21st April, 2023
Employee engagement doesn’t just happen though, it has to be created by a management team who are willing to put the effort in and create an environment for it to thrive. We’ve looked at a few ways you can bring this to your business, helping your team to reach their potential and get the most out of their roles.
Creating a positive work environment is an essential first step in boosting employee engagement. Show your team that you value open communication, collaboration, and recognition, and encourage them to celebrate achievements, big and small. When employees feel supported, respected, and appreciated, they become more engaged and committed to the organization's mission so this is a no-brainer as a starting point.
There’s nothing that kills employee engagement as effectively as a lack of communication; not knowing what’s going on leaves your team feeling isolated and adrift, unsure what they’re supposed to be working toward or how secure their job is. To help to combat this, try establishing transparent channels for sharing information, updates, and feedback, and encourage managers to provide regular feedback and recognition to their team members. Make sure that you actively listen to employee concerns and suggestions, ensuring their voices are heard and valued to build trust, foster engagement, and create a sense of belonging.
Investing in the growth and development of your team can be a powerful way to increase employee engagement. If you have the budget, it’s worth considering offering training programs, workshops, and mentorship opportunities to help employees enhance their skills and advance their careers. It’s not a problem if that’s a bit of a stretch though; instead, try working with your team to set goals and support them to meet them. Showing employees that you’re committed to helping them to grow within the company will help them to stay motivated, giving them something to work toward in the long term.
While it would be convenient if all your employees worked 24/7, never took time off, and didn’t need to sleep, in reality you’re more likely to cultivate a motivated team if they have happy and fulfilling personal lives as well. They’re likely to be a lot more fun to work with, too! Encouraging employees to maintain a healthy balance between work and home can be as simple as offering flexible working arrangements or making sure that workload balance is fair and proportionate. Once your team know that they won’t be penalised for finishing on time and that they won’t be expected to do more work than they can reasonably fit into their working day then they’re much more likely to bring their best selves to work and to stay engaged while they’re there.
Finally, make sure that employees know that their work is appreciated. Celebrate achievements publicly, whether through company-wide announcements, team meetings, or newsletters, and consider implementing a rewards programme to acknowledge exceptional performance. If you make sure to regularly highlight when your team go above and beyond they’re much more likely to try to live up to your expectations.
Improving employee engagement is a continuous journey and it’s not going to happen overnight. If you put the effort in and make your workplace somewhere that your employees want to be, supporting them and making them feel valued, you’ll be on the right track though, and it won’t be long before you start seeing the benefits, both for you and your team.