October 13, 2024 • 15 mins
Welcome back to the Work Wonders Podcast!
We are trying something new...in this season we will focus on engagement and retention and go into this topic in depth.
In today's episode, we're exploring a topic that's crucial for every organisation—employee engagement. We’ll unpack what it is, why it’s so important, and how you can foster it in your workplace.
We breaking this down into three main sections:
- defining employee engagement
- understanding its impact and
- exploring actionable strategies to boost it
You can find the show notes for this episode here
Would you like to submit a question to the show? Let us know on our website or via LinkedIn.
Brought to you by Aster HR, the Work Wonders Podcast is hosted by Angela Gauci & Susan Rochester and is recorded at Launch Pad at Western Sydney University.
All information or advice included in this podcast is general, has been developed as a starting point for your business, and should be tailored to your specific requirements. It should not be considered legal advice. We have made every attempt to ensure the accuracy and currency of this information at the time of recording. However, references to things like employment laws are subject to change. For specific advice relating to your business, please get in touch with us.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to the Work Wonders podcast brought to you
by Asta HR, where we simplifythe human side of business.
I'm Angela.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
And I'm Susan.
Let's dive into today's episodeand find out what you've been
wondering about.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Today's episode is the first of the brand new
Season 6, where we're going tobe digging deeper into the topic
of engagement and retention.
So today, what we'll do is talkabout why it's crucial for
every organisation.
We'll unpack exactly what wemean by those terms.
We'll talk about why it'simportant to you and how you
could foster that in yourworkplace.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
That's right.
Whether you're a manager, an HRprofessional or you're just
curious about workplace dynamics, this is the episode that's
going to be packed with insightsto help you understand and
improve engagement with yourteam.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
So let's get started.
This is the Work WondersPodcast.
Hi, Susan.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Hi Angela.
So Angela, yeah, what exactlyare we talking about when we say
employee engagement?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Well, I think it's more than just being happy at
work and being satisfied withyour job and happy to go there.
I think engagement is aboutbeing emotionally invested in
the work that you're doing and,more than that, being motivated
to contribute, see successhappen in your team and in the
work that you're doing and, morethan that, being motivated to
contribute, see success happenin your team and in the business
.
An engaged employee is going tofeel a really strong connection
(01:31):
with their company I thinkthat's a really word that I
would use and it drives them toperhaps go the extra mile.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, when you're talking about that and being
satisfied, you know satisfied isthat sort of middle on the five
point scale you know the smileyfaces.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
that's what I'm picturing.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah, exactly so engaged has got that big smiley
face.
So, gallup, you know, we knowthem, we've mentioned them
before.
They're a leader in workplaceresearch.
They define engaged employeesas those who are involved in,
enthusiastic about and committedto their work and workplace.
So it goes beyond just showingup and doing the bare minimum
(02:08):
and it's about having a deeperlevel in, and enthusiastic about
and committed to their work andworkplace.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
So it goes beyond just showing up and doing the
bare minimum and it's abouthaving a deeper level of
commitment and passion.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So there we start to think about the psychology of it
all, which always interests me.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
When you start to think about a team put together,
so it has to be rooted then inour basic human needs.
So you know autonomy andwanting to have that control
over our work and make our owndecisions, being an adult being
an adult yeah.
Mastery about.
You know that desire to dosomething that matters, or get
(02:39):
better at something that matters, and understanding that as a
skill and purpose.
I think that's a really big oneat the moment, that people want
to feel like they're part ofsomething that is achieving
something better in the world orsomething bigger than them.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
So you're reminding me of things like Maslow's
hierarchy of needs.
Oh yeah, so remember, you knowit's the basic needs of safety
and security.
And once they're met, we startworking our way up the pyramid
for the higher level fulfilmentand what psychologists call
self-actualisation.
And that's where autonomy andcompetence feeling like you're
(03:17):
doing a good job, but alsofeeling connected are real
drivers of motivation.
So engaged employees areprobably those where their work
aligns well with those needs.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
That's interesting.
Yeah, all right.
So let's clear up some commonmyths about employee engagement.
One misconception that I'veheard, susan, is that engagement
is the same as job satisfaction, and, as we said, that's not.
It Look, they're definitelyrelated, but it's not the same
thing.
Job satisfaction is about that.
I'm happy with my job, yep,it's close to home, it's good
(03:50):
pay or whatever it is.
But engagement is about thatenthusiasm.
I'm motivated to do my job.
I want to do a good job.
It's part of my identity.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
And look how great I am at it, or look what we're
doing as a team, how we'reaffecting change.
Yeah, exactly, so that's muchmore than job satisfaction, as
we've said.
Another myth and this is one ofmy favourites is that things
like having free snacks or fancyoffices are the key to
engagement.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Yep foosball tables, all that, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So, while those things can certainly contribute
to a positive work environment,they're not going to create
lasting engagement.
I'm just thinking if you're nothappy in your job, you're not
going to stick around becauseyou can get breakfast at work,
no, but have the opposite event.
So true engagement comes fromfeeling valued, having
(04:45):
opportunities for growth andbeing part of something bigger.
Yeah, I'd agree with that.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
So, look, it's a bit of a buzzword engagement, isn't
it?
But it has real, tangiblebenefits for a business.
They're more productive, thesesorts of employees, they get
more done.
Like we said, there's thatdirect link between what they're
interested in doing and thatmotivation towards seeing
success for the business, soit's going to impact your bottom
line.
(05:07):
We want that and, as you saidbefore, according to Gallup,
companies with highly engagedteams their stats there show
that 21% have greaterprofitability.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
So it doesn't stop there, though.
It's not just being moreprofitable.
So it doesn't stop there,though.
It's not just being moreprofitable.
Engaged employees are going tocontribute to lower turnover
rates, so they're going to stickaround longer if they're
feeling connected to their workand to their company and that's
where we start talking aboutretention, because they're less
likely to leave.
And, again, that probably willcontribute to you being more
(05:41):
profitable, because it's goingto reduce the costs that are
normally associated with hiringand training new staff.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
That always costs more to have to hire someone
rather than just keep the onesyou already have.
So that's where engagement andretention really go hand in hand
.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
So we've talked about the benefits for a business.
What's the benefit for theemployee?
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Well, look, I think an engaged employee is going to
obviously still be happier intheir job, but they're going to
probably have much better mentalhealth.
So if you're engaged in yourjob, you're more likely to feel
fulfilled and less likely to besort of erring more towards
burnout or something awful likethat.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah, good point of erring more towards burnout or
something awful like that.
Yeah, good point.
There's also a strong linkbetween engagement and career
development.
So if employees are engaged,they're likely to seek out and
take advantage of opportunitiesfor growth.
Obviously there's benefits tothat to an organisation, but it
also benefits the employee'spersonal professional
(06:44):
development and is going tocontribute to a much more
dynamic and innovative workplaceif people are looking for
opportunities and making themost of them.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Well, it's one thing us saying it here and I know
that we're saying the truth,Susan but let's look at a real
world example.
Let's show you that.
So we've looked up a few.
Let's take Google, for instance.
They're consistently rankedhigh in engagement surveys of
how much their employees areengaged.
They focus on creating asupportive and inclusive culture
.
They offer professionaldevelopment, meaningful work.
(07:18):
Obviously, people are alignedto much more than just the
search bar on Google, but whatthey're actually trying to
achieve and it's paid off forthem, both in terms of their
satisfaction amongst theiremployees, but also the success
of their business.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah, I remember reading that Google never
actually has to recruit.
You know, there's always peoplewanting to join, of course, and
if you're sitting, you knowwhere we are.
A long distance from Google.
You can look at their officesonline and think, oh, this is
fabulous, I'd like to work there.
You know there's so many perksand things like that, but isn't
(07:53):
it interesting that it'sprobably more the fact that
people feel engaged in theactual work that they're doing?
Speaker 1 (07:59):
than all those perks.
Yeah, they are certainlyinnovative, they're definitely
doing a lot of things andthey're not scared to try that.
You know, I think the littlesleep pods and things like that.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I know a lot of their innovations, too, come from
allowing people to have time todevote to that, so that's sort
of built into their schedules,yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Did you know that we have lots of free resources
available to you on our website,things like templates that you
could download, or a checklistfor a process or even recordings
of our previous workshops?
If you're looking for help in aparticular area or just some
inspiration, check out theresources page on our website.
Asthrcomau.
And now it's back to theepisode website astahrcomau.
(08:50):
And now it's back to theepisode.
Okay, so, susan, do you thinkthat culture then starts to come
into the conversation as well?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
and having a good work culture.
Well, obviously, I do Tell us abit more about what you think,
though, angela.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Well, I think, a culture where employees feel
valued and respected for theiropinion, they're recognised for
what they're contributing to theteam.
I think that obviously goeshand in hand with engagement as
well.
So it's about, you know,creating that safe place, that
safe environment for people tobe able to share their ideas and
(09:24):
take risks but be themselves.
You know.
Dare I say, oh, be themselves,yeah that's a good one.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Organisations, whether they're big or small,
can do things to celebratepeople's achievements and
implement recognition programsif that fits with what you're
trying to achieve in yourbusiness.
There might be things that youdo in terms of regular
team-building activities andhaving open communication
channels that will contribute topeople feeling like they belong
(09:53):
there.
Another thing that's probablynot so obvious is being
transparent about yourdecision-making, okay, and so
employees having a chance tohave a say you know, have some
input into what happens aroundtheir work and their work
environment and, of course, thething that we've spoken about in
(10:14):
previous episodes, the wholepsychosocial safety.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Yeah, and look, that can be a scary idea, can't it?
You know, letting a person notonly have a voice about what
they're doing, but also beinfluencing which way it might
go.
That can be scary to somebusiness owners, I'm sure, or
leaders but, we will unpack thatmore in terms of how that could
work and what benefit it wouldhave for you.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
So we can't really talk about culture without
talking about leadership.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Yeah, yeah, you're right, leadership plays a really
crucial role.
They're going to be the driversof all these things the culture
and, ultimately, the engagement.
So leaders who look empathetic,supportive and obviously, as
you said, communicate reallywell amongst their teams,
they're going to have a muchmore engagement amongst their
(11:03):
team members, but also leadingby example.
I think if they're the ownersof the vision, they're talking
about the vision, they'resharing that and directing
people in the way in which to goand also working in this same
way, people will follow that.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, that comes back to what you said before about
people want to know that there'sa purpose to their work.
We'll take another episode tounpack the whole role of
leadership and different typesof leadership styles as part of
this season.
But really transformationalleaders are what we're talking
about here and they're thosethat are going to inspire and
(11:41):
motivate their teams, becausethey can show them the bigger
picture.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
All right, susan.
So we've talked really wellabout what it is, I believe, but
let's get into.
I hope it's helpful for you too, listeners.
But let's also think about nowsome really practical tips, so
you know, we know what it is,but how can we actually do that?
Well, I'll start you off withone.
How's that?
I think one effective strategyis to provide feedback.
(12:08):
I think one effective strategyis to provide feedback, so
employees want to know howthey're doing and how they can
improve.
I think nobody we've said itbefore nobody goes to work to do
a terrible job.
So constructive feedback, butalso recognition when a job's
well done, can significantlyboost someone's engagement.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
It sure can.
And another tip that's relatedto that is to offer
opportunities for professionaldevelopment.
So that could be throughtraining programs or mentorships
or offering new challenges, andall of those things are going
to help employees to grow andadvance in their careers and
it's really a powerful way tokeep them engaged.
If they think you care enoughabout them and their careers to
(12:48):
offer those opportunities, it'spretty clear they're going to
feel more engaged.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
It's a win-win yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
And another one.
You know that's come up, evenmore so since COVID.
We're always talking about this.
I hear that deep breath.
Yeah, that's right, it'sflexibility.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Yeah is flexibility.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
So things like offering remote work options or
flexible hours they're reallyimportant in today's workplace
and, again, this is somethingelse we're going to cover in
this season.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Yeah, look, you're right.
We did unpack quite a bit therein terms of what engagement is,
but we're going to take therest of this season to really
unpack that in more detail foryou.
So, as you said, susan, we'regoing to take the rest of this
season to really unpack that inmore detail for you.
So, as you said, susan, we'regoing to talk a lot more about
leadership and their role inretention.
Let's unpack that.
We'll talk about culture somemore as well.
You touched on it there.
Hybrid and remote work, thatsort of flexible piece
(13:43):
Supporting employee wellbeing aswell.
We touched on that just before,so we'll unpack that as well.
You also mentioned careergrowth and development, so we'll
touch on that in one specificepisode as well.
Dei, diversity, equity andinclusion I think that's an
important part of the piece, sowe'll spend an episode to look
on that as well, and then we'llfinish up.
(14:05):
Let's talk about how technologycan help with this sort of
process as well.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Yeah, help or hinder, yeah.
So that'll be interesting and,of course, we'll be bringing you
interesting guests, yes, whocan tell us how they've
instituted better engagement andretention in their businesses.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
So stick around.
It's going to be a great season.
We hope that it's a helpful wayto to be a great season.
We hope that it's a helpful wayto present this information to
you.
We hope you get a lot out of it.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
And we'd like to encourage you to reflect on your
own engagement levels and thinkabout how you can influence
engagement in your workplace.
You don't have to be a leader.
It could be just starting out,but there's probably things that
you can do that would make adifference.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
We really do believe it's going to make a difference
for any business, no matter thesize.
We'll make sure to put notes onour blog from everything we've
talked about today, so checkthat if you want the show notes.
So make sure you join in nexttime.
We'd love to continue theconversation.
Thanks for listening to theWork Wonders podcast brought to
(15:13):
you by Asta HR.
Hit the subscribe button now tonever miss an episode, and if
you'd like to continue theconversation with us, you can
find us over at astahrcomau.
See you in the next episode.
Welcome to the Work Wonders podcast brought to you
by Asta HR, where we simplifythe human side of business.
I'm Angela.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
And I'm Susan.
Let's dive into today's episodeand find out what you've been
wondering about.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Today's episode is the first of the brand new
Season 6, where we're going tobe digging deeper into the topic
of engagement and retention.
So today, what we'll do is talkabout why it's crucial for
every organisation.
We'll unpack exactly what wemean by those terms.
We'll talk about why it'simportant to you and how you
could foster that in yourworkplace.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
That's right.
Whether you're a manager, an HRprofessional or you're just
curious about workplace dynamics, this is the episode that's
going to be packed with insightsto help you understand and
improve engagement with yourteam.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
So let's get started.
This is the Work WondersPodcast.
Hi, Susan.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Hi Angela.
So Angela, yeah, what exactlyare we talking about when we say
employee engagement?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Well, I think it's more than just being happy at
work and being satisfied withyour job and happy to go there.
I think engagement is aboutbeing emotionally invested in
the work that you're doing and,more than that, being motivated
to contribute, see successhappen in your team and in the
work that you're doing and, morethan that, being motivated to
contribute, see success happenin your team and in the business
.
An engaged employee is going tofeel a really strong connection
(01:31):
with their company I thinkthat's a really word that I
would use and it drives them toperhaps go the extra mile.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, when you're talking about that and being
satisfied, you know satisfied isthat sort of middle on the five
point scale you know the smileyfaces.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
that's what I'm picturing.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah, exactly so engaged has got that big smiley
face.
So, gallup, you know, we knowthem, we've mentioned them
before.
They're a leader in workplaceresearch.
They define engaged employeesas those who are involved in,
enthusiastic about and committedto their work and workplace.
So it goes beyond just showingup and doing the bare minimum
(02:08):
and it's about having a deeperlevel in, and enthusiastic about
and committed to their work andworkplace.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
So it goes beyond just showing up and doing the
bare minimum and it's abouthaving a deeper level of
commitment and passion.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So there we start to think about the psychology of it
all, which always interests me.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
When you start to think about a team put together,
so it has to be rooted then inour basic human needs.
So you know autonomy andwanting to have that control
over our work and make our owndecisions, being an adult being
an adult yeah.
Mastery about.
You know that desire to dosomething that matters, or get
(02:39):
better at something that matters, and understanding that as a
skill and purpose.
I think that's a really big oneat the moment, that people want
to feel like they're part ofsomething that is achieving
something better in the world orsomething bigger than them.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
So you're reminding me of things like Maslow's
hierarchy of needs.
Oh yeah, so remember, you knowit's the basic needs of safety
and security.
And once they're met, we startworking our way up the pyramid
for the higher level fulfilmentand what psychologists call
self-actualisation.
And that's where autonomy andcompetence feeling like you're
(03:17):
doing a good job, but alsofeeling connected are real
drivers of motivation.
So engaged employees areprobably those where their work
aligns well with those needs.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
That's interesting.
Yeah, all right.
So let's clear up some commonmyths about employee engagement.
One misconception that I'veheard, susan, is that engagement
is the same as job satisfaction, and, as we said, that's not.
It Look, they're definitelyrelated, but it's not the same
thing.
Job satisfaction is about that.
I'm happy with my job, yep,it's close to home, it's good
(03:50):
pay or whatever it is.
But engagement is about thatenthusiasm.
I'm motivated to do my job.
I want to do a good job.
It's part of my identity.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
And look how great I am at it, or look what we're
doing as a team, how we'reaffecting change.
Yeah, exactly, so that's muchmore than job satisfaction, as
we've said.
Another myth and this is one ofmy favourites is that things
like having free snacks or fancyoffices are the key to
engagement.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Yep foosball tables, all that, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So, while those things can certainly contribute
to a positive work environment,they're not going to create
lasting engagement.
I'm just thinking if you're nothappy in your job, you're not
going to stick around becauseyou can get breakfast at work,
no, but have the opposite event.
So true engagement comes fromfeeling valued, having
(04:45):
opportunities for growth andbeing part of something bigger.
Yeah, I'd agree with that.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
So, look, it's a bit of a buzzword engagement, isn't
it?
But it has real, tangiblebenefits for a business.
They're more productive, thesesorts of employees, they get
more done.
Like we said, there's thatdirect link between what they're
interested in doing and thatmotivation towards seeing
success for the business, soit's going to impact your bottom
line.
(05:07):
We want that and, as you saidbefore, according to Gallup,
companies with highly engagedteams their stats there show
that 21% have greaterprofitability.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
So it doesn't stop there, though.
It's not just being moreprofitable.
So it doesn't stop there,though.
It's not just being moreprofitable.
Engaged employees are going tocontribute to lower turnover
rates, so they're going to stickaround longer if they're
feeling connected to their workand to their company and that's
where we start talking aboutretention, because they're less
likely to leave.
And, again, that probably willcontribute to you being more
(05:41):
profitable, because it's goingto reduce the costs that are
normally associated with hiringand training new staff.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
That always costs more to have to hire someone
rather than just keep the onesyou already have.
So that's where engagement andretention really go hand in hand
.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
So we've talked about the benefits for a business.
What's the benefit for theemployee?
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Well, look, I think an engaged employee is going to
obviously still be happier intheir job, but they're going to
probably have much better mentalhealth.
So if you're engaged in yourjob, you're more likely to feel
fulfilled and less likely to besort of erring more towards
burnout or something awful likethat.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah, good point of erring more towards burnout or
something awful like that.
Yeah, good point.
There's also a strong linkbetween engagement and career
development.
So if employees are engaged,they're likely to seek out and
take advantage of opportunitiesfor growth.
Obviously there's benefits tothat to an organisation, but it
also benefits the employee'spersonal professional
(06:44):
development and is going tocontribute to a much more
dynamic and innovative workplaceif people are looking for
opportunities and making themost of them.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Well, it's one thing us saying it here and I know
that we're saying the truth,Susan but let's look at a real
world example.
Let's show you that.
So we've looked up a few.
Let's take Google, for instance.
They're consistently rankedhigh in engagement surveys of
how much their employees areengaged.
They focus on creating asupportive and inclusive culture
.
They offer professionaldevelopment, meaningful work.
(07:18):
Obviously, people are alignedto much more than just the
search bar on Google, but whatthey're actually trying to
achieve and it's paid off forthem, both in terms of their
satisfaction amongst theiremployees, but also the success
of their business.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah, I remember reading that Google never
actually has to recruit.
You know, there's always peoplewanting to join, of course, and
if you're sitting, you knowwhere we are.
A long distance from Google.
You can look at their officesonline and think, oh, this is
fabulous, I'd like to work there.
You know there's so many perksand things like that, but isn't
(07:53):
it interesting that it'sprobably more the fact that
people feel engaged in theactual work that they're doing?
Speaker 1 (07:59):
than all those perks.
Yeah, they are certainlyinnovative, they're definitely
doing a lot of things andthey're not scared to try that.
You know, I think the littlesleep pods and things like that.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I know a lot of their innovations, too, come from
allowing people to have time todevote to that, so that's sort
of built into their schedules,yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Did you know that we have lots of free resources
available to you on our website,things like templates that you
could download, or a checklistfor a process or even recordings
of our previous workshops?
If you're looking for help in aparticular area or just some
inspiration, check out theresources page on our website.
Asthrcomau.
And now it's back to theepisode website astahrcomau.
(08:50):
And now it's back to theepisode.
Okay, so, susan, do you thinkthat culture then starts to come
into the conversation as well?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
and having a good work culture.
Well, obviously, I do Tell us abit more about what you think,
though, angela.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Well, I think, a culture where employees feel
valued and respected for theiropinion, they're recognised for
what they're contributing to theteam.
I think that obviously goeshand in hand with engagement as
well.
So it's about, you know,creating that safe place, that
safe environment for people tobe able to share their ideas and
(09:24):
take risks but be themselves.
You know.
Dare I say, oh, be themselves,yeah that's a good one.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Organisations, whether they're big or small,
can do things to celebratepeople's achievements and
implement recognition programsif that fits with what you're
trying to achieve in yourbusiness.
There might be things that youdo in terms of regular
team-building activities andhaving open communication
channels that will contribute topeople feeling like they belong
(09:53):
there.
Another thing that's probablynot so obvious is being
transparent about yourdecision-making, okay, and so
employees having a chance tohave a say you know, have some
input into what happens aroundtheir work and their work
environment and, of course, thething that we've spoken about in
(10:14):
previous episodes, the wholepsychosocial safety.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Yeah, and look, that can be a scary idea, can't it?
You know, letting a person notonly have a voice about what
they're doing, but also beinfluencing which way it might
go.
That can be scary to somebusiness owners, I'm sure, or
leaders but, we will unpack thatmore in terms of how that could
work and what benefit it wouldhave for you.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
So we can't really talk about culture without
talking about leadership.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Yeah, yeah, you're right, leadership plays a really
crucial role.
They're going to be the driversof all these things the culture
and, ultimately, the engagement.
So leaders who look empathetic,supportive and obviously, as
you said, communicate reallywell amongst their teams,
they're going to have a muchmore engagement amongst their
(11:03):
team members, but also leadingby example.
I think if they're the ownersof the vision, they're talking
about the vision, they'resharing that and directing
people in the way in which to goand also working in this same
way, people will follow that.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, that comes back to what you said before about
people want to know that there'sa purpose to their work.
We'll take another episode tounpack the whole role of
leadership and different typesof leadership styles as part of
this season.
But really transformationalleaders are what we're talking
about here and they're thosethat are going to inspire and
(11:41):
motivate their teams, becausethey can show them the bigger
picture.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
All right, susan.
So we've talked really wellabout what it is, I believe, but
let's get into.
I hope it's helpful for you too, listeners.
But let's also think about nowsome really practical tips, so
you know, we know what it is,but how can we actually do that?
Well, I'll start you off withone.
How's that?
I think one effective strategyis to provide feedback.
(12:08):
I think one effective strategyis to provide feedback, so
employees want to know howthey're doing and how they can
improve.
I think nobody we've said itbefore nobody goes to work to do
a terrible job.
So constructive feedback, butalso recognition when a job's
well done, can significantlyboost someone's engagement.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
It sure can.
And another tip that's relatedto that is to offer
opportunities for professionaldevelopment.
So that could be throughtraining programs or mentorships
or offering new challenges, andall of those things are going
to help employees to grow andadvance in their careers and
it's really a powerful way tokeep them engaged.
If they think you care enoughabout them and their careers to
(12:48):
offer those opportunities, it'spretty clear they're going to
feel more engaged.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
It's a win-win yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
And another one.
You know that's come up, evenmore so since COVID.
We're always talking about this.
I hear that deep breath.
Yeah, that's right, it'sflexibility.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Yeah is flexibility.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
So things like offering remote work options or
flexible hours they're reallyimportant in today's workplace
and, again, this is somethingelse we're going to cover in
this season.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Yeah, look, you're right.
We did unpack quite a bit therein terms of what engagement is,
but we're going to take therest of this season to really
unpack that in more detail foryou.
So, as you said, susan, we'regoing to take the rest of this
season to really unpack that inmore detail for you.
So, as you said, susan, we'regoing to talk a lot more about
leadership and their role inretention.
Let's unpack that.
We'll talk about culture somemore as well.
You touched on it there.
Hybrid and remote work, thatsort of flexible piece
(13:43):
Supporting employee wellbeing aswell.
We touched on that just before,so we'll unpack that as well.
You also mentioned careergrowth and development, so we'll
touch on that in one specificepisode as well.
Dei, diversity, equity andinclusion I think that's an
important part of the piece, sowe'll spend an episode to look
on that as well, and then we'llfinish up.
(14:05):
Let's talk about how technologycan help with this sort of
process as well.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Yeah, help or hinder, yeah.
So that'll be interesting and,of course, we'll be bringing you
interesting guests, yes, whocan tell us how they've
instituted better engagement andretention in their businesses.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
So stick around.
It's going to be a great season.
We hope that it's a helpful wayto to be a great season.
We hope that it's a helpful wayto present this information to
you.
We hope you get a lot out of it.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
And we'd like to encourage you to reflect on your
own engagement levels and thinkabout how you can influence
engagement in your workplace.
You don't have to be a leader.
It could be just starting out,but there's probably things that
you can do that would make adifference.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
We really do believe it's going to make a difference
for any business, no matter thesize.
We'll make sure to put notes onour blog from everything we've
talked about today, so checkthat if you want the show notes.
So make sure you join in nexttime.
We'd love to continue theconversation.
Thanks for listening to theWork Wonders podcast brought to
(15:13):
you by Asta HR.
Hit the subscribe button now tonever miss an episode, and if
you'd like to continue theconversation with us, you can
find us over at astahrcomau.
See you in the next episode.
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