Almost half of HR professionals say enhanced employee engagement is the top strategic HR priority within their organisation today, with one in five saying that insights gleaned from employee engagement have a significant part to play in the future strategic direction of recruitment,
according to a recent independent study commissioned by live polling app technology company Vevox.
However, challenges remain in this area, with 50% of HR leaders citing perceived lack of development opportunities as one of the top two biggest organisational challenges when it comes to attracting and retaining staff.
In addition, the study also found that two-fifths of the survey sample use staff turnover rate as a key performance indicator of their internal communications strategy; and with a further 30% citing lack of employee recognition and reward as an engagement obstacle.
And with almost a third of polled HR professionals flagging increased employee retention and the ability to attract higher-quality staff as key outcomes of enhancing their employee engagement, it’s clear that this needs to remain a key focus in order to attract and keep top talent.
Pete Eyre, Managing Director at Vevox, said: “Employee engagement is really becoming instrumental in the strategic direction of businesses today. It’s great to see how much it’s starting to influence staff induction processes, with organisations now using wider employee insights to inform their recruitment and communication strategies, especially when it comes to measuring the positive impact of internal initiatives such as social events.
However, there is still work to do. Most employees feel happier and more valued when management listens to and addresses more of their ideas, so by putting this into practice, businesses can use employee insights to reduce turnover and help to bolster recruitment efforts.”
With over half of HR professionals now using take-up of internal communications initiatives to measure the impact of their company’s employee engagement strategy, it’s clear that taking existing employees’ ideas, needs and suggestions into account can vastly improve overall satisfaction levels: with 38% referencing ‘increased productivity’, 34% saying ‘recruitment becomes easier’ and 28% citing ‘lower employee churn’ as key benefits. As such, recruitment processes can benefit hugely from these insights.
As stated by Eyre: “as employers start to realise that a strong employee engagement strategy can yield real results, we will see increasing levels of investment in internal comms and recruitment. Above all, the delivery of enhanced employee engagement will help businesses improve productivity, reduce employee turnover, and attract talented individuals.”
