Is employee engagement a problem for your organization? Ever think your employees are just showing up for the paycheck?
There’s probably a lot going on in their lives, but at the end of the day they’re just not engaged in their work.
Improving employee engagement is obviously a must-have for every leader, but what does it mean?
Well, an engaged employee is the one who feels enthusiastic about coming to work every single day.
They are positively absorbed by their commitments, share the same vision and goals as the company, and are ready to go above-and-beyond in furthering those causes.
Sounds like a dream scenario, doesn’t it? Well, it’s definitely not impossible.
So how do you improve employee engagement?
Make sure they are well compensated
Everyone works for earning money, right? What if you don’t get what you deserved?
Of course, financial satisfaction precedes everything else.
More often than not, a lot of talented employees are left underpaid—for a variety of reasons.
Make sure to see that all employees are fairly compensated as per their skills, talents, and contributions.
Acknowledge their accomplishments
Who doesn’t like appreciation after hard work?
Just a pat on the back, a word of appreciation, or simply saying ‘well done’ can go a long way in making sure your employees do not find a reason to switch to someplace else.
Nurture the manager/employee engagement relationship
An employee’s immediate point of contact is the manager.
This relationship needs more nurturing than any other.
If an employee feels like he/she can trust the manager, they’ll look forward to coming back enthusiastically every single day.
After all, you know what they say: “People don’t leave companies, they leave managers.”
Make constructive feedback sharing the norm
The one point where employees will surely feel disengaged is if they’re not given any feedback.
Occasional feedback can help them to improve further.
Make sure the feedback you provide helps them to be more constructive in their job.
Also, while sharing feedback make sure to mention the strengths of the employee first followed by their shortcomings; the idea is to keep the learning active.
Embrace flexibility in working hours
The best companies with most engaged employees are fostering a culture of work-life balance.
One perfect way to do that is to give people the option of ‘working from home’ every once in a while.
It creates the illusion of freedom, and who doesn’t love freedom & flexibility?
Closing
Building and improving employee engagement is not rocket science. You need to treat your employees how they want to be treated and you will reap the benefits.
So, are you ready for the challenge?
