Prepared by: Mary Joy A.
Galolo, RND
Human Resource Management
Employee Engagement: Possible, Probable, or Impossible
Tools of Engagement
Managers have a broad array of tools at their disposal for increasing the
engagement and motivation of workers. Some of these, such as compensation,
promotion and relevant benefits.
• In the remainder of this chapter, the focus is in on some interpersonal strategies
that may help managers know and shape the goals of workers ( or in terms of
motivation theory, their needs and valences), assess, and address workers
“instrumentality” and assess and take corrective action to ensure performance
and goal attainment
Psychological Contracts
Unlike a formal, codified employee contract, a psychological contract is an
unwritten set of expectations between the employee and the employer.
It includes informal arrangements, mutual beliefs, common ground and
perceptions between the two parties. Such agreements go beyond employment
contract, which typically specify salary, benefits, modes of feedback, and working
hours; it can be said that psychological contracts begin where formal
employment contract leaves off.
Psychological contracts are potentially far- reaching, but they usually limited to
highly valued concerns. Topics can include:
Amount or nature of work
• work schedule • Behavior that are bothersome
• Growth opportunities • Job security
• Responsibilities and performance • Possible rewards
objectives
• Workplace autonomy
• Frequency and nature of
• Support in the dealing with
managerial feedback
childcare responsibilities
• Preferred work styles
Communication is a Key Element
While consistent communication positively impacts the psychological contract, it
is worth noting a lack of communication can negatively impact the contract. This
includes conversations, voice tone, body language and even implication or
inference between the two parties.
A balanced contract shows employees their employer values and respects them
and finds their role within the company important to its success. This leads to
increases in productivity and a positive impact on the business itself.
Contract Diversity
The benefit of a psychological contract versus a more codified contract is that it’s
individually focused. Every psychological contract is different because each
employee is different.
Individual psychological contracts allow the employee to see their value and role
within the business. It also helps both sides avoid creating unrealistic
expectations of one another. And it allows for “amending” the terms of the
contract if needed, which is done through regular communication.
Contracts Gone Wrong
A breach is the result of a psychological contract gone wrong. A breach occurs when
one party perceives the other as failing to fulfill promises. Those include:
Pay – promised increases were not fulfilled
Promotion – a promised promotion doesn’t happen in the expected timeframe
Type of work – important responsibilities of the employee were misrepresented
Training – Employee doesn’t receive the promised training
Feedback – Promised performance reviews were inadequate or absent
Giving Feedback
Giving feedback is a skill. And like all skills, it takes practice to get it right.
When done in the right way and with the right intentions, feedback can lead to
outstanding performance. Employees have to know what they are doing well and
not so well.
Check Your Motives
Before giving feedback, remind yourself why you are doing it. The purpose of giving
feedback is to improve the situation or the person's performance. You won't accomplish
that by being harsh, critical or offensive.
Be Timely
The closer to the event you address the issue, the better. Feedback isn't about
surprising someone, so the sooner you do it, the more the person will be expecting it.
Think of it this way: it's much easier to provide feedback about a single, one-hour job
that hasn't been done properly than it is to do so about a whole year of failed, one-hour
jobs.
Make It Regular
Feedback is a process that requires constant attention. When something needs to be
said, say it. Though this may be the timing of formal feedback; informal, simple
feedback should be given much more often than this – perhaps every week or even
every day, depending on the situation.
Prepare Your Comments
You don't want to read a script, but you do need to be clear about you are going to say.
This will help you to stay on track and stick to the issues.
Be Specific
Tell the person exactly what he needs to improve. This ensures that you stick to facts
and there is less room for ambiguity.
Criticize in Private
While public recognition is appreciated, public scrutiny is not. Establish a safe place to
talk where you won't be interrupted or overheard.
Use "I" Statements
Give feedback from your perspective . This way you avoid labeling the person.
Say, "I was angry and hurt when you criticized my report in front of my boss" rather than
"You were insensitive yesterday."
Limit Your Focus
A feedback session should discuss no more than two issues. Any more than that and
you risk the person feeling attacked and demoralized. You should also stick to
behaviors he can actually change or influence.
Talk About Positives Too
A good rule is to start off with something positive. This helps put the person at ease. It
will also allow her to "see" what success looks like and what steps she needs to take
next time to get it right.
Provide Specific Suggestions
Make sure you both know what needs to be done to improve the situation. The main
message should be that you care and want to help the person grow and develop. Set
goals and make plans to monitor and evaluate his progress
Follow Up
The whole purpose of feedback is to improve performance. You need to measure
whether or not that is happening and then make adjustments as you go. Be sure to
document your conversations and discuss what is working and what needs to be
modified.
