What highly engaged staff need from their managers – new research

02 October 2015 -

The right employee engagement can help boost productivity, retain staff and improve customer satisfaction. But how can managers ensure they are doing the right things to maximise their workforce’s potential?

Matt Scott

Managers need to do more to boost employee engagement, according to new research from Oracle, with more than half of those surveyed saying their managers were not doing enough.

The report, Oracle Simply Talent, found that 57% of employees said they would prefer more proactive, regular interactions with their managers, with only 26% saying their employer already offered the right level of management interaction.

Currently, only 29% of employees believe their company is proactive at engaging with them, compared to 42% who state that their employer typically waits for them to bring up issues.

Loic Le Guisquet, Oracle president for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific regions said: "From the perspective of employees there is a gap between what makes them engaged and the approach taken by management.”

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And with almost two-thirds (65%) of respondents saying they don’t feel engaged most of the time at work this gap between management and the workforce will be a concern for managers.

More than half (56%) of employees said they would be more productive if they were more engaged with the company, with 37% saying better engagement made them less likely to look for work elsewhere and 35% that they became more creative.

The benefits of engagement are also seen to extend to improved customer service: 30% of employees said they are more inclined to deliver better customer service if they feel engaged with the work they are doing.

But there are some simple steps that managers can take to reverse the damaging effects of low engagement and boost the productivity and performance of their workforce:

1. Recognise achievements - 53% of workers surveyed by Oracle said the biggest priority for management should be recognition for good work

2. Clarify roles – 35% said they would be more engaged if managers helped employees understand their contribution to the company better

3. Exciting projects – 34% said offering exciting project work should be a priority for managers looking to boost engagement levels