All organisations aspire to have workers who are happy, enthusiastic, productive, and engaged. However, employee engagement is about more than job satisfaction and motivation, although these are important. It’s a “state of mind” in which employees show energy, effort, dedication, enthusiasm, concentration and pride in their work. Here are five steps you can take to build employee engagement.
Define jobs
Provide clarity around roles and responsibilities, expectations, systems, and processes to help employees understand where they fit in the organisation and how their work contributes to your business objectives. Not only does this improve job satisfaction, but it also connects employees to the bigger picture and helps them feel valued.
Provide autonomy
Giving people responsibility for their work creates accountability, allowing them to feel valued and respected. A sense of accountability also encourages employees to take pride in their work. If people are micromanaged the result is a demotivated and disengaged workforce.
Offer progression
It is important to provide staff with opportunities for ongoing training, growth and development. If employees don’t see career progression within the organisation or lack fresh challenges, they can become disengaged and frustrated. Take the time to learn your employees’ career goals and map out a progression plan for them, so they see themselves as part of the company’s future.
Consistent communication
Keep everyone in the loop. Be transparent with your team through open and clear communication. Make employees aware of the wider business goals and decisions that may directly or indirectly impact them. An internal communications strategy can help with this. It could be a weekly, monthly or quarterly team meeting or employee newsletters. There are many ways to keep staff up to date with key decisions and developments.
Acknowledge performance
Recognise and acknowledge hard work and effort. Even a simple in-person thank-you can significantly increase an employee’s sense of value. Make time to thank your team and recognise their efforts, both one-to-one and in front of others. Staff night outs, gift cards and vouchers to acknowledge a job well done can all play a part.
