Believe it or not, it’s not just customers who are growing your business, it’s your employees. Employee engagement not only helps build your business, but it also helps save your company money. Focusing on employee engagement should be a priority in how you run your business.
However, employee engagement goes much further than just employees liking you. Employee engagement focuses on how productive employees are, how satisfied they are with the company, and their likeliness to stay and continue growing within the company.
3 Key takeaways you need to know
- Employee engagement drives organizational success
- Engaged employees are more productive and loyal team members
- Strategies for cultivating employee engagement
What is Employee Engagement?
Employee engagement is not just a management buzzword it’s a transformative concept that defines the emotional connection between an employee and their job, colleagues, and the organization they work for. Engaged employees don’t just show up to work they show up with purpose. They invest their time, energy, and creativity in their roles because they are genuinely committed to the success of the organizations. In essence, it’s about people bringing their best selves to work every day.
Why Should I Make Employee Engagement a Priority?
Employee engagement is crucial for organizational success. Engaged employees are the linchpin that holds together a thriving and productive workplace. These are the driving forces behind increased productivity, improved customer satisfaction, and enhanced profitability. Engaged employees aren’t just good for the bottom line they’re good for business longevity.
Employee engagement could be one of the best investments for your company if you do it correctly.
5 Employee Engagement Ideas and How to Put them into Action
1. Clear communication channels
Open lines of communication with your employees help gain their trust and loyalty. You can open lines of communication through regular meetings and be transparent about updates.
If you’re a remote company the lines of communication can be a little harder to establish with remote employees, but the best ways to communicate with your remote employees are through community newsletters, community boards, virtual office hours, and weekly virtual coffee breaks. Another effective employee engagement idea for in-person staff is through team-building activities, team lunches, happy hour meet ups, and in-person check-ins.
With the help of Peoplelytics’s employee engagement surveys, you can find out what your employees really want and listen to their feedback this way when you implement the feedback, you show that you were listening to them, which not only makes them want to engage more, but also create a safe space and trust between employer and employees.
2. Leadership development programs
Investing in appropriate leadership training helps empower managers to lead by example. You’ve heard the saying, “People don’t leave the company they leave the managers”.
75% of workers who choose to depart from their jobs do it because of their supervisors, rather than the role, the company itself, or the position.
Even if a job is excellent, well-compensated, or perfectly aligned with their skills, individuals are likely to find a new job if they find their reporting relationship unhealthy.
So it’s important to invest in your employees and provide opportunities for emerging leaders to develop their skills.
This could be as simple as providing employees transfer options to different departments within the company to help new employees see what positions they can excel in.
A great way to help employees succeed in leadship roles is to develop their skill sets through leadership training programs.
3. Flexible work arrangements
By providing options such as flexible scheduling and remote work, organizations empower their employees to strike a balance between professional and personal commitments.
This flexibility not only acknowledges the diverse needs and preferences of employees but also fosters a sense of trust between employers and their workforce. By trusting employees to manage their own time and deliver results, organizations signal their confidence in their staff’s capabilities and commitment.
Moreover, flexible work environments can lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction, as employees are afforded the autonomy to structure their work in a manner that best suits their individual circumstances.
4. Regular feedback and recognition
Meaningful feedback and recognition are essential components of fostering a positive and productive workplace culture.
Data shows that 80% of employees who indicate they’ve received substantial feedback in the past week are fully engaged.
It’s important to know that we’re talking about frequent feedback. Most employers struggle to maintain feedback and recognition and fall back to the annual reviews which most managers end up delaying time anyway so providing regular feedback and recognizing employees retain talent and improves work performance in the long run. Employees strive to be recognized by their peers. As well as regular feedback and recognition you should get to know your employees on a personal level, so you know where they’re starting from and how much they’ve grown since they’ve started working with you.
Here are two things to keep In mind when providing meaningful feedback, it is focused and future-oriented. This means feedback is relevant to the employee’s contributions, and the organization’s purpose. By doing so you are helping the employee remove roadblocks in the process which inspires growth in the employee.
You can start the process slowly by incorporating workplace recognition programs, such as a community board that showcases employee wins, big and small. It’s hard for leaders to see everything that goes on, so having an online board where peers can share what they’ve noticed around the company can spark an interest in others to do the same. That way, employers can keep up with what’s being posted and congratulate employees.
5. Opportunities for career growth
Providing opportunities for career growth is essential in creating a motivated and committed workforce.
Organizations can achieve this by developing career paths and advancement opportunities that allow employees to envision their future within the company. By offering guidance on skill development and job shadowing other positions, employees can figure out what motivates them and what they’d truly be good at.
Encouraging employees to set goals and track their progress fosters a sense of accountability in their careers.
Regular goal-setting discussions and performance reviews provide valuable opportunities for feedback and course correction, ensuring that employees remain aligned with their aspirations and the organization’s objectives. Additionally, offering mentorship programs and skills training initiatives can further enhance employees’ growth prospects and equip them with the tools needed to succeed.
Providing employees with tailored jobs specific to their motivations and goals creates a culture of excitement and motivation to do their job well.
Ultimately, by prioritizing opportunities for career growth, organizations not only attract top talent but also cultivate a culture of continuous learning and advancement, driving both individual and organizational success.
How Employee Engagement Surveys can Help Tie These Ideas Together
Employee engagement surveys can serve as a powerful tool to tie together these ideas by providing valuable insights into employees’ perceptions and experiences within the organization.
By leveraging employee engagement surveys to gather feedback on these key areas, organizations can gain valuable insights into employee perceptions, preferences, and experiences. This data can inform targeted initiatives and interventions to enhance employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention, ultimately driving organizational success.
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Questions to Ask on Your Employee Engagement Survey:
If you want your employees to engage more, you need to ask the right questions. Simply asking these questions will provide your employees with a chance to make their voices heard leading to more positive interactions and productive employees.
Peoplelytics makes it easy for your employees to engage by asking questions they can answer on a sliding scale. This makes it quick for them to complete but also lets them answer truthfully. Peoplelytics lets you view your employee’s results and offers AI-generated feedback based on the results.
Here’s just a handful of questions Peoplelytics offers on a sliding scale to engage employees:
- My schedule accommodates my personal life commitments.
- I feel encouraged to take time off when I need it.
- I believe my schedule is flexible for personal needs or emergencies.
- I believe I have enough support for my manager to achieve a work-life balance.
- I feel valued as a member of this company.
- I feel comfortably supported by my manager and colleagues in this company.
- There are opportunities for professional growth and development for all employees here, regardless of background or identity.
- I am satisfied with the career growth opportunities in my current role.
- I feel that my contributions and achievements are recognized and rewarded.
- Feedback and constructive criticism are given and received effectively.
- I believe the feedback I received will help support my career growth effectively.
- I am given opportunities to grow and develop in my current role.
- Performance evaluations are transparent and fair.
- I am satisfied with the level of support and resources provided for taking calculated risks in my role.
- Employees are encouraged to seek out new opportunities and challenges in their roles.
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Let’s Recap
It’s crucial to recognize that engaged employees play a vital role in driving business success. Their dedication goes beyond simply pleasing customers; it’s the backbone of a thriving company.
By creating a workplace where employees are not just satisfied but genuinely involved, organizations reap numerous benefits. These include higher productivity, stronger loyalty, and better staff retention. Thus, it’s essential to prioritize efforts to foster and maintain this engagement.
Your employees want to be heard and it’s time to listen with the help of Peoplelytics! Check out the free demo here, then sign up for the free trial. Your employees will thank you.
