee job descriptions?
  • Do you have conversations with employees about their professional goals, working together to create ones that move them forward on that path? Do they see a future for themselves at your organization?

SMARTER Goals are the Way to Go

To make sure your goals are SMARTER, answer these questions. If you answer “yes,” then you are good to go:

  1. Specific – What exactly needs to be done?
  2. Measurable – Do you have a way to measure progress?
  3. Achievable – Is the goal attainable within the specified time frame and with the resources available?
  4. Relevant – Does the goal contribute to the success of both organizational and personal development goals?
  5. Time-bound – Do you have a set end date, and is it realistic? For larger goals, have you broken the work down into smaller deadlines in addition to a final deadline?
  6. Evaluate –Have you planned times to review and evaluate the goal throughout its life cycle?
  7. Revised – During evaluation sessions, can you make course corrections and minor changes to increase the goal's efficacy when necessary?

Keep Track of Performance and Progress

SMARTER goals are great, but they’re not magic. Setting goals collaboratively is one step toward employee engagement. Once a goal has been set revisit it regularly during 1:1s in order to:

  • Track employees’ and teams’ progress in reaching benchmarks and achieving goals
  • Provide helpful feedback
  • Listen to input from those involved
  • Make needed revisions

miviva Can Help

miviva is our continuous performance management software with functionalities that help you create goals that nurture engagement and productivity. Here’s how it does that:

  • It simplifies employees' inclusion in determining their organizational and professional goals.
  • Sets benchmarks to track progress and add time frames for completion.
  • Provides context for feedback
  • Allows flexibility when end dates become unrealistic or other adjustments need to be made
  • Accessible on any mobile device or computer wherever you are connected to the internet.

Next Steps