Walking into my local pizza joint recently, I was greeted by a gentleman who rapidly switched from twirling a high-flying dough disc to serving me a slice of pizza in an instant–with an enthusiastic smile. I asked him why he was in such a great mood. “I love my job…plenty of free pizza,” he responded. But I don't think it was just the free pizza. Observing other employees, it was evident that all were in good spirits. Maybe that's why that pizza parlor has a consistent flow of customers.
“A happy employee enjoys coming to work and is more productive,” says Martin Cantor, director of the Long Island Economic and Social Policy Institute at Dowling College and author of Long Island, the Global Economy and Race: The Aging of America's First Suburb, a book that addresses employee retention and the tightening job market. Cantor says a company's bottom line is being impacted not only by morale, but by how that morale enables the company to deal with competition both here at home and abroad, from skilled workforces in India, China and Europe.
“Since labor costs nearly 25 percent less in the Pacific Rim than in the New York metro area, you need greater productivity and loyalty from your employees here to meet that competition. If morale is low, employees tend to be less competitive,” says Cantor.
Recent statistics from a Gallup Management Journal report showed that only 29 percent of American workers are engaged at work. A Gallup study found that companies with high numbers of disengaged employees generally have more absenteeism and higher turnover rates, costing the American economy an estimated $350 billion per year in lost productivity. Just last year, the Conference Board formed a global working group to further study employee engagement and its apparent connection to productivity, retention, customer service and the overall financial health of a company.
A pat on the back and appreciation for a job well done, says Cantor, go a long way to engender teamwork and employee morale. “Employees who feel that their input is appreciated will think more about the job they are doing, take pride in the outcome and come forth with more ideas.” In fact, a March 2007 report released by the Society for Human Resource Management said an employee's emotional commitment to a job or company can also be a key lever to employee engagement, stating, “Employees with the highest levels of commitment perform 20 percent better and are 87 percent less likely to leave the organization.”
With so many companies on Long Island holding the line on salaries or only increasing them by nearly one percent annually, Cantor says non-cash benefits like flextime, telecommuting, daycare, family leave and other quality-of-life innovations become crucial to bolstering morale and retaining qualified employees. In a tightening job market, it might behoove Long Island companies to take a closer look at the issue, and lend a sensitive ear to the voices of their workers.
How to Engage Employees 1. Foster communication, trust and integrity among management and workers.
2. Establish policies and practices that promote a workplace culture that stimulates employee engagement.
3. Consistently communicate day-to-day organizational goals.
4. Hold managers accountable for demonstrating organizational values.
5. Take the pulse of employee engagement; what is working and what is not?
WorkLife Balance & Employee Engagement - To learn more about this author, visit Judy Martin's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Articles |
|
Mega-Trend: WorkLife Initiatives Take Hold
|
| |
In our tight job market, employees may have more of a say about when, and where, they work. According to some new studies we might be seeing more of that in the form of worklife balance initiatives.
|
Are you or your employees engaged with your organisation?
|
| |
Although the term 'employee engagement' is relatively new, the underlying concepts have been around for many years. Cultural change programs often have a similar focus, as do internal branding programs.
Do you ha...
|
WorkLife Serenity: Cold Turkey Style
|
| |
Just imagine taking the time every day to just stop what you are doing at work and just listen and contemplate the rest of your day. Not the ordinary task of those of us snagged in the 24/7 working environment. But ...
|
WorkLife Flexibility Primer: Tips on Making it Happen
|
| |
We live in an era of ever-expanding technology. That allows entrepreneurs to change the scope of how, when and where they work. But this new found flexibility is not limited to those who work from home. Companies ar...
|
Building Training Goals into Employee Reviews
|
| |
One of the many risks an employer takes when it comes to training employees is the retention of information. Some employees may exhibit signs of growth and improvement after partaking in employee training, while oth...
|
|
|
Judy Martin
(Visit Judy's Website)
Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist
Judy Martin, is a reporter and public
speaker who communicates on worklife
culture, and gives an objective voice to
social concerns, business news and the
delicate balance of living and working
with purpose, in an era of great
uncertainty and chaos.
Judy is a national radio contributor whose
work has been heard on NPR News, The
World, BBC Radio 3, The World Vision
Report and The Marketplace Morning Report,
where she spent nearly four years in the
New York City Bureau. Judy also continues
her affiliation with the News 12
Television Networks as an anchor/reporter.
Judy’s blogs at www
.worklifemonitor.com which features
individuals, businesses, and the latest
innovative programs to integrate life and
work concerns while thriving on the
threshold of change. Judy balances her
worklife as a volunteer for Hospice
|
|
|
|
|
Judy Martin's
Complete
List Of
Work-Life
Articles
|
|
|
If you enjoyed this article, get Judy Martin's Complete List of Work-Life Articles For FREE!
|
| |
|
|
|