Ensuring you are encouraging your employees to actively engage in the workplace and the tasks they are performing is incredibly important for your business and for their well-being as well.
There are various strategies and ways you can help to boost engagement levels to improve the various benefits it will have for your company.
Importance Of Employee Engagement
Ensuring your employees are engaged with the work they are doing can have many benefits to a business.
Research has shown that it can significantly increase productivity and motivate employees to work harder.
It can also improve staff well-being which increases the likelihood that they’ll continue at the company, but also more people will be interested in working for you as well.
Models
There are 3 main employee models that can help improve employee engagement. You should research each one to ensure that you pick the model that works for your organization and environment. Each one has a unique framework and various strategies you can implement to get the most out of your staff members.
- The Deloitte model
- The Zinger model
- The Deloitte model
Each of these models share some key elements of improving employee engagement which can be summed up in the following top 6 ways.
- Goal Setting
Setting goals for teams and individuals can allow staff members to understand how they fit in within the bigger picture of the whole company. Striving to reach goals is a key element in the progression of a company and has been scientifically proven to improve a company’s productivity. Taking time to incentivize reaching them can drastically improve how a team works because employees are motivated and committed to achieving the goals.
- Reward Schemes
Recognition programs are another way to boost engagement from employees. This can motivate them to work harder because they know they are likely to be rewarded in some way. It’s human nature to seek praise and validation, so all you need to do is say a simple “thank you” once in a while. When a goal is reached, or if you just want to recognise someone for their consistent hard work, you can reward them with one of the following.
- Offer time off
- Give bonuses or gifts
- Have an employee of the month
- Handwrite thank you notes
- Host a social event
- Diversify Your Teams
Studies have shown that a more diverse team can increase productivity by 35%. Creating a team with people from different backgrounds and expertise will help continue to drive change within a company. Employee engagement will increase because employees don’t become as passive within tasks because they are more likely to be challenged by others. It can also allow more innovative ideas which can be exciting for employees as they work on projects in ways they previously might not have done.
- Improve Communication
Good communication is a key element in a good company culture and an engaging workplace. This ties in with having good teamwork and connections with fellow employees, as well as with managers and owners of the business as well. The foundation of solid communication comes from trust, so it’s important to work on both together. This can come from making sure you are listening to employees and engaging with their ideas, criticisms and concerns. You can do this by putting out an anonymous suggestions box, holding team-building exercises and having one on one meetings. Ensuring that employees feel they are being heard is super important because otherwise they will stop caring about the work they are doing and engagement will drop.
- Look After Employees
Checking in on your employee’s well-being can make all the difference. When an individual is going through a tough time, no matter what it is, it will have an impact on the work they are doing. Offering mental health days and providing counselling can give staff members the chance to take a mom
ent for themselves so that they can come to work feeling fresh and engaged with their tasks.
- Hands-On Management
Sometimes it can be great for employees to see their superiors getting their hands dirty. Although you know you are doing a lot of work, this is not always obvious to staff members. If they think you are slacking, they might become resentful and be less inclined to engage in their work properly. You can do this by communicating by speaking to employees in person when possible, and not just via electronic communication. Performing your management tasks whilst also encouraging staff to be proactive and offering support often. Be careful not to micro-manage though, and to give your staff space when appropriate, otherwise, you could end up frustrating them.
In summary, the different strategies you can implement to improve employee engagement will depend on the environment, their tasks and their experience. Setting goals and rewarding staff for reaching them can motivate them to engage in their tasks. Diversifying teams, improving communication and using a hands-on management approach can also help engage employees.