Commitment to work: Definition and challenges for the company

The commitment to work of a company’s employees is of paramount importance in the proper functioning of the latter. That said, it is the responsibility of the human resources department to ensure this on an ongoing basis.

Indeed, when the company’s employees are disengaged from their work, it results in a decrease in performance, a high turnover rate, a decrease in turnover, etc.

What is employee engagement for a company? What are its challenges and the different ways to evaluate it? This article highlights the different specificities related to the concept of engagement at work.

Defining Engagement at Work

Also called employee engagement, commitment at work represents the involvement of employees or collaborators in the life of a company.

In other words, this term refers to the ability of employees to make the necessary efforts to achieve the company’s missions and objectives.

When employees have a sense of commitment at work, it translates into:

• Acts of loyalty to the company;
• A sense of belonging to the company;
• Adherence to the company’s culture;
• Team cohesion;
• The ability of employees to go beyond their limits and make more efforts.

In this case, we are talking about a positive collaborative commitment. A lack of commitment of an employee at work results in:

• A real drop in motivation;
• A decrease in individual and collective performance;
• A high turnover rate;
• The frequency of psychosocial risks (burn-out, bore-out, etc.).

This is called negative collaborator engagement.

The different levels of engagement at work

There are three levels of employee engagement:

• Emotional commitment: this level of commitment corresponds to an emotional attachment of the employee to the company. It is more important than the following levels;
• The normative commitment: this is the moral obligation of loyalty of the employee towards the company that employs them;
• Ongoing commitment: this last level of commitment corresponds to the consequences arising from a possible departure from the company. These are cases where the employee does not find other job opportunities and is therefore obliged to remain committed to his company.

Factors of engagement at work

Involvement and commitment to work is assessed based on a few key factors. These help companies to understand the behavior of employees at work and to choose among the different types of management, the most suitable.

Work engagement factors include:

• The intention to stay in the company: this is the probability that employees will remain in the company for the next two years;
• Participation at work: this factor takes into account the psychological and emotional contribution made by an employee in their work;
• Discretionary effort: this is one of the most important factors. Are employees willing to put in a greater effort in their work?
• Employee pride: this is about the pride that employees feel in the company that employs them;
• The quest for the meaning of work: each employee must be able to find meaning in the work they do;
• The recommendation: Are employees so proud of their company that they recommend it to their loved ones?

The levers of engagement at work

There are several levers that can improve employee engagement at work. Each lever must be applied according to the cause of the loss of commitment.

Compensate employees commensurate with their efforts

Compensation is one of the important levers to improve engagement at work. Indeed, an employee who is really invested in their work and who obtains satisfactory results could withdraw from their work if their remuneration is not commensurate with their efforts.

Compensation may consist of a salary increase, an attendance bonus, a goal achievement bonus, special benefits, etc.

Federate teams

Federating work teams is a central element to optimize collective performance. Employees must form a group that is supportive and ready to deal effectively with the tasks entrusted to them and any difficulties.

This requires good communication, effective conflict management, the creation of links between employees, the application of a non-violent communication protocol, the sharing of common objectives and visions, etc.

There are several tools to federate a team. Some may be virtual, others physical.

Improving the quality of life at work

Improving the quality of life at work is one of the key points to improve employee engagement. Indeed, when they work in good conditions and in a friendly atmosphere, they are generally more committed to their company.

Listening to employees

Managers and other human resources managers must always listen to employees. It is no longer a question of referring to the old types of management that advocate a rigid hierarchical organization.

Listening to employees allows you to know their opinions about the company and these opinions represent a real mine of information.

Indeed, interesting ideas can be found in the opinions of your employees on the company. Also, employees are the most suitable to highlight certain problems that are not very apparent within the company.

In doing so, the human resources department will be able to find areas for improvement to respond effectively to the difficulties raised. Employee opinions also make it possible to evaluate the quality of management, customer culture, the quality of the recruitment process, etc.

They are just as useful for promoting communication, restoring dialogue in the event of conflicts, anticipating the material and human needs of the company as well as evaluating the satisfaction of employees from an individual and collective point of view.

You can read more about the importance of employee reviews.

Improving employer branding

The employer brand represents the image that the company sends to its employees internally, as well as the perception it gives to its potential future talents. Therefore, building a strong employer brand aims to:

• Take care of employees;
• Work on the company’s values;
• Create a sense of belonging within teams;
• Improve employees’ working conditions;
• Mark your presence on social networks;
• Organize team building activities to strengthen team cohesion;
• Build confidence in your future talents.

This last aspect is part of the qualities of a good recruiter. It is therefore essential to find an experienced recruiter who can meet this criterion.

Ensure the quality of the work tools provided

Employees must absolutely have at their disposal work tools adapted to the various missions entrusted to them. This may include:

• A functional office;
• A computer with sufficient capacity;
• A comfortable seat;
• High-performance software, etc.

Show real appreciation to employees

Recognition is a powerful lever to encourage employee engagement at work. The idea is to compliment them regularly and congratulate them in the presence of their co-workers, for the efforts they make daily.

More than just a concept, employee engagement is an important element in the survival of a company, regardless of its field of activity. The information mentioned in this article should enable any company to improve the engagement of its employees at work.