STRATEGIC EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

 


Employee engagement is a key factor in the success of any organization and businesses invest a considerable amount of time and money into generating strategies for employee engagement. Strategic planning is a great tool for identifying appropriate strategies to achieve desirable results in terms of competitiveness in an organization (Ansoff, 1977) and the absence of clearly defined strategies can lead to an organization’s failure.

 

It is no secret that engaged employees are more productive, more motivated, and more satisfied with their jobs. Strategies need to be formed for better employee engagement as an investment to get employees who care about work and contribute to the success of the organization. From fostering a positive company culture to offering employees opportunities for growth and development, there are many strategies to improve employee engagement.

Strategic planning is time-bound and future-oriented (Capon, Farley and Hulbert,1994) and therefore acts as a means to identify development in necessary procedures and envision the future of the organization.

The Two Steps to Strategic Planning and Staff Management

Figure 1:  Conceptual Framework of Strategic Planning and Employee Engagement

(Source-Kohn, 2000; Sharma, et al., (2019), and Hisrich, et al., 2002).

Short-term planning identifies the company’s current status and develops strategies to improve the conditions in the near future, lasting a year or less (Wilkinson et al. 2019). Some examples of short-term planning include developing in employee skills and attitudes, and other things like company equipment and content. Managers are expected to devise strategies and fix any issues in a shorter time frame.

Long-term planning is crucial for the long-term success of the organization as this type of planning deals with the initial consensus by the management. It deals with setting up a process from which long-term goals will be reached. Some examples include manufacturing and construction. Long-term planning usually lasts for over five years.

Employee dedication influences employee performance in a shorter time frame accomplishing tasks beyond personal factors (Steven, 2019). On the other hand, employee vigor influences employee engagement and performance in achieving the organization’s goals in the longer term (BARINUA (Ph.D.) and Deinma, 2022). Thus, it is safe to say that short-term planning enhances employee engagement whereas long-term planning improves employee engagement.


There are several strategies that companies can use to improve employee engagement. Some of these include:

1. Providing employees with opportunities to learn and grow.

2. Encouraging employees to be proactive in their work.

3. Giving employees a voice in decision-making.

4. Creating a culture of recognition and appreciation.

5. Helping employees balance their work and personal lives.

There are a lot of strategies that businesses can use to engage their employees and create a more positive work environment. Some of these strategies include providing opportunities for growth and development, encouraging open communication, and promoting a healthy work-life balance. By implementing some or all of these strategies, businesses can create an environment where employees feel valued and motivated to do their best work.

 

REFERENCES

Ansoff, H.I. (1977). The Changing Shape of the Strategic Problem. Journal of General Management, 4(4), pp.42–58. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/030630707700400404 [Accessed on 3 Nov.2022]

 

BARINUA (PhD), D.V. and Deinma, E. (2022). STRATEGIC PLANNING AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT: THEORETICAL REVIEW. Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, [online] 9(1). Available at: https://strategicjournals.com/index.php/journal/article/view/2235

 [Accessed 3 Dec. 2022].

 

Capon, N., Farley, J.U. and Hulbert, J.M. (1994). STRATEGIC PLANNING AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE: MORE EVIDENCE*. Journal of Management Studies, 31(1), pp.105–110. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-6486.1994.tb00335.x [Accessed on 3 Nov.2022]

 

DesignM.ag. (2009). 13 Principles of Effective Time Management for Freelancers. [online] Available at: https://designm.ag/freelance/principles-time-management/ [Accessed 9 Dec. 2022]. Available at: https://designm.ag/freelance/principles-time-management/ Accessed on 3 Nov.2022

 

 

 


Comments

  1. Dulakshi Jayathilake13 December 2022 at 01:31

    Agree with your blog post content. In addition, an engagement strategy for employees in an
    organization should composed of different parameters. Management must take into account that a number of focus areas that not only help employees gain a better understanding of organizational problems but also contribute to the development of effective solutions through their participation in order to raise employee satisfaction levels and inspire them to work harder. (Jha, Kumar, et al., 2016)

    ReplyDelete

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