Employee Engagement

Jayleen Stefaniuk, Senior Director, Training & Organizational Development, North Region at FirstService Residential

Employee engagement is a topic that’s been on the minds of a myriad of leaders in recent years as we’ve navigated the choppy waters of the Great Resignation – impacted of course by the pandemic and the accelerated rate of change it brought to the corporate landscape.

Thousands of workers across the globe felt the direct impact on their day-to-day, their relationships, and the construct of whatever their “normal” work environment once was.

As the workforce entered a period of accelerated distribution, and remote work repeatedly morphed into hybrid working arrangements, impacts were felt throughout the international business community.   What is the significance of such concentrated change on employee engagement?

Firstly, there’s no one method or instrument universally applied to the measurement of engagement.  Many organizations leverage different methods, modalities and metrics when determining what percentage of their population is in fact engaged.

So how then can an Enterprise accurately gain a sense of which members of their population are highly engaged?

Engagement at its core can be distilled down to an individual’s commitment, dedication, and loyalty to the Organization that employs them.  They often feel a deeply rooted sense of meaning and take pride in the work that they do and the difference that it makes to the overall success of their Company.  And although these elements may be tricky to accurately measure or numerically quantify – they’re often quite easy to see in action when you have a clear sense of what direction to look in.

"Those who truly feel seen and heard and are the benefactors of transparent, empathic and authentic leadership and don’t need to be motivated or enticed by short-term incentives or fleeting programs because they’re in it for the long haul"

The attributes of the highly engaged have stood the test of time, distance and in some cases, quarantine. 

They’re highly visible and can show up in the form of those who repeatedly show initiative, share innovative ideas, and tap into their creativity with the psychological safety that frees them from the stress and worry of making mistakes or being judged.  Their discretionary effort surges and they’re inclined to come in early, stay late or get things taken care of after-hours if that’s what’s needed, not because they feel they have to but because they believe what they do matters, and it has an impact on others and to the larger business.  They’re the individuals who feel valued, respected, and supported not because of words alone but because of inclusive actions, behaviors and experiences that have transpired over time, and it’s become what they know to be true and is what they believe.

Those who truly feel seen and heard and are the benefactors of transparent, empathic and authentic leadership and don’t need to be motivated or enticed by short-term incentives or fleeting programs because they’re in it for the long haul, and they’re in it for the good of the collective as opposed to the betterment of strictly themselves or their back pockets.  Their genuine connection to their work, to their team, and to the larger entity fuels their efforts and their engagement and it keeps the fire that ignites and inspires their passions burning, even in difficult or trying times.

Engaged employees cultivate a sense of fulfilment from the work they do, they’re motivated to be their best and they appreciate how their work plays into a bigger picture of collective contributions, aspirations and goals.  They show up and give their all for the people they play for, and for those who make up the team they’re a part of, and they know the other players would do the same for them.

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