Striving for better employee engagement

It is crucial for any organisation, whether government or in the private sector, to move beyond employee satisfaction to employee engagement.

An organisation doesn’t work in isolation; the happenings in the surrounding environment matter a lot, and ensuring that every person in the organisation is well informed and connected with the outside world is vital.

For example, in a government setup, things are well organised, and it is the self-motivation, drive, and ability to connect with people, in alignment with the well-laid-out structure that helps in better performance.

Having core goals that are logical, ensuring that an organisation stays the course and empowering the lower ranks of officers is essential.

It helps gain trust and better performance, said Yedukondalu V, IFS, DCF, M M Hills Sanctuary.

“Our duty is to ensure that forests and wildlife are protected, and as well the lives and livelihoods of the people are also important. So making decisions that are always a win-win is a must,” he says.

For example, cattle grazing inside the forests leads to many problems for both wildlife and people; taking a win-win decision in such cases helps solve complex issues for a more extended time period. Providing an alternative solution for cattle grazing and making it viable helps both wildlife and people, he adds.

Vision, mission, and values are the foundation for any company. Therefore, well-laid value structures and a transparent top-down approach with clarity in communication from the management will be the deciding factor for any company’s future.

“Moreover, giving heed to employees’ ideas, and going on to implement them changes the social vibe of an organisation for the better,” says Mahendra Prasad, the general manager at the cybersecurity organisation.

An entrepreneurial approach and taking initiatives apart from the standard assignment helps in better performance and increase an employee’s chances for a better role and position.

As a job seeker, money should not only be the deciding factor; reading a lot of testimonials and trying to bridge every gap is significant — a company with better management policies with a lesser pay could be better than a company with decided poor work culture.

In job interviews, the majority of the candidates lie about one central question — why they are leaving the previous job.

The answers are more or less expected — going for better prospects, but the actual reason might be having bad managers.

If the truth was told, the candidate would be judged negatively, and chances of not getting selected are high; only a handful of managers and companies accept the truth positively. Any organisation’s biggest strength is its people, its human resources. In the Ecotourism sector, which is 40% hospitality and 60% Forestry, Human Resources are of utmost importance.

“If you manage your people well and they are intrinsically, you will meet your goals. I just ensure the same,” says Rishab Chaturvedi, Resident manager, JLR.

In conclusion, securing the interests of all the stakeholders should be the mantra.

Since decision-making is the most crucial aspect, having a 360-degree perspective and agile thinking would pave the way for better results. Most importantly, aiming for a win-win should always be the case.

(The author is an HR professional and a wildlife conservation enthusiast)