The Surprising Secret to Better Employee Engagement

Did you know only 32.6% of workers are engaged with their company and the work they’re doing?

Most HR professionals agree that employee engagement is the key to a happy workplace, better retention, and a whole slew of other performance metrics. What’s not so clear is what, exactly, is the key to employee engagement.

We’d like to argue that it’s pretty simple — communication. In our hyper-connected world, we have a slew of tools at our disposal — email, social media, chat — that have changed and, in many ways, improved the way we communicate on a daily basis. The first step to clear communication is choosing a channel that feels natural and easy, and a lot of organizations are already doing that, hosting online networking events for busy or remote employees and investing in internal chat networks like Slack or Hipchat.

But let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater in our quest to simplify and streamline internal communication. One-to-one communication is still king, and one of the most powerful employee engagement tools at your disposal is the humble one-on-one meeting between managers and their employees.

One-on-one meetings are a necessary step to fostering a strong organization. Yet, with busy managers and employees, the meetings are sometimes overlooked. Quantum Workplace created the infographic below looking at the steps to creating a healthier one-on-one experience.

Some highlights include:

• 85.7% of highly engaged organizations conduct one-on-one meetings between managers and employees.
• 52% of employees think leaders who don’t make time to meet with employees are less effective.
• Only 24% of employees are satisfied with how their manager communicates the organization’s goals and strategies.

Check out the full infographic to see what ingredients you’re missing to accomplish successful one-on-one meetings:

What do you think creates a successful one-on-one meeting?