Employee engagement is a critical factor in maintaining a competitive edge in the business world. Based on an article from Human Resource Online, there are two key countries that stand out from the rest in APAC.
Graph taken from AON Hewitt
Employees in Singapore and Malaysia have significantly slid down into the bottom ranks and scored 10% below the top country India despite a 3% increase in engagement for Singaporean employees in the last year. One of the leading factors in the employee engagement challenge would be Singaporean Millennials in the talent and staffing area also falling by 7 points, one might wonder how these numbers can be brought back up.
Employees in Singapore and Malaysia have significantly slid down into the bottom ranks and scored 10% below the top country India despite a 3% increase in engagement for Singaporean employees in the last year. With perception scores among Singaporean Millennials in the talent and staffing area also falling by 7 points, one might wonder how these numbers can be brought back up.
The obvious areas of improvement to consider are the implementation of good HR practices such as an employee appraisal system and process together with a learning management system or training management system. To break the employee engagement challenge, one key method would be to look at the process as an exchange of values between two parties. It is a relationship of giving and taking so long as there is a perception of fair and good values perceived by the respective party, comparable to a business relationship. To enhance this relationship, each party must sincerely understand the needs of the other party and be willing to put in their best effort to maintain progress and improve.
However, the employee engagement challenge to put it simply would be the needs of employees evolve and change over the years with the job role and responsibility of the employer expanding at a pace slower than the needs of employees. Furthermore, employees may be expected to perform roles for which he/she might not have the skills and competency. These gaps and the lack of an effective action plan to bridge the gap are probably the key reasons for the decreasing employee engagement, high staff turnover etc.
A key point to note is that the decline in employee engagement is not just an issue that falls under the responsibility of HR but a strategic issue that the management must consider and focus efforts on. So long as human resources are responsible for getting the job done, C-level managers must recognize the issues and challenges affecting their workforce, followed by setting appropriate goals and a human capital talent management process. This process should be ingrained as a form of common company practice besides adopting and implementing good practices which would help in eradicating employee engagement challenges.
In the fast-paced business world, software systems will help the implementation of good HR practices such as performance appraisal and training management to enhance the skills of the employees. Many employees stay more engaged if they know they are looked after, through the enhancement of their skills by training and learning on the job. I.e everyone loves to grow. This is particularly true for younger employees and fresh graduates joining the workforce today. Having a properly implemented appraisal system will help a great deal and using a learning management software to identify the employee competency gap and having a mutually agreed training plan will go a long way to strengthen the perceived value of the employer thereby enhancing employee engagement.
To conclude, sincerity and commitment together with good communication is the very foundation of building a strong and lasting employer/ employee relationship. It is not the job of the HR department alone, but every member of the organization.
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