In our last article we talked about the eNPS and its importance in measuring employee satisfaction.
In this following post, we are going to focus in the commitment of a team that, although they share similarities, are two different concepts.
The commitment of a team
If an organization wants to be competitive in the market and maintain it in the long-term, it is essential for them to have committed workers.
Commitment refers to a lasting state which is beyond satisfaction or motivation. While these last aspects can be influenced by specific situations such as high peaks of workloads or exceeding set objectives, commitment, however, is much more stable and not easily dissected.
What we understand by commitment, from an HR point of view, is the feeling of wanting to act in favour of the organization to which one belongs, working to help it grow and prosper. It is about a positive relationship with your company.
It refers to emotions, of a sense of belonging and feeling the company as part of our own.
This is important because from a psychological perspective, it is the emotions that drive us to take actions and, in this case, could be to improve performance, effectiveness or proactivity among other things.
Therefore, measuring and managing the commitment of a team is a key aspect that every organization should take into consideration in order to be able to stand out among the best. A company with committed employees increases its productivity by 17% and its profits by 20% (Gallup).
Measuring commitment
As Work commitment is an intangible concept, one of the biggest challenges when measuring it is having a tool that is truly meaningful and effective. One of the most widespread tools in organizations used nowadays are surveys.
There are several models in the market. For example, one of them is the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, also known by its acronym UWES.
This scale has three main dimensions which are: vigour, dedication and absorption of the employees. Each dimension includes a series of questions (17 in total) that measure various aspects such as energy, resilience, will, enthusiasm, endurance and inspiration for work.
Another popular model is the AON Hewitt Model of Engagement.
This has six variables: Brand, Leadership, Performance, Company Practices, Work and The Basics. In the same way as the UWES, each variable has its own items that measure the aspects that generate commitment in an employee.
Another well-known model is the Gallup Method, also known as Q12, which consists of a survey of 12 questions. Each question is arranged in ascending order and follows the personal growth of a person from the moment they join the company until they reach a total level of commitment. This growth is divided into four stages or dimensions that respond to the questions: what do I receive? What do I give? Do I belong to the company? How can I grow?
The Team Insights Model has been developed based on main benchmark studies of motivation and commitment of the market.
Our model is based on 8 key dimensions that group a subset of specific questions.
The dimensions of our model are: Mission, Vision and Strategy, Culture, Resources, Rewards and Recognition, Training, Work Environment, Leadership and Communication.
These dimensions include: hygiene elements (as proposed by Frederick Herzberg in the theory of the two factors), motivational elements and aspects of intrinsic motivation.
One of the main features to highlight in our battery of questions is the fact that they have been formulated and reformulated based on 2 criteria:
- Questions are the least subjective as possible: we aim to include in our battery those questions that help ensure a maximum level of objective interpretation.
- Actionable Questions: as one of our main goals is to propose a useful tool, the really important thing about measuring engagement is identifying which actions to take. So, it is essential that the questions and their completion can provide sufficient information to take actions.
In Team Insights there are no open or ambiguous questions such as: are you happy with your boss? Or do you consider that there is a good working environment in your department? As these questions will oblige you to necessarily ask again in order to obtain a more specific, precise and better insight.
At Team Insights we believe that each company is unique and one of a kind, so not only do we propose a solid and robust model for measuring commitment, but we also offer extensive customization options that allow us to bring the model closer to the reality of each organization.
What do all these tools mentioned above have in common? That all of them are part of a feedback process.
Although these items might have different names or have different dimensions, what these surveys basically measure is how employees feel, considering them as unique individuals, not as production tools or , within the organization: do they like their work? Do they feel valued? They have good relationship with managers?
To know and understand the commitment of the employees of an organization, communication between leaders and collaborators is very necessary. An open and fluid communication through Team Insights will allow you to transform subjective data into objective information and take actions accordingly.
