Antecedent to Employee Engagement

Question: Discuss about the Antecedent to Employee Engagement. Answer: Introduction: The practice of Human Resource Management is one of the most sensitive undertakings in any functioning organization today. Human resource managers play a vital role in identifying, selecting and managing employees in a way that helps the organization achieve its goals and objectives. According to Gruman and Saks (2011), the scope continues to evolve; people managers are moving out of their conventional approaches to engage with the people they manage to maximize the returns. Today, the manager-people relationship is no longer a situation of who is superior or inferior. Both parties are embracing a mutually-beneficial platform where managers are constantly engaging with the junior employees and including them as much as possible in all activities. This not only increases performance but also enhances long-term relationships on a robust network that provides the basis for future engagement (Markos and Sridevi, 2010, p. 93). Therefore, it is imperative to acknowledge that HRM as a whole is entirely dependent on the existing and potential engagements and relationships between managers and the labor reserve. Ultimately, this yields many benefits for individuals and the organization as a whole. Fundamentally, employee engagement is important for HR managers because it enables them to understand the abilities and weaknesses of each employee (Macey., et al, 2011, n.p). One of the critical functions of the managers is to select, train and manage employees who can help the organization move forward. Ideally, organizations have strong measures in place to ensure that the selection and staffing criteria yield the best possible candidates. However, it is inevitable that no worker, regardless of passing through the process can be perfect and void of any weakness that may have an impact on the assigned role. Therefore, in the course of executing duty, managers need to constantly monitor and engage all employees so that they can identify their strengths and weaknesses and respond accordingly (Gruman and Saks, 2011, p.130). One way of engagement is communication and supervision. Managers can have one-on-one sessions with individual employees and in the process they are better placed t o know them better. Secondly, managers ought to consider employee engagement because it provides them with an opportunity to learn further. According to Hewitt (2012, p. 2013), all people working in an organization possess distinct skills and talent which can be shared for the benefit of all. More often, managers are tempted to think that due to their academic qualification, those below them are less knowledgeable. However, it is worth noting that HR management practice is not entirely about supervising or leading; it goes beyond to understanding the character and abilities of those you lead and turning this relationship into a learning opportunity (Welch, 2011, p. 340). This learning involves understanding ones opinion and perspective of the workplace and any other challenges. Out of the knowledge gained, managers can then adopt styles that conform to the needs and expectations of workers albeit with much attention to the organizational goals and objectives. Thirdly, employee engagement is an important consideration because it is the fundamental step towards achieving personal and collective goals. The success of any organization is founded on the understanding and unity that exists among all players especially the workers. Consequently, it is important for all parties to continuously engage and build a platform on which they can share and implement the values and organizational behavior that yields the best results. In this regard, managers are the leaders and should play a key role in bringing other employees together (Xu and Cooper, 2011, p. 400). The kind of engagement that occurs between employees and managers thus determines how close all players are and how free they are to share the organizational vision and accord one another any assistance that amounts to better performance. As a result, the engagement-performance relationship is a huge step towards achieving the laid down goals. Engagement is also important for managers to engage with employees as it cultivates ground for competitive advantage in the backdrop of growing competition (Haddock-Millar., et al, 2016, p. 205). Employees play a central role in propelling the organization to greater heights and this can only happen if their actions and commitment are above their competitors. In this context, it is important that managers facilitate and monitor employee development through time so that they stay in touch with the core competencies that potentially replicate success. One way through which engagement can lead to competitive advantage is through training and performance management. As the demands of the workplace keep changing, managers also need to respond by training their employees so that they remain competitive and above their competitors so that in the end, the organization has a workforce that is competent and as compare to other entities which offer competition in the same market. Employee engagement with the management fraternity is also important for managers because it enables them to identify and eliminate potential threats to organizational stability (Haddock-Millar., et al, 2016, p. 200). Managers play a key role in identifying and solving conflicts that are likely to derail progress. Most of the conflicts emanate from the lowest levels and can involve one or more employees. However, if such conflicts are not discovered and handled promptly, they are likely to escalate into an organizational problem that makes co-ordination impossible. Owing to this, it therefore dictates that managers reduce the proximity between them and the lower levels by continuously engaging through communication, monitoring or socialization (Albrecht., et al, 2015, p. 17). By doing this, one is better positioned to have first-hand information of the existing or impending conflicts and offer immediate remedies before they degenerate. In totality, engagement in this manner eases con flict prevention, management and resolution for the benefit of the management and the organization. The impact of employee engagement is felt by employees, management and the organization itself. First, the practice is an essential motivating tool (Abraham, 2012, p. 27). Employee engagement can be used by managers to motivate employees. As a motivational factor, engagement between managers and employees cultivates a cohesive working environment where there is mutual trust. Employees want to go beyond their traditional roles to a more participative role in decision-making. In most cases, managers have made decisions without prior consultation with their juniors yet they (employees) are major players in implementation. When the management constantly seeks input from the workers, they feel valued and worthy being around. According to Abraham (2012, p. 24), motivation is a key factor in ensuring that an organization obtains and retains a workforce which is comfortable and committed to the course. Less engagement can imply that the staff are either alienated or their input is not of the required caliber and thus, unworthy to be considered. In the end, this culminates in high turnover as employees are likely to seek better opportunities elsewhere where they would feel appreciated and wanted on the long-term. Employee engagement can also impact organizational performance by promoting accountability among all members (Guest, 2014, p. 150). By closely engaging, each person within the system is more aware of their roles and can be held accountable for every undertaking. This emanates from the fact that when the gap between junior and senior levels in the organization is closed, there is more openness and aware of their part. This is more so important in large organizations with complicated structures that make supervision and monitoring difficult. As such, managers have to move closer to the ground to realize what goes on at these levels. In correspondence, everyone in the system becomes more responsible. This becomes an important management tool for managers and simplifies the process of instilling desirable behavior that is in line with the organizational culture. In equal measure, once both the management and employees are in the same consultative level, the possibility of transparency is high as the former feel more comfortable to voice their views in a way that is likely to boost the relationship. Employee engagement fosters teamwork performance. The largest portion of organizational duty is carried out in groups which cannot function properly in the absence of sustainable engagement among members and all stakeholders. Different teams are designed and constituted to achieve certain goals over a given period after which they are merged to stimulate the achievement of organizational goals (Presbitero, 2017, p. 60). Over time, one of the challenges that managers have faced in managing teams is the poor communication and engagement among members as well as to the upper levels. Consequently, there is a realization that an organization where engagement is cultured within the larger organizational behavior doctrine finds it easier to manage teams and optimize their performance. In such a scenario, every member knows that engagement is a must and it has to be exhibited in all activities. Effective teams are a culmination of commitment, consultation and trust. Employee engagement also impacts organizational performance by stimulating growth and innovation (Carter., et al, 2016, p. 17). As employees continue to carry out their duties, it is vital for the workplace environment to have frameworks that encourage innovation as a recipe for further growth and profitability. Innovation is an important facet within the organization. However, employees can only innovate if the climate is allowing. Sometimes the workplace setting is so suffocated that people find it hard to demonstrate their abilities beyond the limits within which their job description specifies. As a result, this potential is wasted not only to the detriment of the individual but also to the organization as well. However, this can change if there is sustainable engagement between both parties so that the management has a clear picture of the potential that exists among the workforce. From here, the management can put in place channels that encourage and facilitate innovation. References Markos, S. and Sridevi, M.S., 2010. 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