Author: Amy Double
After three decades of effort, engaging employees remains an elusive art. And predictive search can prove it.
What is predictive search? It’s nothing short of practical magic. With just a few words, you can discover the collective interest in – or opinion on – anything.
For example, say you’re interested in understanding what most people think about snakes. Just enter a few words …
… let predictive search take over, and voilà! You’ve got the inside scoop on the collective attitude about snakes, including the surprisingly common sentiment that they’re really “just tails with faces.”
But you’re not a herpetologist. You’re an HR professional who wants to engage employees. So what does predictive search say about that?
Not much upon first glance. But when you read through the common search queries here – “employee engagement ideas,” “employee engagement activities,” “employee engagement strategies” – a pattern emerges: Despite the considerable time and resources organizations have invested to inspire and motivate their workforce, we’re still searching for the best ways to do it. Collectively, we’ve not mastered the art of employee engagement. Why?
Many reasons exist, but the biggest is because the strategies most businesses use just don’t work, according to Gallup. Typically, perks are the foundation of employee engagement initiatives, which is problematic. Perks only engage employees in the moment, instead of in all the moments and interactions that shape their life at – and attitude about – work.
That’s not to say employees don’t love perks and extras. They do. But that occasional “extra” isn’t enough to engage them throughout their time with your company. After all, your people may love casual Fridays, but not enough to stay with your company if they don’t know what their futures there look like.
So how can you get workers fired up and help them stay that way? Start by walking a mile in their shoes and understanding the employee experience.
To learn more about the employee experience, check out “What the Employee Experience Is … and Isn’t” on the Paycom Blog.
Author Bio: Amy, a tenured professional in sales and marketing with over 10 years of experience, is dedicated to creating content focused on helping organizations achieve their business goals. As a writer for Paycom, Amy is committed to researching and blogging about topics that affect businesses across multiple industries, including manufacturing, hospitality and more.
