Optimizing Employee Engagement Through the Employee Lifecycle Approach

This essay delves into the concept of employee engagement and its critical role in organizational success, particularly within the hospitality industry. It emphasizes the importance of fostering emotional and mental connections between employees and their work, teams, and the organization as a whole. The paper highlights how engaged employees contribute to increased productivity, longer tenures, and a positive work environment. It examines the pivotal role of Human Resources in driving employee engagement by ensuring employees have the necessary skills, environment, and career progression opportunities. The essay also explores practical strategies for engaging employees, such as transparent communication, clear expectations, and consistent treatment. Furthermore, it discusses the benefits of engaged employees, including reduced absenteeism and improved safety. Using Hilton Hotels as a case study, the paper illustrates how organizations can effectively implement employee lifecycle strategies to attract, recruit, onboard, retain, develop, and manage the separation of employees, ultimately maximizing their potential and minimizing turnover.

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Running head: EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
How to Engage Employees through Employee Lifecycle
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How to Engage Employees through Employee Lifecycle
The employee life cycle is an organizational method that visualizes how an
employee engages with their company. It is model encompassing all stages of the
experience an employee has with a company. Whereas some large organizations fail
to have a true value of employee engagement, it is an essential part in the employee
lifecycle that could capitalize on the talent of a company’s workforce. Employee
engagement describes the emotional and mental connection employees develop
towards their work, the teams they work with, and the organization they work for.
According to Sun & Bunchapattanasakda (2019), employees who develop a certain
level of connection to their organization tend to put in a lot more work, work for the
organization for longer, and even go to the extent of motivating others to do the
same. According to studies, more than 90% of business executives actively believe
that engaged employees perform better, which boosts both team success and
general organization outcome (Ewing, Men & O’Neil, 2019). This paper does an in-
depth look of engaging employees through the employee lifecycle, using the
example of Hilton Hotels that successfully implements an employee life cycle
strategy.
The hospitality industry is driven by customer service, making the employees
the sole brand ambassadors (Book, Gattling & Kim, 2019). A single slip-up could
differentiate between a happy customer and an irate one (Kurtzman, 2017).
Employees that feel part of a team develop a certain sense of pride in being
associated with the company and feel like they have a say in the organization. For
any organization, even in international hotel management, employee engagement is
a big issue and even more significant for human resources (Mayne, 2017). Statistics
show that a minimal 15% of the global workforce is engaged in their work, revealing
a worldwide employee engagement crisis (Mayne, 2017). These statistics are eye-
opening, showing why employee engagement is a big deal for a company's
leadership and HR. They also show why jobs on employee engagement are on the
rise, consultancy services, and research. The question then remains, what does HR
have to do with this?
For starters, the role of HR in employee engagement is nothing but pivotal on
all levels (Half, 2022). Despite the numerous employee engagement initiatives and
functions, for everyone working in HR, employee engagement is something to think

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about. for optimum levels of employee engagement to be achieved, the
fundamentals of HR need to be gotten right (Bhardwaj & Kalia, 2021). Because
employee engagement touches on almost every aspect of HR, it becomes a much
more complex topic than one may initially think. Nonetheless, good employee
engagement needs the human resource department to have a holistic view of the
contract between the employer and employee. HR must ensure that employees
possess the right skills and environment to perform their jobs to their best.
Further, HR has to keep developing employees to maintain the created levels
of employee engagement. It has to ensure that the progression paths of the
employees' careers are clear (Sun & Bunchapattanasakda, 2019). Engaged
employees know precisely what is needed of them and work towards their goals and
those of the organization (Rabiul et al., 2021)
After establishing the need for employee engagement, it is essential to identify
how a team can be engaged in the workplace and ultimately boost productivity,
customer satisfaction, and retention. According to George, Omuudu & Francis
(2020), the top way to engage employees is by keeping them connected to the
company. If crucial company information is not shared, whether intentional or not,
employees will be forced to come up with their conclusion regarding the company. It
is thus vital that every time it is reasonable, staff should be given updates regarding
aspects like the company's financial performance, the goals in place, and why this
information is important to them (George, Omuudu & Francis, 2020). Keeping the
team in the loop develops a connection to the company.
A straightforward definition of employee expectations is also a significant
selling point in employee engagement (Sun & Bunchapattanasakda, 2019). For
instance, it may be hard for employees to get excited about a project if they lack an
understanding of what they are doing and how to do it. Whenever the company's
staff is given an assignment, every possible detail should be spelled out to them,
with the instructions and expectations verified. How the project fits into the bigger
picture of the company's goals should be explained, and a chance to ask questions
for additional information should be provided too. McBain (2007) explains that
because not all projects may be pleasant, sugarcoating unpleasant ones should be
avoided at all costs. When such assignments are handed out, the company should
be straightforward regarding the scope of the task. The last thing an organization
wants is to appear as being untruthful and dishonest about the work they are doing.

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Consistency is crucial in the workplace, especially in matters dealing with
employees. Every employee is to be treated as an employee, and the company
should tailor its approach to their needs (Pandey, Gupta & Hassan, 2020). The
consistency aspect comes in treating all employees the same way. Management that
appears to turn to their favorites may be disliked. This aspect of hoping to engage
the company's employees goes hand in hand with setting a good example.
Herman (2022) goes deeper into explaining more benefits that come with
engaged employees. Reduced absenteeism is one of the significant benefits, and
despite every organization having its unique nature, absenteeism at work is not an
uncommon problem. It is not seen as an individual problem but rather one with
management. If not addressed, it could spiral out of control and become extremely
costly for the business. According to Herman (2022), in the fight against
absenteeism, staff motivation, satisfaction, and engagement should be considered.
He explains that research has shown that improving employee engagement can
reduce absenteeism by up to 40%. This could lead to improved results in the
organization by improving employee experience (Anthony-McMannn et al., 2017)
Employee safety is among the benefits of proper employee engagement
(Herman, 2022). The explanation of how this benefit is achieved is relatively simple –
employees with the will to show up and consistently engage in the work environment
tend to have a much greater commitment to working safety and quality (Hinzman,
Rasticova & Sacha, 2019). When they are in the proper mindset and are neither
distracted nor stressed, it is easier for them to focus better and less likely to make
mistakes capable of leading to work-related accidents. When working for an
organization that is far more stable and dependable, engaged employees tend to be
more proactive, reducing safety incidents by up to 70% (Herman, 2022). One of the
leading hotels in the world, Hilton Hotels serves as a perfect base example of just
how organisations in the hospitality sector undertake employee engagement.
Hilton Hotels Corporation, now Hilton Worldwide Holdings, manages a broad
portfolio of hotels with a firm footing in the United Kingdom. There are at least 162
Hilton Hotels in the UK, and according to Hilton (n.d.), they are in the business of
people serving people. The company invests in its team members to ensure their
continued success. The company engages team members across the UK to support
their careers. Further, according to the hotel, they train their members on social
issues that support their 2030 goals. In 2017, Thrive at Hilton was launched as a

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promise to the team members to "help them grow and flourish in body, mind, and
spirit." (Hilton, n.d.). Hilton explains that since all team members deserve a great
career, the company provides tools and resources that help them grow personally
and professionally. For instance, team members of Hilton get free online learning
and an additional six-part course through Hilton University. This makes the hotel
giant the perfect example of how to treat employees and make them feel like a
prized possession.
In understanding employee engagement, it is crucial for Hilton Hotels to
comprehend staff progression in the employee life cycle (ELC), which is inevitable
like the change of seasons. Through the cycle, human resources leaders can help
employees to realize their full potential. On the other hand, having full awareness of
the cycle assists companies in gaining an understanding of the risk of staff turnover
and ultimately managing it (Personio, 2022). The employee life cycle model identifies
and expresses different critical stages employees go through during their
engagement with the company. In every step of the employee life cycle, Hilton
strives for the best of results
Attraction is the first step when employees are exposed to their employer's
brand (Nguyen, Malik & Sharma, 2021). Getting attracted to Hilton is easy – the
hotel’s popularity worldwide is unmatched and whenever there is an opening at
Hilton, the top talent applies for this. The financial model of the hotel ensures its
growth is profitable. Recruitment is the next step in the cycle, and describes the
process in which a person stops being an applicant and becomes a full-on
employee. How a prospective employee is treated during this journey forever
influences their perception of the company. At Hilton, recruitment and selection in
Hilton Hotels is done by HR, and it is a process involving interviews, psychometric
testing and general assessment of a potential employee (Vincent, 2009). The
recruitment process in the hotel also uses group activities, role play and tray
exercise, and it is a process done through careful management decisions, with the
employed having to match both the culture and ethics of the hotel.
The third step in the cycle is onboarding (Sekhar, 2021). This step involves
helping employees understand and blend with the organization's culture. This is the
ideal time to make them feel welcome and at home, and when gotten right, it helps
recruits think that they can make their mark at the company. At Hilton, the
organizational culture is that the hotel is divided into departments that are in charge

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of different tasks. During recruitment, the employees get actively trained in the ways
to meet their department’s expectations. These are just some of the techniques used
by the hotel for optimum customer satisfaction.
Retention is the fourth step that involves making top talent stick (Adeyemi,
2018). It is a crucial stage in the employee life cycle because once an employee has
been working for a particular company for a while, there is a chance the employers
might take them for granted (Chan, Hooi & Ngui, 2021). Thorny issues like rewards
and recognition should be addressed soon, ensuring employees know what to do to
achieve their goals (Osborne & Hammoud, 2017). Being a hotel that operates
globally, every branch part of the Hilton chain works to be the greatest above the
rest. The company has an internal awards and recognition program that recognizes
the top talent part of the Hilton (Hilton, n.d.). This is a great way to retain employees
and keep top talent.
Career development is the next step that ordinarily helps employees improve
their positions through various initiatives (Han, Wang & Yan, 2019). An organization
must consider multiple ways strategic development can help the company get the
best out of its employees. Like all good things, employment ends, and this is the final
step in the cycle – separation (Personio, 2022). Eventually, an employee will decide
to move on, and many factors are at play during this cycle stage. Reflection is
essential, and it is recommended that employees have an excellent offboarding
process that will help them understand where there is room for improvement. Like
every other company out there, the company has internal by-laws that allow smooth
sailing whenever an employee resigns from their post or is fired altogether. Despite
this information not being publicly available, answers from previous employees have
not expressed undergoing tedious processes when their time to move on finally
arrived. The examples
Learning how to engage employees ensures smooth sailing during the entire
life cycle, and as a hotelier, I want my employees to feel proud of what they do in the
company. After determining the areas needing reinforcement, I would use the
following strategies to help drive the company to success. Getting to know the
employees is the first step I would take, as this is as simple as it sounds. An easy
and effective way of engaging employees is by spending time with them. Here, I
would learn about their personal stories to enable me to develop a stronger rapport
with them. The next step I would take is to provide them with success tools to ensure

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they know what they are doing, which is an excellent step toward raising
engagement levels. Other measures I would employ are letting the employees know
the direction the company is taking, giving them a chance to grow, fully supporting
them, recognizing their hard work, letting them know I value them, creating a robust
team environment, and rewarding them with rewards.
An employee engagement model serves as a blueprint to understand what
makes employees happy and productive at work. The Zinger model is a perfect
choice focusing on the managers' actions for employee engagement (Sun &
Bunchapattanasakda, 2019). In creating a culture fit to last at Hilton, Bengougam
(2019) explains that Hilton Hotels use this model in their employee engagement.
This method follows a pyramid structure putting a strong emphasis on the
importance of employee engagement. In implementing this model, the focus should
be on the essentials a person needs to do good work. This forms the bottom row,
with company unity in the second row (Pandey, Gupta & Hassan, 2020). It builds on
the essentials for connecting the employees, and critical actions to be taken are
building relationships and fostering recognition. The third row involves boosting
performance and turning individual building blocks into the communal engagement.
The main focus for the company would be tracking progress and performance
maximization (Liu et al., 2022). On the top row of the pyramid is achieving results.
Engaged employees contributing to enhanced profitability and productivity are the
end goal of any engagement initiative. To ensure these results are achieved, a
company should define its objectives for strategic engagement as they start the
journey of employee engagement (Ewing, Men & O’Neil, 2019).

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