Safety as Employee Engagement

Employee engagement has been the buzz in Human Resources and across organizations for awhile now. Most people agree employee engagement affects just about every important aspect of your organization, including profitability, revenue, customer experience, employee turnover, and more.

But what exactly is employee engagement? And how can Safety create engagement?

Employee engagement is the strength of the mental and emotional connection employees feel toward the work they do, their teams, and their organization.

Employee engagement measures how employees feel about their organization.

According to Human Resource Professionals the top benefits of employee engagement are:

1. Greater Productivity
2. Higher Profitability
3. Better Quality
4. Better Customer Service
5. Greater Employee Loyalty
6. Higher Retention
7. Lower Absenteeism
8. Better Home Life
9. BETTER HEALTH
10. BETTER SAFETY

Here are the top 10 drivers of employee engagement (according to employee success firm, Quantom Workplace) and our case for how a comprehensive Safety Management System can fuel these drivers:

1. The senior leaders of this organization value people as their most important resource.
   1. This one is obvious. Investing in safety systems directly and undeniably sends the message that employees are valued.
2. My opinions seem to count at work.
   1. The best safety systems recognize workers in the field and on the front line as experts in how to do the work and in knowing the associated hazards. Things like crew participation in Job Hazard Analysis activities, work area inspections, safety shares/toolbox talks, safety committees, safety metrics, etc are all ways to give each employee a voice and allows them to share their knowledge with others.
3. If I contribute to the organization’s success, I know I will be recognized.
   1. Safety incentive programs and setting safety goals as a part of performance evaluations are simply ways to reward and recognize both individual and team successes.
4. I see professional growth and career development opportunities for myself here.
   1. Safety training and certifications are both ways to develop individuals while directly and immediately improving front line work. 
5. The senior leaders of this organization demonstrate integrity.
   1. Clear and consistent execution of your Safety Management System demonstrates company leadership does the right thing for the right reasons.
6. I have the information I need to do my job well.
   1. Many components of a comprehensive safety management system, such as JHA, Training, Safe Work Plans, Prevention Thru Design, provide the tools and resources that directly lead to employee/project success.
7. My job allows me to utilize my strengths.
   1. When done right, Safety Management Systems give workers a voice. This will allow them to both develop and demonstrate their skills on a daily basis.
8. I trust our senior leaders to lead the company to future success.
   1. Investing in safety shows leadership is focused on the long term.
9. I believe this organization will be successful in the future.
   1. Safety Management Systems exemplifies stability and integrity, both necessary for success.
10. I find my job interesting and challenging.
    1. The more employees are included in job planning, evaluation and knowledge sharing, the more they will grow and be interested in the success of the job, the team and company. Once again Safety Management Systems are one path to open up these opportunities to all employees. 

McCraren Compliance offers complete safety and health management systems. We can provide a la carte or routine services. We can either be your safety team or fill in the gaps. Call, email or chat with us on our website to find out more.