Did you know that only 33% of the workforce in the US is truly engaged? If you’re wondering about the implications of this data, here’s something to think about. Employees who are actively disengaged are 2X more likely to look for jobs as compared to employees who are engaged.
Why Should You Care About Employee Engagement?
There’s no denying the fact that your employees are your greatest asset – the ones who can take your business to new heights. And so, employee engagement is of utmost importance. Engaged employees are more than willing to go the extra mile to move your business forward. They are passionate about their work and feel a strong sense of connection to your organization.
In contrast, disengaged employees will do just the bare minimum needed to hold on to their jobs until they find a better one. If you are unable to keep them happy, motivated, and engaged, they will feel disconnected from your organization. This will translate into a lack of passion and enthusiasm for their work.
However, don’t think of your disengaged employees as a burden. They’re, in fact, your greatest untapped opportunity. If you can make them feel more connected through effective employee engagement, they can help you achieve sustainable growth. Here are a few ways you can improve employee engagement in your organization.
1. Choose the Right Managers
Your managers have a very important role to play in employee engagement. However, not everyone can be a great manager. That is why you need to hire the best candidates who can manage people effectively.
Good managers make their teams feel more connected and empowered. They also need to be able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their subordinates and allocate responsibilities in a way that brings out the best in them.
In addition, they need to foster a positive work environment through transparency and mutual respect. Good managers recognize the efforts of their employees, learn to value them as people, and seek their opinions and ideas actively.
You need to hold your managers accountable for employee engagement. Provide them with proper training on how to engage employees, measure progress, and make sure that they focus on the well-being of their teams continuously.
2. Allow for Flexibility
Providing flexible work hour and locations is a great way to increase employee engagement. Employees appreciate it if you provide them with the option to work from their homes on days that they need to or even work remotely.
It tells them that you care about them by allowing for schedules that suit their needs. And it also shows that you trust them to complete their work even without supervision. By offering flexibility, you can make your employees happier and more productive.
3. Ask for Feedback
A great way to increase employee engagement in your organization is to ask for the feedback of your employees by asking them to fill out a satisfaction survey.
This can be done once every three or six months. It gives your employees an opportunity to make their voices heard about things that are happy or unhappy about. However, in order to keep your employees truly engaged, you also need to act upon the cumulative feedback you get.
It’s best to gather such feedback on an anonymous basis and have a third-party manage the entire process of feedback collection and curation. This way, your employees will feel more comfortable to share their honest and constructive feedback.
4. Allow Time for Volunteer Work
Once every few months, give your employees an opportunity to get together as a team and give back to the community. This is a great way to motivate them and increase employee engagement. It shows your employees that you don’t just care about making money and making your business profitable, but also about society.
Make sure you provide your employees some time out of their work schedules to participate in such activity. It won’t have the same effect if you ask them to use their personal time to do this. It will be a welcome break for your employees and also a great team-building activity.
5. Encourage Having “Fun At Work”
Ask your managers to set aside an hour every week when their teams can get together and have some fun. Arrange for some fun and games or some team-building activities that foster collaboration. You could also get together for lunches or share a drink after work. Perhaps, once every quarter you could even sponsor a team get-together.
This is a great way to make your employees feel more connected and cared for. It also provides an opportunity for teammates to get to know each other on a more personal level that builds a stronger team.
Final Thoughts
The most important thing to remember when you focus on employee engagement is that your employees are people who have lives outside of their jobs. So, work towards providing them with a better work-life balance.
Appreciate their contributions and don’t forget to thank them every once in a while. Making your work environment more casual and fun can also make them happier and more productive. Listen to their feedback, ideas, and opinions and act upon them to make them feel more valued and engaged.
Can you think of any other ways to improve employee engagement in an organization? Let us know in the comments below.