Due to shifting demands on both employees and employers since the start of the pandemic, the significance of employee engagement has increased dramatically. Organizations have understood they must develop employee engagement tools and procedures by this growth because the hybrid work paradigm has become standard across many large firms.

Organizations in a variety of industries are aware of the benefits that employee engagement can provide, including access to better talent and employee retention. Although they may have various ends in mind, they all end up there.

Work Engagement & Hybrid Workplace Report 2022 by Leena AI, an innovative technology solution revolutionizing the employee experience, was just published. The bi-annual research provides insight into employee engagement at more than 250 businesses throughout the world, including those in India and the US.

Annual surveys: still the norm!

Although yearly surveys of employee engagement have long been the norm for firms, half of the respondents to the report predicted a rise in the frequency of such surveys. Only 8 percent of firms said they conducted employee engagement surveys every month, whereas 25 percent said they did so.

In the workplace, were shorter and more regular pulse surveys have become the norm, there is an increasing need for an active listening approach in India and the rest of the world. Continuous listening is crucial in a mixed work style where employees are frequently scattered.

Technology: a distant dream

The necessity for advanced technologies and techniques in the workplace has also been influenced by the rise in the frequency of employee engagement surveys. According to the data, more than 50 percent of respondents acknowledged using straightforward questionnaires and feedback forms to determine employee engagement, while 25 percent said they only used manual techniques.

The necessity for technological tools to identify employees' demands and requirements, such as potential areas for improvement in their organizations, steps that their work should do to promote inclusion and mental well-being, etc. was also highlighted by a sizeable 30 percent of organizations.

Additionally, 25 percent of the firms said they were interested in learning more about the trends in the engagement scores over a certain time frame.

Rewards and recognition = Employee engagement

In the hybrid workplace, rewards and recognition are still one of the most well-liked and effective tactics. Nearly 50 percent of the respondents, according to the research, acknowledged relying on this strategy to engage their staff.

HR: owner of employee engagement initiatives

Even though it is crucial for influencing an organization's culture, the HR department cannot be considered solely responsible for employee satisfaction. The majority of firms currently silo their employee engagement activities, especially now that remote working is the norm. Employee productivity has been found to rise in businesses when CXOs set the groundwork for establishing a more favorable work environment.

Employee engagement to attract talent

Organizations can profit by reviewing their employee engagement rules, developing a more inclusive work environment, forecasting attrition, and other practices with India on the verge of its Great Resignation period.

Employee engagement is used by 42 percent of businesses in the IT and software sectors to enhance the employee experience in a hybrid work style.

Adit Jain, Co-Founder, and CEO, of Leena AI, commented, "While the pandemic brought about some uncertainties, it also facilitated in shifting our focus to the core of every organization i.e. its employees. It is interesting to observe whether organizations manage to engage their employees regularly and actively. For a while now, employee engagement has been considered a secondary activity conducted on a need-only basis. However, in the post-pandemic world, employee engagement's importance has skyrocketed with the changing needs of both employers and employees.

"Today, organizations must implement an effective HR strategy to build a positive work environment and retain valuable talent. This report has been developed to identify patterns that employee engagement initiatives face around the world, whether the right tools are being implemented, whether the final impact is successful, and so on. We endeavor to support organiSations, thought leaders, and decision-makers to make informed decisions towards a successful employee engagement strategy." (AA/IANS)