8/12/14
Interviewed by Scott Proietti
High employee engagement is essential to the success of any organization. It’s important for a company to be comprised of employees who get along well with one another and care about the overall success of the company. Our featured guest this week is Clay Matthew. Clay is working in Kalamazoo, Michigan, as a Retail Sales Representative at The Hershey Company.
Clay Matthew (Pictured Below)
1. How important is high employee engagement to the success of a company and why?
SM: Without high employee engagement, it would be impossible for a company to succeed. If employees show signs of low engagement, they have no reason to work hard to deliver the necessary day to day results that are required for success.
2. What steps can a company with low employee engagement take to better improve the relationships between everyone who is a part of the company?
In any company, communication is key. Communication between all levels and all departments in a company can be a good way to boost employee engagement. By ensuring that all employees are on the same page with similar goals in mind, employees are given a reason to apply themselves more for the betterment of the company as a whole. If it is shown that the whole company is working together as one, individual employees may feel more inclined to become fully engaged in their work.
3. What is the employer’s biggest responsibility to the employee & what is the employee’s biggest responsibility to the employer and how much does their relationship correlate with the success/failure of the company?
As I stated before, communication is key for employers and employees. Employers need to ensure that the employees are constantly updated with company news, company goals, and any additional information that the employer finds important to company success. Similarly, the employee must accept all information given to them, and be able to translate it into day to day activities. A strong relationship between employer and employee is not only important, but necessary for the success of a company.
4. What is your best piece of advice to job seekers and why is networking so crucial during the search process?
Job seekers need to remember to be persistent. No job is just going to fall into your lap. Without the motivation to search out and research opportunities, the job search is going to be extremely difficult. Networking is key to any job search. Getting a foot in the door never hurts, and with strong networking abilities, this becomes a useful tactic in job searching and even job interviews.
5. How can someone better strengthen his or her relationship with fellow co-workers?
Co-worker relationships can be built both in the office, and after hours. By simply eating lunch or taking breaks with co-workers and talking about things unrelated to work, strong relationships can be formed.
Can low employee engagement have a negative effect on the success of an organization? Why or why not?