Teach Middle East Magazine Apr - Jun 2020 Issue 3 Volume 7 | Page 16

Sharing Good Practice
LEVERAGING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
TO MAXIMISE ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE
BY: MURAD SALMAN MIRZA
It is therefore prudent to take a deeper
dive into the broader spectrum of
‘engaged’ employees for formulating
talent management strategies that
have a higher probability of ‘real’
success, rather than, being dismissed
as ‘icing on a rotting cake’ by cynical
employees.
This is also necessary
since
employee
engagement
is gravitating towards a more
‘purpose-driven’ display of ‘altruistic
professionalism’ from the commonly
recognisable ‘affective’ manifestation
of organisational citizenship behaviour
as organisations seek a finer mix of AI-
driven automation with fewer number
of employees in achieving desired
operational efficiencies.
P
rogressive
organisations
are
increasingly
focusing
on
refining
their
talent
management strategies to
effectively manage a multigenerational
workforce for staying relevant and
competitive in the Digital Age. An
essential aspect of such initiatives is
to have a higher number of engaged
employees who are intrinsically
driven to go beyond the call of duty
in assuring and ensuring supreme
organisational performance. However,
the exuberance associated with seeing
buoyant engagement in the workplace
and high ratings on employee surveys
can be misleading.
The perfunctory urge to put up positive
metrics on fancy HR Dashboards
reflecting
strong
employee
engagement
to
please
senior
management often comes at the
expense of intelligent employees who
tend to maintain a ‘dignified silence’
over thorny issues that might get them
caught in the ‘crosshairs’ of fidgety
senior management. They generally
adhere to the idiom of ‘fake it till you
make it’, which is robust enough to
16
Term 3 Apr - Jun 2020
withstand ‘open-door policies’, ‘candid
employee surveys’, ‘informal chats
with peers’, and incentivised corporate
forums for pointing out profound
challenges.
The aforementioned aspect is further
exacerbated by the propensity of
progressive organisations to start
‘requiring’ employee engagement,
rather than, ‘expecting’ it as a natural
offshoot of an enterprising culture
based upon robust values. This has
the downside of becoming a job
specification which brings ‘shrewd
actors’ into play who are enticed by
the external motivation of gaining
associated rewards and recognition.
Consequently, the ‘glamorization’ of
employee engagement often eclipses
the ‘voluntary initiatives’ of the ‘truly
engaged’ employees who are driven
by the primary intrinsic motivation of
‘doing good’ as an affirmation of their
exemplary professionalism. This type
of cajolery employee engagement
often increases the ‘blind spots’ of a
‘placated’ senior management and
fuels ‘false hope’ of smoothly running
a ‘crumbling’ organisation.
Class Time
The following are the five key types
of ‘engaged’ employees that are
commonly
found
within
most
organisations:
The Angel
This employee is a rare gem and
assiduous by nature. He/she is an
embodiment of goodness regardless
of the presence of an informal/formal
engagement program/initiative by
the leadership. He/she is intrinsically
driven to excel in the workplace and
is always willing to go the extra mile
that endears him/her to peers and
customers/clients.
Astute leaders
love to project them as standard-
bearers of the workforce due to their
steadfast professional commitment
and unadulterated work ethics. They
should be substantially empowered
without the burden of micro-
management.
Special
emphasis
should be laid upon retaining such
employees and cultivating them
for leadership positions through
timely and progressive capability
enhancement while charting a
clear course for career growth and
development. Care should be taken
to protect them from the acidic nature
of organisational politics.