A common problem faced by large and small corporations is employee engagement. All managers, at one point, ask themselves, “How do I keep my staff engaged in their tasks so that they remain happy?” The goal is to prevent high employee turnover because it leads to an expensive turnover. It includes termination costs, vacancy costs, replacement costs, and productivity costs. If you want to avoid these costs, then finding ways to motivate your staff is an excellent solution. There is a common misconception that monetary rewards are the only way to keep employees engaged. It is not true; below, we define engagement and give you six tips on how to accomplish this with your staff.
What is Employee Engagement?
Having a staff engaged goes beyond than them simply liking their jobs. Engagement is about how committed employees are to the business, its success, and to the values the company represents. According to NutCache, “Engaged employees will have a clear view and understanding of the objectives of the work they are doing.”
However, as a manager, you first measure engagement to determine what level of action you need to take. Nut Cache suggest a using a survey that is supported by benchmark date that you can compare your results too. For example, other companies that have completed the same questionnaire. This comparison is vital in determining whether your scores are high or low.
How to Build Employee Engagement
Now that you have measured your staff’s engagement, here are some tips to get employees to work harder but still enjoy what they are doing. here are some tips to get employees to work harder but still enjoy what they are doing.
- Have A Clear Vision. As we have mentioned above, employees are most engaged when they have a clear vision of what is expected of them and how their work contributes to the success of the company. When this is done, they become emotionally invested in their work as they don’t want to disappoint their supervisors and company.
- Provide them with the support they need to succeed. Ensure that all of your employees have the training, support, and tools they need to perform their tasks successfully. Provide additional support by scheduling training sessions catered to each job description to give a boost of confidence to your team members.
Uncertainty often leads to mistakes and decreased productivity. So, make sure you speak with each one of your employees to ensure that they have everything they need. - Communication is King. A good manager will communicate often and effectively. However, this is not a one-way communication limited to performance expectations, progress reports, and task assignments. There should be an open two-way conversation where employees feel that their ideas are heard and taken into consideration. Allowing them to share their opinions will show your team that they’re valued, and therefore, their motivation and productivity will increase as a result.
- Give Feedback Posthaste. Feedback should be given as often as possible instead of on a monthly or quarterly basis at job performance reviews. Both positive and negative feedback should be given immediately. Doing this will allow employees to self-correct their behavior before it becomes a more significant issue. While providing immediate positive feedback encourages the same level of performance.
- Small Gestures Have A Large Impact. A small gesture can be as simple as a “Thank you!” for doing a great job. Praise is a great motivator survey by McKinsey Quarterly in 2009 discovered that “praise from immediate supervisors and attention from company leaders were found to be just as important or more important than financial rewards.” Other gestures such as randomly rewarding gift cards to commemorate anniversaries, birthdays, or a job well-done are a great way to recognize an employee’s hard work.
- Allow Your Staff to Lead. Give each of your team members a chance to be in a leadership position. Rotating roles among the team members will remove monotony and give newfound respect for others work. Letting other members take charge of a project is a good excellent way to show that you trust and believe in your team. The leadership position will also give them a sense of invested ownership since the success of the project relies on their direction. Make sure to provide guidance and support for those who don’t feel comfortable in a leadership position. Giving support is especially important when the results are not what was expected. Constructive criticism and recognition of what was done well are vital in helping employees to grow.
Why is Employee Engagement Important?
We have already mentioned that a motivated workforce reduces employee turnover. Other than the costs that come with turnover, other losses that occur, such as the time and effort you took to build and train your team. So, you will not want to have to replace them! Moreover, an engaged staff is often more productive. A study by the Conference Board (2006) found that engaged employees will outperform disengaged employees by almost 28%. Engagement improving performance is a fact supported by a survey by J.K Harter, who found that companies with engaged employees are 51% more productive than their counterparts. Because of increased productivity, you will also increase your profits. Towers Watson conducted a survey in 2009 and found that companies “with a higher level of employee engagement had 9% higher shareholder return.” Finally study by the Gallup poll (2011) showed that engaged employees had fewer absences- “3.5 fewer days than those who are disengaged.”
Final Thoughts
All employees want to feel that they are a part of the team, that they are heard, and they contribute to the success of the company. All of these have a direct correlation to how engaged employees are with the work they are doing.
Having an engaged team is like skipping rocks at the ponds. Just as the rock causes multiple waves as it skips across the water, the benefits of a motivated staff will be felt by the entire company. A team who cares about their own and the company’s success will be more productive, resulting in higher profits and customer satisfaction. As a result, you will increase your reputation as a trustworthy company and help to establish you as an industry leader.
If you are based in Cyprus or Malta, GRS Recruitment can help you with all your staff needs. We offer tailored staffing solutions to meet all needs. If you are interested, speak with one of our professionals to find out more.