How often do you think this sentiment is expressed? Would it surprise you to know that according to Gallup, only about thirty percent of U.S. employees report feeling this way on a consistent basis?
Our satisfaction with our jobs depends on many things – the work itself, the incentives, the people we work alongside; but perhaps most important is the level of engagement we feel with our work, and the nature of the organization we work with/for.
Many books have been written about employee engagement and the variety of behavioral strategies that companies can use to retain their top talent, increase productivity, and outperform their competition. As a comedian once quipped, “A CEO was asked how many people work in his company. ‘About half of them,’ he responded.” The joke makes light of what many executives feel is actually a crisis in employee engagement.
Who, exactly, are “engaged” employees? They are the individuals who are inspired by their work and remain emotionally connected to it, and to their employers. They care about the future of the company and are willing to invest time and energy in ensuring its success. They are willing to work in all types of positions and through both “boom” and “bust” times.
Despite the abundance of resources available citing best practices and “Ten Commandments” for employee engagement, it seems that companies are often missing the boat.This isn’t to suggest that the literature isn’t helpful in establishing a framework for a successful work culture. It is… but it seems that a very simple first step is to focus on inspiring the right applicant to join the organization in the right role. This would go a long way toward ensuring success for the individual and the company. Place people in roles that fit their talents and strengths.
At TWC, we employ a variety of tools to assess how candidates will fit into our culture. One such tool, The Kolbe Index, was recently highlighted in our blog. Clifton StrengthsFinder is another one we use (we won’t go into detail here about it, other than to say that it’s a great resource for helping you discover your strengths). As a society, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than we do to cultivating our strengths. As a result, we often can’t even articulate what those strengths are.
Sue Shellenbarger with The Wall Street Journal suggests asking applicants to describe a great day at work. Ask them to be specific about what they were doing, who they were with, and what they accomplished. What they tell you in their own words will reveal where their passions lie and what engages them. Finding the right individual and being crystal clear about what the job is (and what it isn’t) is the best recipe for ensuring that all can say “I had a great day at work!”