Employees are an organisation’s most valuable asset - there's no doubt about that.
The more committed and engaged your employees are in working towards the company’s missions and goals, the more valuable and profitable the asset.
As the workforce enters another year of the COVID-19 pandemic and every one having to work remotely, it is crucial now more than ever for employers to ensure that employees stay engaged.
With that in mind, here are some tips to help with increasing employee engagement within your organisation:
1) Everyone has a role that’s right for them
The arrival of Generation Z into the workforce brings on a generation of employees who expect organisations to ‘personalise’ their experience at work by understanding how their strengths and unique abilities can be highly optimised within the right roles.
In addition to putting the right people in the right roles, a streamlined and consistent experience will help employees trust the organisation throughout their tenure and have a clear understanding of how their strengths help bring the company’s mission and purpose to life.
2) Provide opportunities for employees to grow
It is no secret that employees will thrive in a work culture that believes in their continuous growth.
In order to help them achieve the growth they deserve, it is important for organisations to invest in their employees by organising training and encouraging employees to sharpen or gain more skills.
Businesses with a strong learning culture enjoy employee engagement and retention rates around 30-50% higher than those that don’t
Robert Half
When an organisation prioritises an employees’ development, employees will in turn feel a sense of belonging with the organisation.
3) Check in often and check in meaningfully
Today’s workforce insists on having regular feedback in order for people to stay connected and feel supported at work.
Encouraging regular team meetings gives people an opportunity to open up and share their processes and obstacles which will help managers and their teams discuss, plan and decide on solutions and ways to move forward seamlessly.
89% of HR leaders agree that ongoing peer feedback and check-ins are key for successful outcomes
Forbes
4) Remember to have regular career development conversations
On top of keeping an open line of communication, one of the conversations that should happen regularly between managers and employees is the career development conversation.
Employees want to know that their contributions are being valued by managers and that they are invested in the employees’ future with the organisation.
It doesn’t always have to be a daunting conversation about entrusting employees with more responsibilities or senior roles, it could also be a conversation that lets them explore different areas within the company.
At times, employees are still figuring out their career paths as they go. If a member of your team finds something else at your company they want to pursue, try helping them explore that path.
This way, your employee will feel seen and encouraged to make a difference with the company rather than finding opportunities elsewhere. If you don’t take the time to have this conversation with your employees often, they will feel unappreciated and leave.
5) Invest in employee engagement platforms
One of the main components of employee engagement is based on whether an organisation acts on employee feedback.
Employee engagement softwares can help organisations bolster employee engagement by providing a platform that has listening, feedback and developmental tools, giving HR teams and managers insight on how to best maximise individual and organisational performance of employees.
Teamber is a great example of a software that provides an end-to-end employee engagement solution designed to let employees be heard and recognised. You can award and acknowledge successes within the team.
Achievers Listen is another choice of engagement platform that can help capture the employee voice, increase engagement, and accelerate performance.
6) Promote transparency & collaboration
Human beings are emotional creatures. And as emotional creatures, we’re more likely to feel engaged when we feel emotionally committed to a cause.
The same goes with employees at work. People want to feel like they are trusted to work towards something meaningful, and they’d like to be in the know.
Divulging inside information like the direction of the company or any challenges leaders face in managing teams will help employees feel needed and motivated to collaborate with other teams in helping the organisation reach its goals.
7) Encourage work-life balance
As the pandemic forces more organisations to actively implement work-from-home options, it also sees a surge of happier employees who are now able to spend less time commuting to and fro offices and more time being productive at work.
Though most companies are more inclined to make sure everyone is at the office from 9 to 5, research shows that remote workers are 22% happier and will stay in jobs longer than those who aren’t given the flexibility to work remotely.
Increasing employee engagement boils down to seeing through that your employees feel like they have a sense of purpose and a meaningful career experience with you.
61% of employees agree that they have made healthier lifestyle choices because of their company’s wellness program
Forbes
By following simple but meaningful practices and strategies, you are well on your way to promote a happy work culture for your employees. After all, a happy employee will lead to happier clients.