Since the concept of employee engagement was introduced in 1990, companies large and small have embraced the idea and sought to cultivate it in their workplaces. It isn’t hard to see why. High levels of engagement are associated with positive morale, job satisfaction, higher productivity levels, better performance, and higher retention rates.
While the idea is easy enough to understand, achieving it is more challenging. According to Gallup’s 2022 State of the Global Workplace report, only 21% of employees are engaged at work, while 33% do not consider their work meaningful. The same report revealed that low engagement had cost the global economy around $7.8 trillion.
If you’re looking to improve employee engagement in your company, here are five areas to focus on:
Mental health plays a crucial role in employees’ overall wellbeing and motivation. A company can show that it values mental health by encouraging work-life balance, compassion, teamwork, and setting boundaries within the workforce.
Practical ways of doing so include encouraging employees to take breaks, making an in-house counselor or support team available, and providing mental health leaves.
Does your company have programs and initiatives that encourage and appreciate employees? Regular and sincere appreciation can make a huge difference in people’s morale and confidence.
Some ways to show appreciation on a company-wide scale include conducting rewards and recognition programs, celebrating birthdays, offering incentives and work flexibility, and providing balanced feedback.
Speaking of feedback, all criticism must be dealt with in a constructive manner. Instead of merely pointing out mistakes, constructive feedback is designed to create positive outcomes. Criticisms, comments, and suggestions must be delivered in a sensitive manner that doesn’t provoke employees.
By doing so, errors become opportunities for improvement. This is extremely helpful in cultivating employee engagement since employees may feel discouraged or demotivated if they feel they are unfairly criticized.
Encouraging healthy communication at all levels of an organization can make employees feel acknowledged. When employees feel that their thoughts and expertise are important, they become more motivated to contribute to a company’s growth.
Employees who feel unseen and insignificant may eventually lose faith in the business, leading to indifference, disengagement, and even attrition.
Open communication entails setting clear expectations, having regular meetings and updates, asking teams for feedback, instituting communication channels between leadership and lower-level employees, and performing employee engagement surveys.
Whether it’s through town halls, team huddles, newsletters, or something else, good communication ensures that everyone stays on the same page and keeps people striving towards the same goals.
Few things are as frustrating as being asked to do something but not having access to tools and opportunities that will allow you to accomplish it. A company with high engagement always makes sure that its people have the tools they need to succeed.
This includes giving people access to training, tools, certifications and equipment so they can do their job well. It may also mean giving them opportunities to interact with colleagues, management, and industry peers who can keep them up-to-date and advise them.
Highly engaged employees have a sincere desire to help their companies succeed. They perform better, are more passionate and loyal, and are more likely to stay with an organization for longer. A company that prioritizes engagement encourages autonomy, mastery, and purpose among its people.
When organizations invest in their people and have a strategy for engagement, they’re actually investing in their own business success and growth.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/pavelkrapivin/2020/12/03/5-ways-to-boost-employee-engagement