Re-ignite workers' enthusiasm for work – here’s how
January and February are difficult months for many people - a time of year when it feels like winter is never going to end and people tend to feel at their lowest.
It’s quite easy for that sense of dissatisfaction and frustration to spill over into the workplace, so now is the perfect time to take positive steps to nip those feelings in the bud.
With spring around the corner, and more positive vibes in the air, here are seven actions employers can take to re-engage staff and make them feel good about the year ahead.
1. Listen up
At the start of the year we often get reports of negative trends like resenteeism, a term that describes employees who start to dislike their job, but stay put.
Take action by having one-to-one meetings with disengaged employees to understand the issues making them unhappy. Get their input on what changes they would like to see or what resources they need to become re-engaged.
Simply showing that their concerns and ideas matter to you will make them feel valued.
2. Create a shared vision of the future
To remain invested in the employer/employee relationship, both parties need to feel they have a future together.
Discuss the individual employee’s professional goals and aspirations and help connect these to their role and daily tasks so they can see how their job will help them to progress.
Where there is a misalignment between the employee’s goals and current job, consider whether it’s possible to modify parts of their role, so they see purpose and meaningful progress.
Set goals collaboratively to boost motivation and check regularly on progress.
3. Respond to their desire to learn
Related to the previous point, knowing the company will support their desire to learn new things helps lift spirits and support staff retention.
Invest in training and courses that help staff gain skills for the next step in their career.
This doesn’t have to be expensive. Learning opportunities can be created internally through mentoring, work shadowing or secondments.
4. Help them feel invested in the relationship
Encourage greater autonomy and ownership of projects based on the employee’s strengths and interests. Increase the level of discretion they have to decide how to complete tasks.
Make them project leads, being trusted to have more control over decisions, providing a greater sense of individual empowerment, more invested in work and doing a good job.
5. Spread the love
Friendships and positive relationships with team members and work colleagues make the biggest difference to how an employee feels about work.
Foster positive relationships and community through team bonding. Whether that’s taking time out each week for a team lunch or coffee breaks, or team events to facilitate social connections and build team camaraderie.
Making time for team members to spend leisure time together will increase loyalty, unity and restore a sense of belonging.
6. Show you care
Feeling put-upon creates resentment in any relationship. Check whether the individual is feeling burnt out. If this is the case, consider ways to create greater work flexibility to help them manage work and home responsibilities more easily.
Provide options like flex time, remote working, or temporarily reduced hours or workload after an intense project. By showing you care about their overall wellbeing sends the message that they are valued on a human level.
7. Show appreciation
Finally, publicly recognise the contribution and progress staff make with rewards, shoutouts and praise.
Validate their work ethic and effectiveness so they realise their efforts don’t go unseen or unappreciated. Gratitude boosts happiness and job satisfaction.
You don’t have to shower employees with expensive tokens of appreciation, small, frequent acknowledgements will keep motivation high. It’s being seen and valued that matters most.
In partnership with Edenred
We help you build stronger connections with your employees to drive higher engagement&performance.
