Employee Engagement can feel complicated and difficult to influence but that's because it's often approached from the wrong angle - as a data point arising from engagement surveys with multiple, complex and interconnected questions. We react to the scores on each of those questions, which can often be very confusing, when perhaps we might do best to step back and refocus on what Employee Engagement truly is, and how we can directly influence the things that drive it.
Employee Engagement is, simply, when employees feel an ongoing motivation to be part of an organisation.
So it's all about motivation.
Easy.
Except of course there are a great many theories on motivation across psychology,* behavioural economics,** and neuroscience.***
Typically though, they all have these things in common:
1) Hygiene factors.
These factors typically cover the base of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - the ability to give yourself and your dependents safety, food, water, and shelter.
If your job doesn't enable you to do these things you'll be in dopamine deficit, and probably getting too much cortisol, which can inhibit cortex functioning. It will not be possible for you to look past the fact that the job doesn't meet your basic needs, and you'll be uninfluenced by the presence of higher-order motivators.
Hygiene factors are typically extrinsic, and, from an organisational perspective, these needs are usually covered by salary and core benefits.
It is about having 'enough,' and, even though 'enough' is a subjective concept, it is possible to apply reasonable benchmarks for what people need in order to sustain acceptable lifestyles. The research suggests though that, once we have 'enough,' then having more/better safety, food, water, and shelter ceases to be a strong motivator. We may like to receive it, but it doesn't actually have a proportionately positive impact on our motivation/engagement and wellbeing.
It is therefore important to offer pay and benefits that take first level/hygiene needs off the table but not go any further. All that really does though is earn you employees who are motivated to keep their job - they'll do what they need to do to not get fired, but they won't necessarily bring their best selves, offer discretionary effort, or being as productive as you might like.
People will always tell you that you should pay them more, but so long as they can meet their needs, you will actually enable greater and more meaningful engagement (and wellbeing) if you then prioritise higher-order motivators.
I may have lost you at this point if you're thinking of individuals who are very materially-driven. Stay with me though, as I think you'll find that they're not really being driven by the need for more of those extrinsic hygiene factors, they're actually being driven by the need for status and control - which are extremes of empowerment (read more below).
2) Higher-order motivators
Higher-order motivators are intrinsic. Intrinsic motivation occurs when individuals engage in an activity because they find it inherently satisfying or enjoyable, rather than doing it for a reward or the avoidance of punishment.
Research shows that intrinsic motivation is linked to greater creativity, persistence, and overall well-being. When people are intrinsically motivated, they tend to engage more deeply with tasks, are more likely to continue them, and experience greater satisfaction and success in the long term.
So, when people say they are looking for engaged employees, what they are really saying is that they are looking for employees who are intrinsically motivated by their jobs. That is what unlocks the wellbeing, engagement, productivity, and effectiveness they are looking for in their employees.
The good news is that intrinsic motivation isn't really linked to what we do, it's much more linked to how we are allowed to do it and decades of research and analysis by social scientists means that we do understand what intrinsically motivates humans, at a universal level. The even better news is that it is possible to create working environments which optimise intrinsic motivation; and the best news is that it's possible to do that without ping pong tables, or return-to-the-office-mandates, or even 4 day working weeks (though we do recommend that - I'll save that for another blog....!).
The slightly less good news is that traditional command-and-control hierarchies both create cultural conditions that are the opposite of those required for intrinsic engagement, and are often very resistant to change.
Let's skip over that worry though; as my former colleague use to say regularly, "It is what it is......."
The journey might be harder for some of you than it should be, but here's the recipe for anyone who wants to optimise employee engagement - according to all the theories, intrinsic motivation comes from feeling:
1) Psychologically safe (a step beyond belonging - able to be yourself but also take risks and have a voice without fear of negative consequences);
2) Connected (to colleagues and the organisation's mission)
3) Fulfilled (able to make contributions that matter, and able to continually develop);
4) Empowered (treated as a capable and autonomous individuals, free to self-determine and to achieve outcomes using your own strengths and expertise, rather than by following instructions/mandates).
Therefore, if you pay your people enough (so long as it's above cost of living then low to middle of market), and then you create a culture in which they are safe, connected, fulfilled, and empowered, you won't have to worry about figuring out what on earth your engagement survey is telling you needs adjusting, you will have intrinsically motivated employees who will be productive, effective, and loyal, and who will be strong advocates for your business.
Maybe that sounds hard but honestly it couldn't be easier - that is exactly what Perspective does so please do get in touch: sophie@gainperspective.ai
References (with apologies to Harvard):
*e.g. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Self Determination Theory, Expectancy Theory etc. Good read: Daniel Pink, "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us"
**behavioural economics (extrinsic/intrinsic motivation, loss aversion, hyperbolic discounting, fairness drive, social identity). Good read: Cass R. Sunstein and Richard H. Thaler, "Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness'
*** Neuroscience - the brains' reward system . Good read: Dr. Anna Lembke, "Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence"
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