The 6 must-know factors of employee commitment for your company
From safety and security to work-life harmony

The commitment pyramid

We say that employees are committed to their organisation, engaged with their team/team manager and satisfied with their job. Commitment is therefore about the big picture, with engagement and satisfaction relating to increasingly 'local' issues.

Although there is plenty of crossover, and many aspects of the work environment will influence all three elements – commitment, engagement and satisfaction – it is not uncommon to find that many employees with high levels of job satisfaction, do not feel a great level of commitment to the company. The factors effecting employee commitment are different to those effecting job satisfaction.

There is a hierarchy of issues that need to be considered in relation to employee commitment, and when building the commitment pyramid we need to start where all buildings start: the foundations.

The foundations

As the pyramid demonstrates, the foundation of commitment is safety and security. Without this foundation, the rest of the factors are inconsequential.

We’re not talking so much about safety from an Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) perspective here, but rather safety from bullying, harassment and discrimination. And security refers more to job security than great padlocks!

The next layers

The next few layers of the commitment pyramid relate to reward and recognition, both financial and non-financial. Whilst there’s no doubt money buys some level of commitment from employees, few businesses would operate with this as the sole consideration in their reward structure for two reasons.

Firstly, it appears somewhat mercenary, lacking a deeper connection between the organisation and the employee, and secondly, because many of the other factors that constitute reward and recognition are much cheaper, or indeed free! So a well structured “Rem and Bens” strategy can gain commitment at a cheaper rate than the straight cash value of that commitment.

Affiliation, or feeling like part of the team (in this case the “big team” of all employees at the company), is a powerful motivator. We’re social beings who love to feel part of something… er… social.

Affiliation carries with it perceptions of being listened to, your opinions matter, you make a difference, you are valued, and you are integral to the success of the organisation. Conversely, consider what it feels like to lack a sense of affiliation, the terms marginalised, isolated, peripheral, and unimportant spring to mind.

The next rung up is career prospects. It’s all very well to feel part of the team in a safe, secure and well remunerated role, but without a future, things don’t seem so rosy. Do employees have a vision for life in the company 5, 10 or 15 years hence? If they do, there’s a truckload of commitment right there.

Finding a balance

Finally, can you have all this – safety, security, rewards, remuneration, affiliation and a future with the company and still have a life? Just a reminder – work to live, not live to work! Work-life harmony is at the apex of the commitment pyramid for this very reason.

When all is said and done, your job is very important in terms of your quality of life, but so are your family and friends, your physical wellbeing and your mental health. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice these for your job, and if you do, it’s the wrong job!

SHAPE provides an appraisal at every level of the commitment pyramid. Companies can therefore immediately visualise where the conditions for commitment are perceived as inadequate by their employees and seek to rectify any issues.