“Employee engagement” is a term we hear a lot of. We know that companies tend to perform better when their employees are engaged – when they feel connected with the company’s purpose (which means the company has one), when they perceive that they have agency, when they feel fairly treated by the company… Many companies talk about employee engagement but do nothing to improve it. This breeds cynicism. Even so, the fact that this is even discussed represents progress.
I wonder, though, if it would be better to turn the conversation around. The concept of employee engagement puts the onus, in a way, on employees. It asks them to be engaged. Perhaps we should be talking about employer engagement instead. Perhaps executives should turn the spotlight on themselves and ask how engaged they are. Instead of wondering about employees, let them wonder about themselves:
What are we doing to create a sense of purpose?
Have we articulated a clear and compelling vision?
Are we inspiring?
Are we good managers?
Are we good leaders?
Do we connect the work that every employee does to the company’s mission and purpose?
Do we connect the company’s mission and purpose to some larger societal good?
Are we nice?
And so on.
I’d love to see the executives and managers in every company ask themselves these questions. Honestly.
It might do a world of good.
