An Impact podcast with Jon Hall, created for the Impact leadership playbook.
Research shows us that only 21% of people are actively engaged at work, and this is estimated to cost the global economy 9.6 trillion USD, or 9% of GDP. Clearly, this is a huge challenge for organisations of all sectors and sizes. But what can leaders do about it?
"You need to be paying attention. You need to be noticing what's going on for the people that you lead, for the people around you."
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In this mini podcast (20 mins), created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan chats to Jon Hall about building employee engagement. Based in the English Lake District, Jon is a Senior Consultant and Head of Consulting for Impact UK. Jon has spent 20 years at Impact, honing his practice and working with some of the world’s largest brands. He’s known for his vast experience, careful listening skills, and his ability to ask challenging questions with razor sharp timing.
What do we mean when we talk about employee engagement?
"For me, employee engagement is about having employees who are doing the work that they want to do. They look forward to coming to work, to doing the job that is asked of them. They feel like they can show up as the best or a better version of themselves, and really apply that to the work that they're doing. They feel like they own what they do. They believe in what they do. And they get the support, encouragement and the recognition they need to keep doing that consistently. And development is a big part of engagement as well; engaged employees are those who are really able to fulfil the potential that they have and to grow in the roles that are in."
What are some first steps leaders can take to help improve employee engagement?
"The very first step is quite obvious: you need to be paying attention. You need to be noticing what's going on for the people that you lead, for the people around you. Because when you pay attention, you will notice. It’s when you're not paying attention that you tend to miss it. If you’re just focusing on the task, you'll notice what's going on with the tasks and you won’t notice what's going on for your people. If you actually focus on the people then you'll pick up on the signals.
Another first step I think you can definitely take is to help people find a sense of purpose in the work that they're doing, which is meaningful for them. That purpose might be around their career, it might be about the organisation, or it might be a higher-level purpose, which is more about the impact that they can have on the world or wider society – who knows? But we all have that as a basic human fundamental need – the need for a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives. And if we don't have that, it's difficult to feel engaged. That’s definitely one of the key ingredients.
Another need would be a sense of connection, of being seen and valued, both as a human being but also for what you can do. For some people, it's more important to be valued for what they can do, based on their capabilities. For others, it's bit more about seeing you for who you are as a human being, not just for what you can do."
Jon's five soft skills for leading engagement
- Practice quality listening
- Empathise
- Build a human connection
- Be clear about your intentions
- Pay attention to the person in front of you
Listen to the podcast on Spotify
This mini podcast was created for our leadership playbook, an interactive resource capturing 45 years of learning about leadership.