Management behaviours for employee engagement by CIPD on 18-Mar-2011

T he extent to which managers provide guidance, feedback and the appropriate level of autonomy for staff is key to whether employees go the extra mile for their organisation, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

"The central role of managers in boosting individual and organisational performance is well recognised," says Ben Wilmott, CIPD Senior Policy Adviser. "The recent government-commissioned MacLeod review of employee engagement makes the point particularly well. But managers need more specific, tried-and-tested guidance on what they can do on a day-to-day basis to fulfil this key role well. Our new research is designed to fill that gap."

"The research findings may seem on the face of it simple, common sense recommendations. But it is precisely that kind of plain-speaking common sense that managers need. Our findings shine a light on what managers can really do on a day-to-day basis to ensure employees will go the extra mile."

"In today's tough economic environment how managers manage is even more important in supporting employee commitment and motivation in the face of job cuts, pay freezes and cuts to training and development budgets."

"We hope this research will help employers and HR practitioners support managers in enhancing employee engagement," says Emma Donaldson-Feilder, research author and Director Affinity Health at Work, which conducted the study. "The framework, and particularly the specific behavioural indicators, can help managers understand what they need to do. They can be used in learning and development, performance appraisal and even assessment and selection to ensure that those with people management responsibilities behave in ways that will best engage those they manage."

The research asked employees what management behaviours supported them in:

• focusing on what they do;
• feeling good about themselves in their role; and
• acting in a way that demonstrates commitment to their organisation's values and objectives.

The most frequently mentioned management competencies for supporting employee engagement were:

• reviewing and guiding;
• feedback, praise and recognition;
• autonomy and empowerment;
• level of interest the manager shows in employees as individuals;

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD):
www.cipd.co.uk

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