Businesses today are increasingly bearing the brunt of employee disengagement. It’s taking a toll on productivity levels, customers are leaving dissatisfied, and even the turnover rates are increasing. According to a Global Workplace Report by Gallup, disengaged employees make up 51% of the workforce. This disengagement is in turn causing a lost productivity of more than $7.8 trillion.
In order to keep up with the fast-paced world and address these issues proactively, employee engagement needs an urgent revival. In this article, we will discuss the various tips employers can use to improve the level of engagement among their employees.
1. Listen and Ask for Feedback
A prominent way to demonstrate engagement with your employees is to listen attentively to them. Addressing their questions and concerns, responding with empathy, and not interrupting when they are talking are ways to show that they are valued. According to Talent Keepers (https://www.talentkeepers.com/), the workplace gains a sense of dynamism when employees perceive their leaders to genuinely listen and respond to their concerns.
Next, regularly talk to employees about how they are doing and look for ways you can make the workplace better for them. Value their suggestions and try to incorporate them into your work processes. Also, provide constructive feedback that helps them grow in their job roles. Performance reviews, meetings, and employee engagement surveys are all ways you can give your employees feedback.
2. Engaged Leadership
Leadership has a direct impact on employee engagement. According to a report by Glint, more than 80% of respondents state that engagement is related to trust in leadership and their relationship with their leaders. For this reason, leaders must work on making themselves more committed to their employees.
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Some prominent skills that a leader requires to exhibit engagement are maintaining a positive attitude, managing stress effectively, and avoiding being negative in the face of challenges. Having positive language and attitude is essential while listening to employees with open eyes and ears is key.
3. Clearly Define Role Expectations
The lines between job roles and responsibilities are constantly blurring. As a result, employees need clarification regarding what is expected of them. In order to clarify these roles, it is crucial to communicate a specific job role’s expectations from the employee.
When employees know exactly what they have to do, have the resources to perform those roles, and identify how their contribution aligns with company goals, it results in greater commitment toward their job.
4. Effective Communication
According to a Gallup report, workers cited disconnectedness from their companies as a primary reason for disengagement. Suppose an employee is not performing to the best of his abilities. In that case, chances are that communication is absent. A study by McKinsey highlights that teams who are well-connected with each other see a productivity boost of 20-25%.
Employers can garner effective communication with employees by keeping them in the loop regarding organizational changes. Moreover, they should be communicated about their roles and responsibilities towards reaching the organizational purpose. Doing these will make employees feel more empowered and dedicated to the company. Companies can also foster effective communication with employees through open-door policies, team meetings, and regular organizational updates.
5. Prioritize Employee Health
All job roles have varying degrees of stress related to performing them. These stress levels need to be kept in check. Otherwise, they can have detrimental impacts on employee health and, eventually, their levels of engagement. In fact, all physical, mental, and emotional wellness factors must be prioritized if you want high-performing employees in your organization.
If you feel an employee has mental health or even physical and emotional issues, offer them flexible working options and mental health days, or even give them some time off for treatment. Revise their workloads and provide clear communication lines so they can seek help when needed. You can also fund their mental health assistance through benefits like lifestyle spending accounts, find out more with Benepass’s LSA guide.
6. Provide Recognition
Employees may begin to feel disengaged at work if they are not duly recognized for their work. It must be noted here that all employees respond to recognition and appreciation differently. Some prefer intrinsic rewards as motivators, such as appreciation, while others prefer extrinsic rewards, such as bonuses.
Giving your employees the recognition and rewards that they prioritize is a surefire way of boosting them up and improving their levels of engagement. Such employees will be more motivated to work towards company goals and be happy and satisfied with their job roles.
7. Invest in Training and Education
Nobody likes to remain stagnant. Employees need organizations that can help them grow in their roles and prosper in their careers. Therefore, employers must form a culture of continuous development with various training and development opportunities available.
If employees feel they are being valued and the organization is committed to their growth, they are highly likely to stay dedicated to the company. Cross-training opportunities, developmental workshops, and courses are all ways you can invest in your employees.
8. Provide the Right Tools
An often overlooked factor when looking for ways to increase employee engagement is the provision of the right tools. That’s right; employees need the right tools to help them succeed in their job roles. These tools can be the right infrastructure, technology, or even a certain work process.
If employees don’t have these, they will in turn face barriers during the performance. In turn, they will be demotivated and disengaged from work. This fact is especially true when considering the increasingly complex nature of businesses that demand employees to be fast-paced and efficient. Supplying them with the right tools will ensure they can meet such business requirements to the best of their abilities.
9. Empower Your Employees
Last but not least, employers need to grant their subordinates ownership at work to improve their levels of engagement. When employees own their work, they feel empowered to set their own goals, decide their approach toward work tasks, and even set their own pace.
Having the freedom and ownership of work duties allows employees to do things the way that works best for them. Other ways to grant empowerment to employees include involving them in decision-making processes, and meetings, and even letting them have a say in other important matters and work processes. This is because employees are the greatest assets of any organization, and their prioritization in all important matters is a must.
