Companies with strong employee engagement scores have revenue growth of 2.5 times as organizations with lower marks. This statistic shows us how critical employee engagement is. However, only 13 percent of global workers and 34% in the US say they feel engaged with their organization.
So how to improve employee engagement at work? We recommend 5 helpful tips for your success. Let’s get them in detail.
What are the drivers of employee engagement?
Employee engagement means the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work and workplace. And many organizations are trying to buy their enthusiasm. Higher pay with better monetary benefits may increase employees’ satisfaction, but they can’t significantly drive their engagement.
More than just a reasonable payment, employees now want a purpose and meaning for their work and recognition from others. Additionally, they want to work with leaders or managers who can be their coach rather than just their boss. The manager or team leader alone accounts for 70% of the variance in team engagement.
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How to improve employee engagement?
Now we know what and who can drive employee engagement at work. So here are five practices to drive employee engagement, which can be customized to match any culture or budget.
- Provide the right equipment
- Give individual attention
- Provide helpful training and coaching
- Listen to employees
- Recognize proudly and loudly
#1 Provide the right equipment
All your employees should have all the right tools to complete their work. This is one of the most important ways to improve employee engagement and among the most overlooked things.
Companies need to provide “enabling infrastructure,” which includes all tools and procedures employees need to succeed in their roles. They are the resources that help employees to adapt quickly to the changing business world and be productive. For example, when logging in to the company’s systems, security protocols should be safe but simpler so as not to frustrate employees.
You also should ensure that the infrastructure won’t make the environment bureaucratic or inefficient, where employees can’t get anything done. It, consequently, has a significant impact on employee engagement.
#2 Give individual attention
Each employee has a different personality and different wants in their work. Thus, it’s essential to figure out the best approach for each so that you’ll know the way to motivate them. You can simply talk to them or have a personality assessment to get your answers.
To give you an idea, many US companies offer employees and applicants a test of The Predictive Index to analyze their tendencies individually. Based on the results, managers can know which tasks employees can do best and feel most comfortable doing. For example, a salesperson can be in charge of training new employees as a break from his routines.
For applicants, the results can help your company hire the most suitable candidate. And this will lead to their higher engagement later. Another way to give employees more attention is to increase their responsibilities and autonomy. According to a survey, 70 percent of employees are satisfied with the flexibility of how they can complete their work. It motivates them to do things better, which can improve employee engagement.
#3 Provide helpful training and coaching
In the era of the job-hopping workforce, some companies wonder whether providing training or coaching still makes sense or not. Your investments will pay off later with employees’ loyalty and engagement. The company also attracts more others as one of the best places to work and develop.
A continuous-learning culture helps your employees improve their skills to do their job more productive. Also, this training strategy communicates that your company believes in their potential and wants to invest in them. The more employees enjoy your meaningful training and development programs, the higher they feel engaged and devoted to the organization. Besides, coaching is also among great ways to improve employee engagement. For instance, Yum! Brands offer employees 360-degree reviews to help them elevate their skills and reinvent themselves. Then there are one-on-one coaching sessions between employees and managers to make and follow employees’ development plans. That’s how they strengthen the company’s commitment to its substantial workforce.
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#4 Listen to employees
Organizations are increasingly replacing annual employee surveys with pulse surveys and quarterly performance conversations. That’s how they pay closer attention to what employees want to notice and act on the feedback.
The comprehensive listening approach allows your company quickly find out and address problems. More importantly, it makes your employees feel valued, as their voice also matters as their leaders do.
Whole Foods company asks entire teams to give feedback on their new hire colleagues at the end of their probationary. It helps managers to get more valuable insights about their employees. On the other hand, employees feel that their views are important and contribute to the team’s everyday work.
#5 Recognize proudly and loudly
It’s undoubted that recognition, especially rewards, are among the best ways to improve employee engagement. They motivate both winners and other colleagues, as employees always respond to being appreciated. The recognition lets employees know how they fit into the position and how much they contribute to the company’s success. That, in turn, makes employees feel more connected to their work and organization. For instance, Disney’s employees receive recognition every time they can create a magical atmosphere.
Or Yum! Brands customize their awards by particular culture and location. They can be a cape sunglasses, some chattering teeth, or an Albert Einstein bobblehead doll.
Conclusion
So now we all know how to improve employee engagement with the most recommended practices. Eventually, most approaches to strengthening employee engagement have some shared goals. It makes employees feel emotionally connected to the organization and feel valued.
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Sean Bui, the founder and creative director of F.Learning Studio, is a respected leader in the e-learning and multimedia production industry. With over 10 years of experience, he has dedicated his career to helping organizations create engaging and impactful learning experiences.
Under his leadership, F.Learning Studio has grown into a trusted partner for organizations in the education, healthcare, and corporate training sectors, producing over 2,000 minutes of educational animation.
