The Role of Leadership in Employee Experience

5 Leadership Strategies to Promote Workplace Spirituality and Employee Engagement

Authoritarian leadership is, thankfully, a thing of the past. Today’s leaders employ leadership techniques that encourage workplace spirituality and employee engagement.

What Is Workplace Spirituality?

Workplace spirituality is practiced by leaders who recognise that employees have a human need and desire to do meaningful work (work with a purpose) in a workplace that helps them to connect with colleagues and feel part of a community. 

Authoritarian leadership has no place for workplace spirituality. Authoritarian leaders are not concerned about how employees feel about their work, only that the work gets done.

Spiritual organizations are concerned about the wellbeing of their employees. They design their workplaces, processes and procedures around their core values and beliefs and ethical concerns, providing a positive work/life balance. Such organizations want their employees to reach their full potential.

Why the Employee Experience Matters

Employees are more willing to move jobs today, and staff retention has become a big issue for organizations. It is expensive to hire new employees to replace those who have left. Various studies have put the cost of employee replacement at between 90% and 200% of salary, once loss of productivity, training and direct recruitment costs have been tallied.

Positive workplace experiences are essential to staff retention. They boost morale, engage employees more effectively, and motivate performance. A fundamental element of the employee experience is the connection between employee and manager.

Five Leadership Strategies to Enhance the Employee Experience

Managers who provide positive employee experiences lead positive and highly motivated teams. This doesn’t just happen. Managers must practice a more open, trusting, and collaborative style of leadership to enhance the employee experience and reap the benefits of greater employee engagement. Here are five strategies that promote positive employee experiences.

1. Practice Collaborative Leadership

Teamwork is improved when employees and their leaders work in an open and honest culture. Collaboration requires leaders to let go of control, and to encourage exchange and exploration of ideas. Open and honest conversation with colleagues is the backbone of collaborative leadership, helping to develop shared goals and shared ownership.

Collaborative leaders are goal-oriented, but also mindful of the needs of their employees. They are empathetic toward their people, and as passionate about their employees’ careers as they are about their own.

2. Give Meaningful Recognition

People thrive on being recognised for good work and valued contributions. Leaders who recognize their employees in meaningful ways (personal to the employee) are more likely to lead an engaged, high-performing team. Personalized rewards show that the leader cares about their employees.

3. Focus on the Vision

Remaining focused on the vision and sharing this vision with employees often helps teams to understand business strategy. Good leaders inspire and motivate their employees to achieve milestone goals toward the vision. They communicate with clarity and help employees align personal goals with organizational goals.

4. Develop a Motivational Culture

Good leaders make work more exciting. They ensure that the workplace is happy and positive. They remain optimistic, even when things are going wrong. They communicate openly and build authentic relationships with colleagues and employees. They stand by the organization’s values, vision and mission, and lead by example. 

A motivational culture is one in which everyone pulls in the same direction. It is a team effort, with people willing to share experience and admit vulnerability. Good leaders do both.

5. Develop people

Finally, the best leaders develop their people. They listen to concerns, needs and ambitions. They help provide a career path that aligns with the needs of the organization, providing coaching, training and mentorship. Good leaders invest time and resource in their employees, develop close working relationships, and provide positive employee experiences by understanding their people.

Contact us today, and discover how we could help your managers and leaders be more effective in developing positive employee experiences that drive employee engagement.


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