What makes a good employee? Most of us would say that a good employee is someone who is positive, motivated, productive and efficient. Fair enough. But the difference between a good employee and a superstar is the level of engagement he or she demonstrates within your workplace.
What do we mean by engagement?
When we say engagement what we’re really referring to is a type of attitude and behavior that demonstrates commitment, appreciation, respect and compassion for the wellbeing and success of your organization. While it’s great to have employees that show up on time to work every day and get through the long list of tasks laid out for them, it’s another thing entirely to have a team of individuals who have more than their salary invested in your business.
So what are the qualities of superstar (engaged) employees?
• Engaged employees feel a sense of personal and emotional attachment to your business, they want to see you and the company succeed so they actively put forth the effort to make that happen.
• Engaged employees are motivated by inherent rewards such as notoriety and feelings of accomplishment, rather than strictly monetary rewards.
• An engaged employee believes in the morals and philosophies of your business culture, as well as the goals you set forth for the company, and therefore often expresses approval and excitement for the direction your company is headed in.
• An engaged employee wishes to take on more responsibility within your company. Whether he or she is striving to attain a more authoritative role or is trying to get a taste for a variety of different jobs in your company, an engaged employee actively tries to demonstrate their ability to do more.
• An engaged employee not only demonstrates a positive attitude when in the workplace, but he or she speaks highly of your organization outside of the workplace. An engaged employee also voices the positive about the workplace, the people and the leaders.
Sounds like a good list, doesn’t it? While sometimes we are lucky enough to stumble upon an employee who already possesses all these traits, in most cases we have to provide the right climate for such employees to exist. In other words, employee engagement doesn’t start with your workers. You need to have the right leaders, workplace environment and business culture to encourage employee engagement.
...what other qualities do you think make up a 'superstar' employee?
Check out the Landscape Management Network Blog for more advice on growing your business, finding and developing superstar employees and managing your team of superstars.
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