Are your employees engaged at work?
While this may seem like a simple question, there’s probably not a cut-and-dry, yes-or-no answer. Many managers don’t realize just how engaged or disengaged their employees are at work. It may be easy to glance at employees who appear hard at work and assume they are fully engaged — but are they? Does simply completing work mean without a doubt that your staff is as engaged as they could be? In this blog, we will discuss employee engagement and what you can do to help boost it in your business.
Employee Engagement Overview
Employee engagement is a business concept that refers to the relationship between employees and an organization. Engagement can’t be measured with a single metric; it’s a combination of quantitative and qualitative data.
To effectively measure and analyze employee engagement, companies must first set goals that represent what they consider the best level of engagement for their organization. With those goals in mind, they can take the information gathered from employees and determine how successfully they are fostering an environment of engagement in the company.
A few ways that organizations measure engagement include calculating their employee turnover rate, checking employee absenteeism rate, sending out surveys to employees, conducting focus groups, and having one-on-one meetings. Measuring employee engagement and staying informed on the state of engagement can help companies reduce employee turnover and increase retention, both of which can help lessen HR costs. Additionally, stronger engagement can lead to a more efficient workforce and contribute positively to your company culture.
How to Boost Employee Engagement
Now that we know the numerous benefits of increasing employee engagement in your organization, let’s look at a few practical ways that you can help your team members be more engaged with their work and with each other.
Communication from Managers
Communication is critical in any workplace, so maintaining an open line of communication between employees and managers is an excellent first step to building engagement. When employees feel heard, they tend to develop better rapport and trust with managers. In turn, they feel more empowered to share their input about the company. With open and honest communication, it also becomes easier to offer feedback to employees and help your staff improve. If the only reason managers ever talk to their employees is when there is a problem or issue to address, that creates a sense of tension around every managerial interaction. Encouraging consistent back-and-forth communication — for encouragement as well as instruction — helps employees feel like they’re a valuable part of the team, which will likely increase their engagement.
Match Employee Skills to Their Roles
Employees are more likely to stick with companies when they know they can grow and advance their careers. If an employee demonstrates an exceptional skill that isn’t being fully utilized in their current role, find ways to incorporate that skill into their job. This personal attention will show that you’re paying attention to what they do best, and it will give them a chance to build on their strengths and grow with the job.
Viewing employee roles as dynamic positions makes it easier to determine whether an employee’s tasks and responsibilities need to be adjusted. Maybe they can take on additional duties, or perhaps the best course of action includes changing up their existing responsibilities. By allowing your employees to maximize their skills, you can set them up for success and help keep them engaged and motivated in their position.
Discuss Employee Engagement
Our final tip may seem obvious, but one of the most effective ways to increase employee engagement is to discuss the topic directly with your team in a transparent, straightforward manner. Explain why you’re doing what you’re doing and talk about how they can get involved and help you build a stronger company culture. Create an open invitation with an ongoing dialogue about staying engaged, and ask each employee what methods would help them feel more engaged at work.
These three steps may seem like a simple strategy, but simplicity can be incredibly effective. Regular discussion helps foster the healthy communication you want with your employees, and it keeps the conversation of engagement alive within your company. You never know when someone will have a good idea that you haven’t considered yet. Make it a point to include engagement in your next meeting and begin that communication with your team.
If you haven’t focused on engagement in your organization before, now is the perfect time to start. By simply making it a topic of conversation and showing employees that you have a vested interest in their experience at your company, you can lay the groundwork for a significant boost in employee engagement.