The level of employee engagement you are currently experiencing can have a very big impact on your organization’s long-term health. Having a high level of employee engagement means that you will benefit from an enthusiastic, dedicated, and productive workforce. Unfortunately, some business owners struggle to boost employee engagement, viewing it as one of those confusing and allusive business metrics. However, there are a number of actionable steps you can take to boost employee engagement today.
Understanding Employee Engagement
Before explaining how to boost employee engagement, it is first useful to outline what the term actually refers to. The term employee engagement describes the relationships that your staff have with their work and your business. An engaged employee is absorbed and enthusiastic about their work and will go above and beyond to further the interests of the business. Whereas a disengaged employee might either do the bare minimum or actually try and damage the organization’s interest.
Now that you understand a little bit more about what employee engagement is and why it is so important, it is time to focus on how you can go about boosting this valuable metric in your business.
1. Track Employee Engagement
The first step to improving employee engagement is to understand more about your current levels. Use employee engagement software to track current working levels. This will help you to understand and focus your efforts better in the following steps.
2. Work on Communication
The quality of communication within your organization, at every level, can have a very big impact on employee engagement. Staff must understand their role and purpose within the broader company vision when it comes to employee engagement. All staff needs to understand the purpose of their work, but they also need to feel appreciated for what they are doing.
One study found that not feeling appreciated for their work would cause 79% of people to consider quitting their job. Make sure that there is an open flow of communication between managers and staff at all times. You might want to consider setting up regular feedback and communication sessions between staff and managers to ensure regular communication.
3. Offer Training and Education
Employee development is critical for employee engagement, as it provides employees with the opportunities they need to excel. In addition, you do not have to complete in-person training sessions; the best online learning platforms can easily fit in with any schedule and professional goals.
4. Improve Recruitment Processes
Improving your recruitment processes can have a very big impact on the level of employee engagement within your organization. In addition, restructuring your recruitment processes, so you focus on employee engagement will also help you to save time and money in the long run as you have a stream of incoming staff who will have high levels of employee engagement.
When it comes to hiring for employee engagement, you should pay extra attention to a candidate’s interests. Ensuring that a potential employee’s interests and personality match up to the job, your working culture, and organizational values will help ensure high employee engagement.
