Best Strategies to Increase Employee Engagement

One of the top priorities for every company, whether large or small, should be to create a workforce committed to the vision, the values, and the success of the business. The advantages of increasing employee engagement, or this commitment, are numerous. For example, employee engagement is linked to maintaining smooth and seamless business processes, improving production quality, increasing the quantity of work output, generating innovative ideas, enhancing interpersonal relations with colleagues and customers, and reducing employee turnover. In this way, focusing on employee engagement can put your company on the track to sustainable growth and profitability while simultaneously boosting overall employee morale and job satisfaction.

That said, employee engagement is no easy feat. After all, you may be dealing with quite a large group of people who each perceive themselves, the workplace, and the world differently. It can be challenging to appeal to every employee and convince them to care about their work as though it was their own business. Although it may appear complicated, it is achievable through a workplace culture that effectively empowers their employees, ensures they feel valued, and includes their voices in small and large decisions alike. Let’s discuss possible ways any company can integrate these themes into their workplace.

Employee Engagement

Be the Change

If you have ever heard the saying “be the change you wish to see in the world”,  you may be familiar with the deep meaning behind it: the only actions over which you have any control are your actions. If you are in a management role, you must embody the emotions, attitudes, behavior, and values you wish to see reflected from your workforce. If you perform your job with passion and model your company’s core values, you have an increased chance of seeing your employees respond in kind.

Provide Meaningful Work

Meaningful work is one of the crucial concepts behind employee engagement; if an employee feels as though their work has a personal significance, they are more likely to commit to that work and perform their work to or exceed expectation. The best way to ensure purposeful work is to verify that each employee is in the proper role and allow them to grow and expand from that role. Personality tests, strength assessments, and inquiries into passions and hobbies can give you insights into an employee’s proper position. In Contract,  companies should announce job openings and learning opportunities often.

Create a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce

When a company employs a diverse workforce and creates a workplace where all identities feel respected and valued, everyone can feel a sense of belonging in the environment. The modern employee is also more likely to be committed to a company that shows a strong sense of awareness and ethics.

 

Organize Employee Activities and Events

You may be under the impression that activities, events, and games would promote the opposite of work or create a flippant attitude towards work. However, it has been proven that regular activities and events can drive employee engagement and improve productivity. Activities foster collaboration or teamwork, healthy competition, and a thirst for achievement. Furthermore, if activities are designed with the company’s mission and core values in mind, they can motivate employees to see those aspects in fresh, new ways. Moreover, employee-centered events let your employees know that they are valued and respected; it can be as simple as having small birthday parties for your workers, celebrating accomplishments or milestones, or observing holidays.

Create Philanthropy Opportunities

One of the most effective ways that companies encourage employee engagement is to provide philanthropy opportunities, activities, or benefits promoting welfare for others that align with the company’s overall values. In this manner, you ensure that your employees have a clear idea of the company’s values and a strong sense of how they contribute to those values.

Furthermore, as volunteering for common causes can often extend into every company sector, it instills the concept that the single individual is part of a greater unity. In turn, employees are more likely to feel as if their everyday work is integral to a common objective

Establish Workplace Transparency

Workplace transparency is the open sharing of relevant and beneficial company information across the workplace. It instills a sense of honesty and respect between management and staff, allowing employees to build trust in their company. While you may readily share successes or opportunities, you can even benefit from sharing critical challenges the company is currently or potentially facing; employees can offer insights into why the problem may persist or ideas regarding resolutions. Furthermore, as transparency involves two-way communication, it is also essential to listen to your employees.

Acknowledge and Listen to Employees

The most successful businesses understand that their employees can offer important insights into how all areas of the company can be more efficient or effective. Additionally, if you acknowledge that your employees are more than just the product of their immediate work in this way, your employees will automatically feel more valued. Your employees will realize that their feedback, thoughts, and opinions are not only heard but spark change within the company. Subsequently, you will note an increase in employee engagement as people begin to see more of themselves reflected in their work or workplace.

An excellent yet straightforward way to achieve this is through regular company surveys, whereby the feedback can be analyzed and used to make decisions. Another primary way businesses recognize their employees is through immediate acknowledgement for exemplary behaviors or achievements.

Offer Useful Employee Benefits

If you provide employee benefits that employees are using, your employees will feel as though the company cares about them; considering this, the employee will feel more connected to the company and their work. To ensure you are offering valuable benefits, you can take advantage of regular employee surveys to ask pertinent questions. For example, excellent health insurance paid vacation time, paid sick leave, flexible hours, and remote work are proven benefits that increase satisfaction and engagement.

Smart Circle named an Orange County Top Workplace in 2021!

At Smart Circle, we are proud to hold an Orange County Top Workplace title for five years running. We attribute our success to valuing our employees and working hard to create a workplace culture that reflects our mutual goals. We dedicate ourselves to creating and maintaining a welcoming workplace for all, listening, involving our employees in important decisions, ensuring employees are in preferable roles, offering learning and development opportunities, encouraging philanthropy, and providing excellent employee benefits.