INTRODUCTION
Employee engagement is about making employees feel emotionally valued within the organisation, which leads to productive behaviour and supports business success (Motyka, 2018). This essay looks at how organisations, especially Tesco, employee engagement practices. It shows why these practices are important for organisational growth, boosting employee productivity, and involving stakeholders in decisions. It also explores how motivation theories help strengthen these engagement efforts.
MAIN BODY
As Dwianto et al. (2019) explain, employee engagement helps create a workplace where employees feel appreciated and work effectively toward organisational goals. These practices focus on building strong relationships between employees and management, fostering trust and a shared vision. Engaged employees don’t just meet expectations—they often go beyond them, driven by strong internal motivation. Sun and Bunchapattanasakda (2019) note that engagement improves employee retention, business productivity, and goal alignment.
Motyka (2018) points out that employee engagement is closely tied to good employee management. Clear goals, open communication, and care for employees’ emotional and physical well-being boost focus and motivation. This, in turn, helps employees contribute more to the organisation’s success and saves time and resources.
Tesco, one of the UK’s biggest retail chains, uses several employee engagement practices to improve performance and productivity:
- Colleague Briefing Sessions: Tesco holds regular meetings where leaders talk directly with employees on the shop floor. These sessions let employees voice concerns and ask questions, building trust and transparency (Awadari & Kanwal, 2019).
- Career Development Plans: Through regular reviews, employees set personal and professional goals. These reviews lead to tailored training and development, supporting growth and improving effectiveness—a key part of engagement (Awadari & Kanwal, 2019).
- Two-Way Communication: Frequent conversations between managers and employees, both face-to-face and via surveys, make sure employees feel heard. This encourages honest feedback and helps improve engagement practices (Fadeyi, 2020).
Stakeholders play a crucial role in shaping employee engagement. The engagement team, senior leaders, line managers, and employees all help refine policies. Anonymous feedback adds transparency and builds trust. Customers are also important since engaged employees tend to provide better service, which boosts customer satisfaction and business growth (Farrukh et al., 2020; Akhmetshin et al., 2019).
Motivation theories support these engagement efforts.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs shows that people are motivated by different levels, from basic needs to self-fulfillment. Tesco uses this idea to set goals and provide support tailored to each employee’s needs (Mahipalan, 2018).
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory says both hygiene factors (like working conditions) and motivators (like recognition) must be addressed to keep employees engaged. Tesco applies this by offering rewards and a good work environment (Kotni & Karumuri, 2018).
Time and Motion Study breaks tasks into smaller, manageable steps, making work more efficient and engaging (Coplan et al., 2018).
Social Exchange Theory highlights the importance of mutual benefit. Tesco’s policies aim for a win-win situation where both employees and the company gain, encouraging long-term engagement (Yin, 2018).
CONCLUSION
This essay has shown how important employee engagement is at Tesco and how it benefits both employees and the organisation. It also highlighted how motivation theories like Maslow’s and Herzberg’s support employees’ emotional and professional growth. Good employee engagement not only boosts productivity and motivation but also creates a workplace culture based on trust, growth, and teamwork.
