Top tips for achieving continuous employee engagement
And when we say ‘connect’, we of course mean ‘engage’ with them. You know; have a feeling of enthusiasm about your job, commitment and sheer willingness to go above and beyond to drive success? Well, do you?
If your answer was ‘no’ or perhaps just a shrug of the shoulders and a hushed ‘meh’, you’re not alone. In fact, according to a recent Gallup’s recent State of the Global Workplace poll, a staggering 85 per cent of people surveyed didn’t feel engaged with their workplace. Now, that’s a pretty shocking statistic, and for good reason…
The engagement emergency
The fact is, you can’t build a successful business with disengaged employees. Sure, you may have an industry-leading reputation or world-beating product, but these count for nothing if the people working for you are simply only there for the pay slip.
Disengaged or unengaged employees are not the people to drive companies forward; regardless of the skills and experience they may have. This is not because they necessarily can’t or are unwilling, but because they don’t have that all-important connection with their employers. This is why that little stat we mentioned earlier should concern just about every organisation under the sun – especially when we consider that 2020 could be a really, really tough year for businesses.
So, the question is: how can you engage better with your employees and build those all-important deeper connections that support successful cultures? To help answer this question, we’ve put together some simple top tips that will help support your engagement strategy this year and beyond…
Re-evaluate the company’s work/life balance
There will always be those times where the needs of the business go beyond the usual 9-5, but the most successful businesses with the most engaged employees are embracing flexibility and adopting a progressive approach to balancing the needs of work to the needs of a healthy lifestyle.
If your employees are always answering emails outside of work or consistently starting early or finishing late, consider giving that time back to them in the form of coveted ‘duvet days’ or occasional early finishes. If your employees can do their jobs just as effectively at home, then why not consider flexible working? Both these tips cost nothing but can add real, tangible value to the employee experience and support positive engagement.
Are the company values up to scratch?
Your company’s values have the power to shape both the identity and potential destiny of your business. In fact,research into the subject discovered that of more than 1,000 firms in the Great Places to Work database, there were strong links between their financial performance and the degree to which employees believed their company’s values were being practiced.
So, whilst the vision and values of a business may seem to the uninitiated like nothing more than a nice quote to put on a wall in your reception or on the ‘About Us’ section of a website, there’s actually a hell of a lot more to them than meets the eye! Maybe now’s the time to see if they really resonate with your workforce…
Recognise the employees who deserve rewarding
Recognising and rewarding employees when they go above and beyondis absolute gold when it comes to supporting ongoing employee engagement. In fact, studies have found that up to 87 per cent of employees are less likely to leave an organisation if they’re fully engaged with them – great news for retaining your most valued staff and attracting the best employees the workforce has to offer.
Spruce up the work environment
If you’re at work right now, look around you: Do you think your office is bringing out the best of you and your workforce? Or do you always encounter soul-sapping niggles that make the average day more of a slog than it should be?
Your workplace environment should help you and your people be at their best every day – meaning you’ll be more productive, more engaged and simply happier to be there. Help your employees feel comfortable, let in lots of natural light and encourage regular communications – these all contribute to a healthy environment and an engaged workforce.
Focus on personal growth and development
Finally, training and helping your staff to develop their careers can support continuous engagement because it helps focus the mind and shows you care about their careers. Plus, learning new skills can be enjoyable and encourages people to use their new-found knowledge to become more innovative when approaching challenges in their own job.
If you’ve noticed engagement on the wane, offering some form of on-site or off-site training may just be the bit of stimulation your employees need to help them feel re-invigorated and re-engaged with you and their jobs.
This article is provided by Sodexo.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Pluxee UK
Pluxee UK, is a leading employee benefits and engagement partner that opens up a world of opportunities to help people enjoy more of what really matters in their lives.
