The perception of engagement varies from employee to employee

The engagement quotient

The perception of engagement varies from employee to employee. Experts discuss the need for tailor-made practices

    Engagement is fundamentally an individualised equation. What might keep one employee engaged might turn-off the person sitting in the next cubicle. There are many variables that can impact one person’s engagement, and the mix is individually unique. To be truly engaged, individuals need to be satisfied with their immediate work role and career opportunities. Employees feel satisfied when they accomplish results and know that their contribution is recognised and is adding value to the organisation. This leads to maximum satisfaction and contribution. “Every employee’s relationship with his/her job is different, and what engages one is also different than the rest. For example, for some individuals, technically challenging work keeps them ticking, while for others, visibility (both internal and customer-facing) makes a difference. This is because every individual comes into an organisation with a different ‘lens’ – his/her family background and upbringing, education, peers, socio-economic class, aspirations, etc – and a combination of each of these defines what truly engages a person,” illustrates Rakhi Panigrahy, regional head (West) - employee engagement, Geometric.
    “At Standard Chartered, we have built the aspect of ‘individualisation’ in all our employee engagement initiatives and interventions. ‘Different Strokes for Different Folks’, wellness initiatives or ‘Indoor Sports Challenge’ are a few amongst the wide array of engagement initiatives that we have undertaken,” points out Madhavi Lall, regional head - HR, Standard Chartered Bank, India And South Asia.
    Raghavendra K, VP and head HR, Infosys BPO thinks slightly differently, “If an individual has the ‘I can do it’ attitude and is willing to take things as they come, I don’t see the reason why he/she should not feel engaged. An individual who sees the glass either half full or half empty will never be able to feel truly engaged at work.”
    So what are the variables that can impact an individual’s engagement at the workplace? According to Manoj Biswas, HR lead, Accenture, “While there is no one panacea for leveraging employee engagement, there are some broad variables that influence employee engagement to a great extent: 1) work/job role - employees must see a link between their role and the larger organisation goal. Understanding this linkage provides intrinsic motivation and increased engagement; 2) rewards and recognition - the bottomline is that people work to earn, which helps fulfill ambitions and 3) skill and knowledge enhancement is not only important for the employees, but also provides a learning culture.”
    So, the next time you feel disengaged about something at work and your colleague doesn’t, don’t fret; it’s only natural.