As our 10-part series on engaging employees continues Insightlink's Employee research found that by activating just 5 of 10 key engagement indicators,organizations can achieve higher levels of employee engagement and improve retention.

Robert Gray, President of Insightlink Communications says that, according to Insightlink’s Survey of the American Workplace, believing that the job you are doing makes good use of your abilities and skills is among the top 10 drivers of employee engagement. 

The good news here is that this is one area U.S. organizations do well since seven-in-ten employees agree that they are doing the job they are trained to do.

The concept of fit is a familiar one; it is how well an individual’s characteristics (knowledge, skills, abilities and needs) match the requirements of the job.

Most people develop and use perceptions of job fit as they work their way through their professional careers. Job applicants choose between organizations on the basis of their perceived fit, recruiters make hiring decisions on the basis of their perceptions of applicants’ fit with the positions available and the degree of fit affect employees’ turnover. In fact, research indicates that perceptions of fit are better predictors of employees’ choices than the actual fit.

Those employees who are most suited to their work are also more likely to be committed and fully engaged at work. This high level of congruence between an individual’s characteristics and the surrounding environment gives rise to positive emotions, attitudes and behavior. These employees are less likely to leave their jobs due to discontent.

These findings have many practical implications for managers, since a poor fit between an individual and the job they are doing can contribute to lower levels of productivity and customer service and higher levels of absenteeism and turnover.

For individuals, achieving fit is a critical contributor to high job satisfaction, reducing job stress, improving work effectiveness and helping them enhance their personal growth. For organizations, job fit is essential for attracting and retaining talented employees, appropriately utilizing employee skills and efficiently achieving the best use of critical human resources.

The best way, we believe to find out if your employees feel their job is a good fit is to conduct an employee survey and ask them. If we can help please let us know by contacting us at [email protected] for more information, to get pricing click here or, call Lynn Gore at 866-802-8095 ext 706.