Employee engagement has long been neglected in both small and large companies. The good news is more employers start to realize the importance of employees’ retention. They started to try different ways to motivate employees through immersive, value-adding experiences. For any businesses, low staff turnover rate is always a good indicator that shows employees are happy with their job. Motivated employees also means higher productivity and also, better quality work.
With all that said, let’s take a look at the 8 ways to keep your employees engaged.
1. Clear and frequent communication
The idea of “pakikisama” or “sense of belonging” has rooted in the Filipino culture. People often forget that listening plays a large part in effective communication. If you know the feeling of not being heard, then you should know the importance of listening to honest feedback. Always try your best to solve your employees’ concerns.
Being able to have honest conversations with your employees is important to create a sense of belonging in the company. Even if the news aren’t positive, you should still be transparent and not withhold any important information from them.
2. Create a positive work environment
It’s important to ensure the office looks pleasant aesthetically. Imagine it to be the second home for your employees since they are spending at least 40 hours per week there. Having plants around the office is a good mood booster as they release oxygen which helps to reduce fatigue and stress. Also, a softer light is easier on the eyes than fluorescent lighting.
When the workplace is made more comfortable, employees will feel more motivated and work harder.
3. Empower your employees
Everyone responds well to recognition and compliments. All employees want to be appreciated, no matter how big or small their contribution to the company might be. Nobody wants to feel dispensable in a workplace, make sure everyone is treated fairly. It’s important that everyone gets to contribute in different areas. Encourage them to share their career goals and help them to gauge their progress across tasks.
4. Keep things interesting
As the saying goes, the two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom. When your employees are bored at work, it will not only decreases their productivity, but also dampen their morale. Reason being they don’t find their work meaningful. Hence, always keep things interesting at work to ensure your employees are motivated. For example, put a new spin on old ways of doing things and rotate tasks among different people.
5. Recognize your employees’ efforts & reward them
Every employee wants to be valued for their contributions. It doesn’t always has to be in monetary form, sometimes a simple compliment or recognition can make someone’s day. Introduce a good rewards program in the workplace can boost the employees’ motivation. They now have a goal to work towards to instead of working blindly without any rewards. It could be as simple as a weekend getaway voucher or a Starbucks gift card to motivate the team. Instead of the annual performance bonus, reward your employees on a regular basis is more effective in showing recognition. Plus, it helps them to stay motivated to achieve other long-term goals.
6. Create work-life balance
Employees these days especially those from the millennial generation value work-life balance over money. Everyone wishes for a healthy work-life balance, but the millennials demand it the most from their employers. To stay competitive in the current job market, it’s important to prioritize work-life balance to reduce dissatisfaction at work.
How engaging a person can be at work is directly affected by his or her job satisfaction. Hence, the management should always do their best to make sure that the employees are happy with the current condition. Listen to their feedback and take their concerns into consideration before making any decisions that might affect the employees’ wellbeing. Nevertheless, work-life balance should always be a priority to retain and engage your employees, especially the millenials.
7. Create workflow for your business
Workflows can help streamline and automate repetitive tasks, minimize human errors and improving efficiency. As a result, managers can make better decisions faster and employees can work together more productively.
However, it’s not easy to develop a workflow suitable for your business. You must see the big picture but at the same time pay attention to every small details. For example, the working style of your employees, the type of tasks to automate, among others.
8. Promote growth among employees
Your employees need to grow in order for them to serve your company better. Managers can promote growth among employees through many different ways such as seminars, management courses, wellness programs and more. Employees would be more engaged if they feel that the company cares about their career growth and provide them better opportunities.
The importance of making employees feel appreciated should always be prioritized. Follow these advice or be creative with ways to keep your employees engaged and make them excited to go to work!
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