According to a Gallop annual report on engagement, the best predictors of employee and workgroup performance are:  whether the organization addresses employee's primary needs, how workers contribute to the whole, how they are valued, whether there is organizational fit and whether they have developmental opportunities.

Trying to figure out whether your organization caters to fully engaged employees can be tough, but Gallop provides some true or false indicators to ask employees that might shed some light.  The two most critical indicators are:  1) I know what is expected of me at work, and 2) I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.  If employees answer "true" to these questions, you're on the right path.      

A few other indicators are answers to these questions:
3)  In the past seven days, I have received recognition or praise for good work.
4)  My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.   
5)  The mission or purpose of my company make me feel my job is important.
6)  In the past year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

So go out and ask employees what they think!  Based on the input, you can implement changes that will build more loyal and engaged employees...and positive impact your bottom line.

Here's the ultimate in accountability:  Employees can do whatever they want, whenever they want, as long as the work gets done.  May sound crazy, but that's exactly what is happening at Edmunds, a company that operates as an online resource for information on the U.S. automotive industry. 

Just a few years ago, the leadership at Edmunds was looking for a competitive edge in attracting hard-to-come-by tech talent.  They tried a flextime policy with high hopes.  But the policy was cumbersome to administer and it didn't achieve the objective.  After trying many iterations, Edmunds' Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) implemented a vacation policy that had no limits.  That's right - take as many days off as you wish, but you'd better be able to produce the results. 

This may seem like a policy that is lined with a whole host of problems, but upon further reflection, you realize that as long as the infrastructure and accountability are in place, everyone can be satisfied.  Employers get the intended result and employees enjoy flexibility in their work lives. 

Important features of such a program would include an infrastructure that clearly identifies what success means and how the results will be measured/tracked.  And if the company is to maintain or improve worker productivity, managers have to be on top of their game in managing team member activities and holding them accountable. 

It's amazing what organizations can do once accountability is in place!  Creativity in HR "policies" can drive significant culture change that improves company productivity and thus, positively impacts the bottom line.         

According to a recent poll by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), pay is now the No. 1 contributor to job satisfaction.  This is an important consideration for organizations as it signifies a change in what leads to employee retention...for the past 5 years, job security has topped the list.

Certainly, it's not only about a paycheck.  The value of an organization's benefits package including health care, retirement savings and paid time off are all part of the total rewards picture. 

But beyond that, other contributors to job satisfaction included the employee's relationship with their  immediate supervisors and "the work itself".  Guess it adds to the validity of the statement that employees don't work for the company, they work for their supervisor...plus a paycheck, of course! 

Whether your organization is big or small, consider the impact that HR can have on an organization:

• According to the ADP Research Institute, the average employment lawsuit exceeds $490,000...and the number of lawsuits have increased by 400% over the last 20 years.  You can't completely avoid lawsuits, but an HR professional can help you establish procedures and protocol to minimize the number and severity of cases.
• A recent Forbes article stated the obvious - the best way to ensure strategy implementation is to hire the right people.  How do you hire the right people?  Have an orchestrated recruiting process (a key HR role).  

• Got legislation?  The alphabet of healthcare (ACA, COBRA, ERISA) is enough to give all employers a headache, but then add a few more - FLSA, FMLA, and ADA and you've got a full blown migraine!  Any HR professional can help keep you out of legal trouble by making sure your organization is in compliance and procedures are established so leaders know how to keep in compliance!