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March 22, 2023
Every employer out there has a vision of the perfect workforce in mind. Though these visions differ depending on the company, the employer, the industry, and the goals on the horizon, they all share a desire for engaged, committed, and involved employees.
Research conducted by Gallup in early May this year surveyed the percentage of engaged workers in the US. It defined these individuals as those “who are highly involved in, enthusiastic about, and committed to their work and workplace”. Per their research, 38% of workers in the US say they feel engaged in the work they do, and the company that they work for. This percentage is at the highest it’s been since Gallup began tracking the metric 20 years ago.
So what makes a candidate or employee engaged and committed? Why is it such an important factor for employers? And how do we make sure candidates remain engaged beyond the onboarding phase?
Employers are after engaged candidates and attempt to motivate existing employees to be more committed because the impact of an actively engaged and motivated workforce reverberates throughout the entire company. Their goal is to push the company forward, to achieve as much as they can, and this can be a catalyst for positive change both within their department and throughout the organization.
Committed and motivated employees are a pillar for effective work and efficient interaction. There’s rarely any disagreement or deep-rooted issues. In fact, most of the time, these employees see eye to eye with their management, ensuring a smooth flow of operations.
These individuals are also very easy to trust in the professional world. Employers can always count on the more committed employees to produce valuable results. Not only that, but passionate employees also have the type of curiosity regarding their work that almost always grants them a unique understanding of what the customer wants.
There are a lot of factors that shape a candidate or employee into an engaged highly-sought-after professional. Some of these factors are deeply ingrained into the person’s personality and identity. This refers to work ethic, personal values, and sometimes the culture and upbringing.
But other factors are directly related to the professional aspect, the company and the work itself. The candidate or employee’s interest in the role, the industry, and interactions with the company and its operations can be a large factor in their driven nature and engagement to the job.
Moreover, some of these factors depend largely on the company, and how these employees are approached. It’s common knowledge that feeling important, valuable, and included goes a long way in motivating employees. Projecting these thoughts during the interview and onboarding stages can even transform the candidate into a driven and engaged employee later on.
One thing is certain, and that’s that candidate engagement begins prior to employment. Candidates who first encounter the company’s brand, and go through its candidate experience would either acquire more interest in the company or lose it entirely.
Acquiring talent with this level of engagement, interest, and commitment isn’t an easy task. In fact, every team knows who that employee is within its ranks. However, there’s a lot that can be done prior to employment and even targeting the current workforce in order to influence and affect employee engagement.
The first of these factors that a candidate encounters is the company culture. Initially, this is perceivable through branding. Not only does it display the type of company it is, but also gives candidates a sense of whether or not they would fit into the organization.
Another important factor lies within the career itself, and the plan laid out by the management for the employee’s eventual growth through the ranks. A clear and defined job journey can raise interest and boost engagement.
Of course, all professionals put extra emphasis on provided opportunities for professional growth. This includes the training, the guidance, and orientation as well as the trust that they’re given with certain responsibilities. Employees who feel trusted with certain operations are automatically enticed to commit themselves and produce better results.
And let’s not forget that for any of this to work, clear communication channels and a defined work process must be established. This helps employees perform better, interact with each other and sometimes, instill that commitment in each other.
With that said, companies have control over the recruitment process and are able to define it well enough to cater to that special talent. For example, ensuring that the job description and package are consistent with the brand goes a long way. Moreover, a package that is on par with the industry average is a huge motivator for new and previous hires if certain perks and benefits are included.
Not only that but making sure that the process itself assesses the candidate’s personality, cultural fit, and communication style can help both parties conclude whether this is a valuable placement or not.
Of course, the onboarding process beyond the job description and the interview needs to be optimized. The candidate experience is extremely valuable and ensuring that it’s quick and efficient can be the difference between a perfect hire and a consistently vacant position.
For example, making sure that the candidate in question is put in touch with the right contact for their role and position on the company hierarchy raises the chances of them being hired. A well-defined onboarding plan is a must-have for any company with active recruitment.
Beyond the recruitment stage, employers need to maintain that motivation and drive, they must do what is necessary to keep the candidate or employee’s interest throughout their employment. This can be done through social projects, paying attention to their work-life balance, and offering those enticing perks and packages in a competitive way.
A lot of employers overlook the employee’s mental, emotional, and professional state. This can be harmful as these three aspects correlate directly to the employee’s rational thinking, engagement, and productivity.
At JB Hired, it’s been the core of our process to pay attention to these points as we provide our clients with committed, excited, and motivated talent for their difficult recruitment campaigns. We believe that the inherent drive and engagement of those hard-to-find candidates can influence the entire workforce. As such, we strive to source passionate talent looking to make a difference through sheer effort and productivity, to influence the company’s existing workforce, and drive it towards new levels of employee engagement.
In case you’re looking for qualified talent to help you on this aspect, get in touch with JB Hired and source the talent your digital transformation needs!
