The 10 Cs of Employee Engagement

Is There an Employee Engagement Crisis?

Why Does Employee Engagement Matter?

The 10 Cs of Employee Engagement

1. Connect: Employee engagement is often a direct reflection of how employees feel about their immediate supervisor and senior management. Employees can easily tell if their organizations and their leaders are sincere when they say 'our employees are our greatest asset.'
2. Career: Organizations should provide meaningful work with opportunities for either career advancement or, at the very least, career enhancement. Employees need to acquire the knowledge and tools to do their work successfully and to see that they have a future within the organization. If they don't, they will feel stressed and frustrated and this will ultimately lead to a lack of engagement.
3. Clarity: All organizations need to have a clear vision of their goals, objectives, values and principles, including why these are important and how they will be attained. Just stating them, though, is not enough -- they must be effectively communicated to the entire workforce. Employees who do not know what their organization stands for cannot work together to achieve common goals.
4. Convey: Positive and constructive feedback on a regular basis is essential in the pursuit of greatness. Good leaders know that they need to improve the skills of their people to help the organization perform at its best.
5. Congratulate: Our 4Cs surveys often show that employees get immediate feedback when they make mistakes or perform below expectations while giving praise and recognition is much less common. Exceptional leaders give recognition frequently, in a genuine spirit and at the time it is deserved.
6. Contribute: Most employees want to work hard, to make a difference and to see that their input matters. Good leaders clearly demonstrate and acknowledge how others are contributing to the organization's success, whether at a corporate or at an individual level.
7. Control: Leaders can and should create opportunities for employees to exercise control over the flow and pace of their jobs. Employees who have a say in setting goals and decision-making processes feel less stress and enjoy working in a healthy culture where everyone is accountable for their actions and willing to take ownership of problems and solutions.
8. Collaborate: Teamwork is most powerful when there is a strong sense of trust among team members -- these teams will achieve a greater sense of cooperation that allows them to out-perform teams that lack good inter-personal relationships.
9. Credibility: Organizations that strive to demonstrate high ethical standards and maintain their reputations give their employees reasons to be proud of their jobs, their performance and their organization. Conversely, leaders who behave unethically, such as "playing favorites," erode trust and risk embarrassing employees to the extent they may be ashamed of their affiliation with their organization.
10. Confidence: Good leaders help create confidence in an organization and its future by openly sharing information with employees, listening and responding to their suggestions and concerns, giving them strong direction and establishing the priorities of the organization. In turn, employees are clear on where to focus their efforts and energy.