Employee engagement is defined as an extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs and are committed to an organization. At the same time, employee engagement is a goal that employers or team leaders (depending on niche and type of work) aim to achieve in order to grow the business and succeed in the competitive market. Great leadership skills also include the ability to engage the employees and improve the overall working environment. This doesn’t have to be such a difficult task. Keep reading to find out how to achieve this goal easily.
Is employee engagement that important?
Employee engagement is often times underrated or entirely ignored, which is a big mistake. These figures show why you should, definitely, focus more on employee engagement.
As you can see, employee engagement is an important factor for business success. This also explains why a growing number of companies and organizations are striving to incorporate different methods to improve engagement of their employees. You can do that as well! Communication is the key, but here are a few tips and tricks to put words into action.
Make your goals and expectations clear and specific
Yes, communication is vital for employee engagement but it is important how you communicate. In order to make your employees more involved, you have to be specific about what you want. People want to be a part of company’s future, but they also want to know more about priorities at work. Gather your team and make your goals and expectations clear. This will help employees visualize the bigger picture, work harder to achieve that goal, and feel like they are truly a part of your organization.
Use surveys properly
Using a survey is the easiest and one of the most effective ways to improve employee engagement. Answers from your employees allow you to gain valuable insight for necessary improvements i.e. it is easy to identify strengths and weaknesses in the team and workplace. At the same time, surveys show you care about opinions of team members.
As much as they’re incredibly useful, you should still be careful when creating your survey. It is not uncommon for businesses or organizations to include questions that are irrelevant. Questions and data from the survey have to be specific, relevant, and actionable. You can use tools and platforms to make your survey. For instance, OfficeVibe created a template that you can use for employee engagement and you can get it here.
Celebrate achievements
Every person on this planet likes to feel validated. Your employees will be engaged better when they feel they are a part of your organization. “The role of great leadership is to show how much you care for your employees and recognize efforts they make. That’s why you should take some time to celebrate and acknowledge both financial and non-financial achievements, personal milestones of some employees, any type of progress. “ – says Mary K. Jenning, Marketing Consultant at ProWritingPartner.
Lead by example
As seen in the diagram above, employees who aren’t satisfied with their manager are usually disengaged. Some team leaders or managers expect certain goals, behaviors, even engagement but they offer nothing and don’t even follow their own rules or guidelines. Don’t be one of those guys! Leading by example is, by far, the best way to lead. Inspire others by demonstrating you’re not an exception from the rule. When expecting employees to do something or behave/work a certain way, make sure you do it as well. That way, you will build a healthy relationship with your employees.
Be present
Hectic days are nothing new in the business world nowadays, but you should still engage with your employees even just for a few minutes. Being actively present in the same room with your employees, particularly during hectic or stressful times, plays a big role in their perception of you as a leader. If you don’t engage with your employees regularly, they’ll feel disconnected. In turn, the working environment becomes dysfunctional. Take a few moments to catch up with your employees and you’ll notice a drastic change in engagement.
Other things to do
Don’t just talk, learn to listen to your employees
Don’t ask “who did this?” but “what can we learn from this situation?”
Stay calm and positive
Show less ego, more empathy
Share information with your employees, don’t keep them in the dark
Allow employees to express their opinions and ideas
Give immediate and constructive feedback
Use team meanings to make sure every voice is heard and don’t dismiss someone’s suggestions
Bottom line
Employee engagement is a vital factor for business success. Disengaged employees are unhappy employees who don’t do their best and the entire working environment suffers. Communication is crucial for employee engagement and a sign of strong leadership. Use these tips to engage your team members easily.
