Employee engagement is an important indicator of a company’s success. Unfortunately, not all company managers pay sufficient attention to this aspect. It’s very important to understand the topic and promote employee engagement in every possible way. That said, let’s take a look at what it is and discuss ways to increase the level of team engagement.
What Is Employee Engagement?
You’ve probably met people who don’t just work but “live for work.” They don’t need additional motivation: their eyes are always burning, and their performance speaks for itself. This is the result of effective employee engagement.
So why is it so crucial? Well, an engaged employee works much more efficiently than a passive one. It’s that simple.
That said, let’s take a look at some statistics and consider the example below. Advanced IT companies say that engaged employees:
- Work much more efficiently;
- Increase company profits;
- Reduce staff turnover;
- Perform tasks efficiently (often ahead of schedule);
- Interact better with customers;
- Strive for promotion;
- Take fewer sick days.
Employee engagement benefits management, employees, and customers. The more interested each member of the organization’s team is, the more efficient the firm is.
Employee Engagement Strategies
Every organization should strive to increase employee engagement to fulfill its goals and objectives. Here are a few original content ideas that boost employee engagement.
Establish the Main Direction
Understanding how engaged your employees are is impossible without statistics. First, it’s important to know the level of your team so that you can take further steps to increase its motivation. The easiest way to measure engagement is through surveys. For this, you can use various popular services (e.g., Gallup Q12, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Officevibe, and Culture Amp).
These tools will help you quickly collect statistics and keep records. Consult your HR manager to find out exactly how to measure engagement. We recommend conducting surveys regularly, at least once a quarter. However, monthly data collection works best. Be sure to discuss the results with your team, including one-on-one conversations to understand the needs and characteristics of each team member.
Provide Employees and Managers with Training Resources
Development opportunities allow your staff to grow professionally. Training for specific jobs, initiatives to create leaders, or mentorship opportunities are a few examples. Note that employee engagement directly depends on managers. The more interested the leader is, the more motivated the employees in the team will be.
Find out if your managers are dedicated to their work and how strong their engagement is. Spend some quality time coaching your managers. Special team-building techniques help train strong leaders and build trust within the team. This, in turn, stimulates increased employee motivation.
By investing in the development of your employees, you gain confidence in the future; the likelihood that team members will leave your firm for another is significantly reduced.
Stimulate Feedback from Your Employees
Provide them with a special place where they will be able to freely express their thoughts on how the company might be improved. Other good ideas include the following:
- Regular surveys;
- Suggestion boxes;
- Town hall meetings.
It’s important that employees trust their leader and tell him or her about their concerns. Initially, you can organize anonymous surveys that will help you find out the issues facing each member of the team.
Culture Amp or Small Improvements services can help with this. You want to not only collect data on your employees but also provide feedback and find solutions to their problems. Once the level of trust increases, you can organize one-on-one meetings. Allow your employees to contact you with any requests and use individual approaches.
Celebrate Key Milestones and Accomplishments
Acknowledge and commemorate noteworthy milestones and accomplishments. Personal anniversaries like birthdays or professional milestones like finishing a large project might be included in this.
Employees who work at their best but receive nothing in return burn out fast. Therefore, make sure you regularly encourage each member of the team. You can use the following types of rewards:
- Verbal praise;
- Written appreciation;
- Incentives/certificates;
- Business trips;
- Free seminars and promotions.
Praise should be timely, frequent, and specific, using an individualized approach.
Offer Incentive Programs that Promote Work-Life Balance
Help your employees strike a healthy work-life balance through, for example, programs that promote employee well-being, flexible work schedules, and vacation regulations. Physical and emotional health definitely affects employee performance and engagement. The better the well-being of each team member, the greater the impact at work.
Your managers need to take care of the comfort of their employees. Additionally, competent team leaders regularly hold conversations with their employees. That’s how you can find out if there’s enough time for daily routines and if all team members are satisfied with their working conditions. Make sure the atmosphere in the team is friendly and inspiring.
Encourage Creative Thinking for Better Employee Engagement
A company can operate efficiently if its employees are as creative as possible. For this, you need to devote time to the creative development of your team members. Listen carefully to their ideas and hand the reins of power, encouraging team autonomy. Welcome experiments, hold meetings to share experiences, and encourage out-of-the-box thinking. This will help improve your company’s performance.
Promote Team-Building Exercises
Provide opportunities for your team members to connect with and get to know each other. This can be done through service opportunities, social gatherings, and team-building exercises.
To create a positive working atmosphere, you want to promote a collaborative, respectful, and open communication-oriented workplace culture. Appreciate the team contributions made by employees.
Introduce New Team Members the Right Way
It’s crucial that new team members feel “at ease” in your company. Thus, you want to devote a lot of time to their adaptation. As a manager, you need to smoothly introduce new employees to the business without burdening them with work right away. Give them some time to get used to the new environment and their responsibilities.
The support of the team also plays a significant role. If an employee feels involved right away, it will increase performance and motivation.
Maintaining Transparency can help increase Employee Engagement
A transparent work environment is one in which there is an atmosphere of trust among all team members. Ensure free communication between all team members. It doesn’t have to be work issues all the time; there might be a lot of personal things to discuss.
There’s no need to share every detail of your family life with your team members – share some of your daily news over lunch. This is how you can build credibility with your team and increase engagement.
Focus on the Main Goal
Many employees of IT companies admit that they are ready to work for a lower salary if they see the company’s prospects and success. Your team members need to understand the meaning of their work and what benefits it brings.
Show your team members how important their work is – how it affects not only the firm but also its clients and business partners. Develop your corporate culture, regularly describe the company’s prospects, and set new achievable goals.
Bottom Line
Any organization is able to establish a productive and enjoyable work environment by putting the above-mentioned tactics into practice. This will definitely benefit both the staff and the firm as a whole.
Of course, the above-mentioned methods of increasing employee engagement are not the only ones. Every leader knows how to motivate his/her employees and help them realize their potential. Consult with your colleagues and find out their opinions on self-improvement and development aspects. Learn how to make your company successful.
