Improving Employee Engagement through Strategic Planning by Human Resources Professionals

Turnover rates are climbing every year, with a lack of engagement cited as a top reason, costing employers money in lost productivity. Slightly over one-third of workers worldwide consider themselves engaged. Employers are at risk of losing top talent due to a lack of engagement. Business leaders need to adapt to changing engagement practices invoking human resources (HR) as a strategic business partner. This study focused on strategic planning tools HR leaders in used to increase employee engagement. Interviews with leaders in a small-sized cloud-based data storage company in the Southeast region of the United States, were analyzed to identify themes. The inclusion of Bandura's social cognitive theory to increase self-efficacy was evident in the research as an important technique to increase success. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the top 2 leaders from a small-sized cloud-based data management company in Orlando, Florida. Data collected from interviews were transcribed and coded to analyze emerging themes. Three themes discovered as strategic planning tools were feedback, timeframe, and leadership. The results of this study could contribute to social change by assisting employers in understanding the value of a successful strategic plan for employee engagement in lowering turnover. Lowering turnover in the immediate Orlando, FL area leads to lowering unemployment throughout and outside of the state. When employers understand the relationship between engagement, leadership, and human capital can shift employee self-efficacy and increase job satisfaction. Involving HR at the ground floor of an organization can provide much-needed balance and personnel management to increase overall engagement, reduce turnover, and impact municipal and regional businesses.