Survey Reveals Critical Moments for Employee Engagement
Versta Research recently partnered with a consulting firm to complete an eight-month study about when and how employers have the strongest impact on worker satisfaction. The research found several critical moments in the life cycle of an employee—from the moment they begin considering employment to moment they leave for new opportunities—that dramatically shape how engaged, excited, and loyal they are to their employers.
What can employers do to gin up employee satisfaction and worker engagement? Here are ten key takeaways identified by Brilliant Ink, the consulting firm that commissioned the research:
1. Recognize that employee engagement starts before the first day.
- 82% of employees visit a company website when job hunting
- Only 32% find the information valuable
2. Create accurate first impressions.
- 89% say the interview process made them excited about working for their company
- 23% felt mislead by it—and those who did are more likely to be disengaged
3. Make the first day meaningful.
- 92% feel welcomed, but 43% say their first day on the job was disorganized or confusing
- Negative first day experiences = lower engagement
4. Acclimate employees to the company AND the job.
- 77% participate in new hire orientation programs, and those who do are more engaged
- Only 29% learn about their specific job during orientation, and those who do rate it the most valuable aspect
5. Invest in a structured onboarding process.
- 44% report little or no structure during onboarding
- Those with a structured onboarding say it was relevant to their job (94%) and helpful in learning how to find information (85%)
6. When onboarding, recognize that one size doesn’t fit all.
- 47% prefer to get a big work assignment right away
- 53% prefer to take the first three months to learn the ropes
7. Communicate about your company’s mission and business strategy—and do it often.
- 90% know their company’s stated mission and values
- 95% say it’s important to know about the company’s business strategy, including corporate and financial issues
8. Connect the dots between your company strategy, mission and employees’ daily work.
- 39% say managers have not connected their work to company strategy in the last 6 months
- Clear communications about the link between company strategy and daily work = higher engagement
9. Keep talking to your employees. They’re listening.
- Only 17% of communications from leadership are ignored
- Most say leader communications are believable (87%), relevant (80%) and direct (65%)
10. Show employees a path to success from the beginning.
- Most don’t learn about career paths during interviews (58%) and onboarding (66%), and 40% aren’t hearing about it during performance reviews
- Seeing a clear career path and discussing it at key points during employment = higher engagement
For the full report, visit the Brilliant Ink website. And if you are looking for ways to improve the employee experience at your workplace, reach out to the brilliant folks at Brilliant Ink!
