The relationship between team member engagement and job satisfaction is an intriguing one. Though it’s a chicken-and-egg conundrum, the answer is that engaging team members comes first. Studies have shown that job satisfaction hinges on how well the job meets a team member’s emotional needs, and engagement caters to precisely that.
With “The Great Resignation” and “Quiet Quitting” making headlines, it’s no longer enough to strive for job satisfaction alone. We need loyal, engaged team members, which requires creating a work environment that promotes active and daily engagement.
Research has identified six key elements of team member engagement:
- Expectation: What am I expected to accomplish?
- Recognition: Am I recognized for my contributions?
- Encouragement: Am I encouraged, and are small and large accomplishments celebrated
- Environment: Am I working in a pleasant environment, and do I have the tools to do my job?
- Feedback: Am I positively receiving corrective feedback?
- Development: Do I have room to grow?
To enhance team members’ experience, we could add a few more elements:
- Trust: Between Team Members and Senior Managers
- Authenticity: Team members must feel comfortable in bringing their whole self to work
- Optimism: I play the song “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades” during a hotel transition, and I mean it. Upbeat optimism can flip an attitude in a minute.
- Purpose and Meaning: Team Members today want to know that what they do makes a difference.
- Social Connection: This is crucial since most of your day “awake” is spent with your teammates.
- Belonging: This reminds me of my favorite quote by Verna Myers, “Diversity is being invited to the party; Inclusion (Belonging) is being asked to dance.”
As Simon Sinek puts it: “When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” When engaged, team members become emotionally invested – job satisfaction follows.
By Lizz Chambers, Vice President of Associate Engagement
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