Key Drivers of Employee Engagement and the Importance of Work-Life Balance

What key drivers of employee engagement can be a force multiplier in improving employee productivity, loyalty, and satisfaction? What can make a team member go above and beyond the call of duty? The answer to these questions is anything that addresses the critical area of improving work/life balance.

Key drivers of employee engagement

Think of a strong commitment to a work/life balance as being the gift that keeps on giving—for your team and for you. I’ve mentioned several times in this series on employee engagement just how valuable an asset your people are. Your commitment to a well thought out and carefully delivered work/life balance puts the spotlight on them. This is where you get to show your team how much you value them as people.

It’s easy to imagine how a work/life balance is good for your employee, but you may be questioning how a commitment to this key driver of employee engagement benefits you, the company leader. An international survey representing more than 80% of Fortune 500 companies conducted by the Corporate Executive Board found that employees who believe they have a good work/life balance worked 21% harder than those who didn’t share that belief. In addition, an interesting point from that study is that the research found that boosting workforce productivity doesn’t depend on the employee actually participating in the work/life options offered by their employer.

As much as anything, these key drivers of employee engagement are about creating the conditions where employees feel they can excel at work as well as at home. Employees just need to be reassured that the work/life balance option is available should they need it.

Retaining employees

Any leader has, at the heart of their work, the goal of recruiting and retaining highly performing team members, while up-leveling those who aren’t quite at their peak level of performance. It’s clear that a company’s commitment to a work/life balance helps accomplish all of these. A flexible work schedule; remote working options; extended maternity and paternity leave; wellness programs and incentives...

Dozens of perks and programs exist that can be added to your work/life balance strategy to help employees find the equilibrium they’re looking for. Some of these perks may require some upfront investment on your part, but the dividends will pay off for months and years to come.

Employee engagement statistics

Statistics prove the case of how effective the various elements work/life balance benefits can be as key drivers of employee engagement:

• 51% of employees would change jobs for flextime.
• 44% say their company offers it. (State of the American Workplace Gallup 2017)
• 35% of employees would change jobs for a flexible working location (off-site full time).
• Only 12% of companies offer it. (State of the American Workplace Gallup 2017)
• 48% of employees who get paid leave would leave for more paid leave. (State of the American Workplace Gallup 2017)

It’s clear that employee engagement drives performance outcomes. Implementing a work/life balance component into your employee engagement strategy is a step in the right direction to fully involve your team members. A positive psychological effect occurs when employees feel as if their company cares about their well-being. They work more efficiently and tend to take stronger ownership of their role in supporting the mission of your organization. The takeaway is that when your employees firmly grasp the feeling of a balance between work and life, they are happier—and your bottom line is better off for your effort. It’s a win-win situation.

One tip: an important component of finding a good work/life balance for your team is a commitment to open and honest communication. Communication is a two-way street. To find the ideal situation for you, your company, and your employee you’ll need to keep the lines of communication wide open. Through this communication, you may discover key drivers of employee engagement that you hadn’t even considered while working toward mutual respect of time and talent.

For more ideas, let’s chat about how you can focus on work/life balance as a commitment to the well-being of your team.