Many companies focus their resources on the external branding front to achieve a company brand. However, in today’s competitive economy, neglecting the internal environment and failing to provide an engaging, challenging, and appealing workplace can prove fatal to their success. That is why employee engagement is such an important topic if you want to build a thriving business.
But what exactly is employee engagement, and what initiatives are worth trying?
Namely, the concept of employee engagement is built on HR experience, positive psychology, and business models aiming to engage company talent towards a productive success culture. And there are many tactics companies can use to strengthen and nurture the relationship between their employees and the company.
Here are our top six employee engagement initiatives that you can use:
1 Celebrate Employee’s Work Anniversaries
Employee anniversaries are a great way to increase employee engagement as they help you foster employee loyalty while showing how much you care. As employees are constantly evaluating their place at your company, especially during times like this, it is wise to get them excited about what’s to come by deploying creative work anniversary ideas for employees to celebrate their big day.
From gifting or throwing a party to giving them an extra day from work or featuring them online, taking time to celebrate their anniversaries will definitely reload their energy. Furthermore, it will fill them with meaningful recognition and celebrate their hard work. You can also use them as a way to glue your teams together.
2 Support Employee’s Wellbeing
With so many tasks at hand, it is easy for your employees to get burnout and struggle with productivity. That is why it is essential to recognize when they feel overwhelmed or struggle to focus.
For example, to help them out, you can encourage them to invent their restart routine that will quickly get them back on track and increase their motivation. In this sense, you can offer them self-care days, cover their fitness and wellness activities or give them 2-3 hours a week to pursue personal projects. Supporting your employees when they face mental hurdles by encouraging them to establish restart routines will make you a trusted employer and help them identify with your company’s mission and values.
3 Empower And Show Respect
Having the decision power creates a great sense of responsibility and ownership. So, do not micromanage and let your employees be their own leaders whenever possible. This way, you will be able to build trust and increase employee engagement. Also, make sure you treat your people with kindness, courtesy, and politeness.
Encourage everyone to share their ideas, listen to them actively, and never interrupt or put in your two cents before they are finished. That should be the cornerstone for all your office interactions.
4 Consider Raising Salaries
According to a Gallup study, 44% of the employees are willing to take the job to another company for a raise of 20%. However, this percentage drops to 30% for employees who work in an engaging environment. Simply put, a well-paid employee is usually a highly motivated employee.
For this reason, consider rewarding your high-performing employees with raises that will inspire them to keep working at a high level. That can also be motivational for other team members as it will give them something to strive for.
5 Remind People Of The Company’s Values
It is imperative to remind employees, once in a while, what your company stands for, as it gives them guidance for their work and a sense of security. Keep in mind that when your company values are clear, your people understand your company goals better and work better in line with the values.
As a result, they will get clear guidance on achieving goals, which will motivate your employees to perform better. Ultimately, when you remind your team why they are doing what they are doing, they engage better and more.
6 Ask For Feedback
One of the best ways to increase your employee’s engagement is to ask for their feedback. That is a great way to get valuable insights into your work practices and strategies and see which work and which don’t. It is also a great way to learn what your team wants in capacity building and training. Also, make sure you offer a framework that employees can use with confidence and honesty.
Demonstrate that you value their input and, more importantly, that you act on it. Remember, this is also good for you. By collecting and analyzing your employees’ feedback, you can build on your strengths and improve your weaknesses. In the long run, it will help you achieve better results with your team and increase their engagement.
Conclusion
Working on employee engagement (and satisfaction) requires time and creativity. Never settle for a quick fix, as every team and company is different. Instead, use our six proven initiatives to start developing a long-term employee engagement strategy. Remember that you need to set clear objectives and action steps, for example, yearly, and then re-evaluate and build on it.
