Employee engagement is a reflection of the company management. A well-managed business keeps its workers engaged and satisfied, and in turn, keeps a thriving pool of professionals. This is backed by a study that shows 74% of disengaged employees are either actively looking for employment or keeping tabs on new opportunities.
What is Employee Engagement?
Employee engagement is a human resource concept that refers to the emotional investment workers have for their job and company. It’s the employee’s level of enthusiasm and commitment linked to overall improved business operation. Higher worker engagement translates into higher participation and productivity at work and involvement in the company culture.
Importance of Engaging Employees
Companies globally have seen how keeping an engaged workforce has enhanced their performance. Specifically, studies on the benefits of keeping workers engaged have shown:
- 21% greater profitability in highly-engaged teams
- Employees are 4.6 times more likely to perform their level best when they feel they’re being heard
- 89% of workers coming from companies with welfare initiatives recommend their work
Strategies in Boosting Employee Engagement
1. Cultivate a diverse workplace. Having people from different backgrounds encourages diversity in thoughts, opinions, and expertise in the workplace due to varied lived experiences. It also invokes a sense of belongingness for underrepresented groups. In 2021, Glassdoor reported that 86% of job seekers factored in diversity in the workforce when applying for jobs.
2. Provide necessary tools and equipment. There is no easier way to extinguish drive in the workspace than keeping things outdated—whether these be current tools or other systems due for revamping. Being equipped with the right tools helps employees simplify work, improve efficiency, and focus on actual productivity. It also keeps away uncalled-for labor in maintaining obsolete programs or procedures that cause employee frustration and dissatisfaction.
3. Initiate relevant training. Training and other upskill programs are the primary growth and development measures at work. It builds employees' skills and lets them know that the company values their professional advancement. Contrary to popular belief, training employees boost loyalty rather than job-hopping tendencies.
It’s also important that training initiatives stimulate thought, encourage action, and catalyze change. This is exactly how our training catalogs at WILL Interactive are tailored. Using our patented technology, we bring training programs that address an array of pressing workplace issues through cinematic, engaging, and interactive movie-based simulations.
4. Recognize employees and teams for their performance. A job well done should be fairly recognized. Doling out incentives or verbal affirmations are the traditional ways of thanking employees for going above and beyond their duties. Some companies have also taken extra measures in recognizing worker and team efforts with celebratory meetings and company displays.
5. Listen to employees and know how they are. It comes as no surprise that workers are motivated and engaged when their company listens to what they have to say and acts on their needs. Moreover, workers are also willing to go the extra mile with work for what they deem as empathetic employers.
6. Start checking in on employees. Knowing how employees are doing at work and at home forges emotional connections. This communicates to workers that their well-being is vital to someone other than themselves and their families and that the company sees and understands the human side of workers. Nurturing human relations at work also results in better communication and interactions in the workplace.
7. Offer a flexible work setup. Options for remote or office work setups are more critical than ever thanks to Covid-19. It’s even sprung into life what we call “hybrid” work which allows work from home and onsite work flexibility. Even with things slowly returning to normal, employees are leaning on flexible working conditions to deliver maximum productivity while maintaining a perfect work-life balance.
Summary
Human resource initiatives in boosting workplace engagement are getting more and more creative and rightfully so. Having a happy and healthy workforce keeps everyone engaged. This ultimately results in higher talent retention, better organization performance, and stronger employee loyalty.
About WILL
WILL Interactive is the sole provider of Choose Your Own Journey™ immersive and experiential training. Committed to learning initiatives that address issues important not only to organizations, but all of society, WILL programs cover sexual harassment prevention, unconscious bias, mental health and many more issues of national concern. Proven in 9 independent studies to positively improve behaviors, WILL's programs are used by many of the most respected names in America including Yale-New Haven Health System, AIG, Mastercard, Mass General Brigham, NIH and the Department of Defense.
WILL delivers off-the-shelf solutions to organizations of all sizes and partners with market leaders to create new, groundbreaking training programs that employees love to use.
Resources:
SHRM: 7 Tips to Increase Employee Engagement Without Spending a Dime
Forbes: 5 Powerful Steps To Improve Employee Engagement
Forbes: 10 Timely Statistics About The Connection Between Employee Engagement And Wellness