Leaders have dedicated themselves to solving the mystery of employee engagement for years. The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated the matter, pushing the hybrid workspace to the forefront, giving leaders more factors to consider when establishing company policies and procedures. On top of that, unengaged employees are quick to leave an organization. A recent article from HR Exchange Network reports that 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs in January 2022. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us that things have remained basically unchanged in recent months, with 4.2 million quits in August. This number was not always so high. In 2009, only 1.75 million workers quit each month – a figure that is half the 2021 average.
It’s clear that employee engagement continues to be a priority for organizations. Leaders are hard at work creating environments where people feel excited to bring their best selves. Root’s Jim Haudan has been speaking and writing passionately about this very topic for decades. His first book The Art of Engagement: Bridging the Gap Between People and Possibilities analyzes this challenge and gives leaders four fundamentals for engaging employees that have stood the test of time.
Jim believes people who are engaged want to:
1) Be part of something big,
2) Feel a sense of belonging,
3) Go on a meaningful journey, and
4) Know their contributions make a significant impact or difference.
In 2011, he addressed these four roots of engagement at TEDxBGSU, an independently organized TEDx event at Bowling Green State University, explaining how organizations can inspire people, create change, and make a difference. The power of Jim’s insight and advice hasn’t changed. Listen to what he had to say here. It’s just as relevant today as it was then.