The traditional role of CEOs, or CEOs, is “to organize the governance of your company and to ensure its proper functioning.” They are the ones who make the important decisions as the legal and moral manager of the company. Today, we are witnessing more and more a revival within companies: they are integrating innovative ways of working, becoming more digital and more agile. To continue to perform in this new world of work, the role of the CEO as we know him or her is also going to be transformed, towards a role of commitment manager, or Chief Engagement Officer. Why is engagement now so important for organizations? What could be the real role and missions of tomorrow's CEOs? Here are our answers.
Why has employee engagement become essential in business?
A demonstrated financial impact
Several recent studies have shown that disengagement at work costs several thousand euros per year and per employee. An IBET study, published in 2019, announces a cost of €14,310, including the amounts of absenteeism, loss of productivity and turnover. Highly committed employees, on the other hand, increase the profit generated by 23% on average (Gallup study).
In general, a high level of commitment in business makes it possible to obtain higher levels of productivity, more initiative, as well as a tendency on the part of everyone to put all their skills at the service of the collective.
Employer brand
The engagement rate of your employees is part of your employer brand. When it is positive, it allowsattract a lot of talent in your business.
Making your employees feel good allows them to thrive and become active ambassadors who will be able to talk positively about your organization around them. Their working environment is important, as is the benevolence of their management, the mutual assistance between the teams, or even communication. Developing these aspects can have a positive impact on engagement, which in turn positively influences your employer brand.
Employee loyalty
Finally, employees who are committed to their company are less likely to leave it. In organizations where there is a high level of commitment, we quickly realize that Turnover is lower than average.
The fact of knowing retain its employees is very interesting: it allows for a stable workforce, stronger relationships within teams, and motivation that can increase. In addition, it is very expensive to recruit a new employee: it takes time, and it takes a few months of training before he is completely autonomous.
The CEO can have a key role in employee engagement
A number of managers have now understood the multiple interests associated with employee engagement. But wanting to engage is not enough to implement a solid enterprise-wide strategy. One person should be responsible for this challenge and fully embody it. It could be that of the CEO of tomorrow. Here are some ways to raise the organization's commitment to a higher level through the key role of the leader.
The embodiment of change
It is important that The CEO shows his or her own commitment in order to encourage others to follow him. A leader should make challenges personal and be the first to take on them. The strategies chosen to do this must be long-term, so that everyone can look forward to several years with a clear vision of what awaits them.
Strengthening engagement through goals and rewards
Commitment, in all areas, requires a “why.” This is the company's raison d'être and its goals that can provide enough energy, motivation and inspiration to make everyone want to be 100% involved. The role of management is to conveying a clear vision of the organization's missions And of The impact she wants to have in people's lives.
For some employees, the motivation may lie more in the perspective of rewards. Management can consider a system of rewards to encourage people to excel. These do not necessarily have to be financial: some are more interested in recognition, promotion, etc.
Identifying the best elements
We know that the most committed people are less likely to leave the company. Therefore, it is important to identify the best people, with whom you want to collaborate for years, and to extend their commitments more strongly than for others.
One of the main tasks of the Chief Engagement Officer could be to identify these people, of develop their skills and to find ways to involve them in a very active way in the life of the company.
Systematic engagement of all stakeholders
Many businesses make the mistake of not considering all stakeholders the same way when it comes to talking about engagement. However, employees, customers, partners, investors, investors, vendors, and community members all have a role to play in the organization's performance.
Recent research has shown that the most successful organizations were those that were of interest to all stakeholders, especially when it comes to defining the brand and its values, objectives or even its value proposition in relation to competitors.
In a large organization, the process of managing the needs of all its stakeholders is a full-time job, which requires a good understanding of different trades. In a smaller structure, this role can be carried out by the CEO, as long as he or she correctly measures the importance of this mission.
All the recent research shows that commitment has a key role in business performance. The traditional role of the CEO (or his assistant) is therefore likely to mutate towards a mission of” Chief Engagement Officer ”. It's not just about Measuring employee engagement, but to build an experience of human sharing, in which all the organization's stakeholders co-create the future with passion.
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