FEBRUARY 2023HR TECH OUTLOOK 19AsurintCXOInsightsRitu Shrivastav is a human resources executive and practitioner consultant with extensive experience in various industries, including biopharma, insurance, manufacturing, software, hi-tech, sales, and client services. She brings energy and passion for developing and implementing innovative business-centric people solutions and programs with business-focused metrics to measure effectiveness and productivity.What, according to you, are the factors that drive employee engagement?Employee engagement and organizational commitment are two interconnected ideas. Career-focused employees can develop a strong connection with an organization when they feel that the company is furthering their needs and their aspirations, both personally and professionally. Career development is the crucial aspect that drives this attachment. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, there are physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. But the most important amongst these needs is self-actualization or job actualization. That is the sense of advancing in their career trajectory. For example, if an individual progresses from point A to point B, and the organization values his/her work as well as the employee him/herself, it increases employee satisfaction. Organizations can quickly build a lasting relationship by showcasing this to individuals and providing a sense of pride. What is it that keeps employees committed to an organization? There are three commitments that contribute to talent retention. Employees tend to stay with an organization when there is an emotional attachment. This is a powerful commitment easily identifiable and measurable. The second commitment is one that keeps employees with the organization because individuals feel they might lose something valuable when leaving the company. Then comes the normative commitment, where MULTIPLE ASPECTS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENTRitu Shrivastav, Senior Director Human Resources, Gilead SciencesByemployees take much of the responsibility to remain with the organization. It is an individual's psychological attachment and feeling of responsibility. For example, at Gilead, there is a strong calling to end HIV. I attended a meeting with senior leaders of the organization who consistently discussed ways to end HIV quickly. That commitment connects the ideas of employee engagement and organizational commitment. Ritu Shrivastav
< Page 9 | Page 11 >