Employee commitment
High employee commitment is essential for organisations, as it ensures that staff are loyal and motivated. Employee commitment also helps to increase one’s competitive advantage. Commitment can be measured and increased through employee commitment surveys.
What is employee commitment?
Employee commitment differs from employee satisfaction, in that employee commitment is more about one’s passion for the work and having strong ties with the organisation. A committed employee shows positive behaviour towards the organisation and its relevant goals. Employee commitment comprises the loyalty, enthusiasm and motivation of employees, among other things. A number of factors contribute to high employee commitment:
- The personal goals of the employees must tie in with those of the organisation. Employees will be more motivated and committed to the work when they find that their work is making an impact. So give employees a voice to provide input.
- The organisation must provide good career opportunities. This will make its employees more long-term oriented and will thus increase employee commitment. It also reduces the risk of unwanted attrition.
- It is important to express one’s satisfaction with employees. Positive feedback, such as giving a simple compliment, makes employees feel more committed!
Een hoge medewerkersbetrokkenheid is niet vanzelfsprekend. Daarom is het nuttig om de betrokkenheid van medewerkers te meten met een medewerkersbetrokkenheidsonderzoek. Met de inzichten uit het medewerkersbetrokkenheidsonderzoek kunnen vervolgens acties bepaald worden om medewerkersbetrokkenheid te verbeteren.
Measuring employee commitment
If you are looking to increase the level of commitment in your organisation, you must first measure employee commitment. An employee commitment survey is the way to increase the level of commitment among employees. This survey measures employee loyalty, enthusiasm and motivation, among other things. The outcomes show which teams have high employee commitment, where employee commitment is not so high and in which areas improvements can be made. Teams with many committed employees usually work more efficiently and perform better.
Increasing employee commitment
Employee commitment can be boosted in a number of ways. First of all, it is important to thoroughly analyse the outcomes of the employee commitment survey. These outcomes show which teams have the lowest employee commitment and which areas leave room for improvement. There are a number of ‘standard’ areas that are usually considered important for employee commitment:
- giving employees sufficient space
- offering good career opportunities
- offering opportunities for self-development
- transparent management
- awareness among employees of why they are doing their work
Once it is clear which areas require further attention, it is advisable to enter into a dialogue with your employees as to how these areas can be improved. This dialogue brings us to our second point. It is of vital importance to show your employees that their input is being taken seriously and actually being acted upon: nothing as demotivating as an employee survey just for show. While this may sound like an open door, Highberg finds that employee surveys still receive insufficient follow-up in daily practice.
Benefits of having committed employees
There are great benefits to having committed employees. Employee commitment determines the success of the organisation. Organisations with few committed employees tend to become static, whereas organisations with many committed employees keep growing. Committed employees are willing to go the extra mile that others are not, and they carry out tasks that would otherwise be shelved. They are aware of the importance of the organisation. In addition, committed employees carry out more work (i.e. are more productive) because they feel connected to the organisation’s goals and strategies. Their loyalty is high, which means that committed employees make for less attrition, less absenteeism and prolonged knowledge retention in the organisation. Commitment also ensures that the organisation is mentioned favourably externally, for example by telling positive stories to clients (i.e. higher NPS), friends and family (i.e. higher eNPS). Besides measuring commitment, it is important also to measure employee satisfaction as it is no use having committed employees if they are not satisfied. The two go hand in hand!
What can Highberg do for you?
Highberg is experienced in carrying out employee commitment surveys and would be happy to help your organisation! Curious about your options? Feel free to contact us without any further obligation. Interested in our other employee-related research themes? Get a full overview of our services below.
Related Insights
