The needle doesn’t seem to be moving up on employee engagement. Through numerous studies and surveys, it’s an undisputed fact that the vast majority of workers are disengaged. Employee disengagement costs organizations between $450 and $550 billion annually (The Engagement Institute), a costly side effect to say the least. Solving the engagement issue is no easy task, in part because companies don’t always identify what engagement really is, and therefore, find it impossible to measure that which is not defined.
However, here are 3 ways to generate engagement with your employees:
Recognition
In an analysis of over 10,000 businesses by Gallup, they found that individuals who receive regular recognition and praise:
- Increase their individual productivity
- Increase engagement among their colleagues
- Are more likely to stay with their organization
- Receive higher loyalty and satisfaction scores from customers
- Have better safety records and fewer accidents on the job
Recognition of a job well done can powerfully transform an employee’s psyche, making him or her feel important and noticed. In the ever-increasing world of technology, the ability to point out the effort and successes of employees can bring a much-needed human element. The simple act of being recognized for a job well done can be the difference between an employee staying through thick and thin, and leaving within the first 45 days.
Find ways to recognize your staff, from the new hire to the most senior employee, in ways that encourage them. People love to be noticed and rewarded, especially by their peers.
Create a Feedback Culture
No matter the generations, all workers want to be appreciated and heard. They want to make a difference, and be part of solutions. Gone are the days where management makes all the decisions and barks out the orders, sending their employees scurrying unquestioningly to carry out the work. Today’s workforce wants to find solutions to problems, wants to innovate, and wants to create.
There is now power in asking, “What do you think?” to your employee. But beyond getting input and feedback from your staff is the importance of actually utilizing their thoughts and contributions. Part of creating a feedback culture is allowing employees to answer questions honestly, but also implementing their ideas where appropriate. Giving room to give feedback without moving on given input will only serve to shut-down engagement further, as well as prevent strong feedback that could be beneficial for the company.
Career Development
Forget the yearly evaluations, those are so 2016. If you want to engage your employee long-term, spend time developing his or her career. Through consistent coaching, training, and real-time feedback, you can help put your talented employees on the path that they want for their career. By focusing on her goals and what she really wants in her career, you can help her progress to making her dreams become a reality. Listening to your employee and helping them paint the picture of their future lets them know that there is room for advancement, and that you care about the well-being of their future.
As Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” By helping your employees get what they want out of their career, you will find that you have what you need from them in terms of innovation, production, performance, engagement, and more.
Implement these 3 methods to bring about an enriched culture that produces engagement in your company. Recognize your employees, value their feedback to address challenges with your company, and help them develop the roadmap to their career, and you will see tremendous results felt through your entire company because of their high engagement.
