Employee engagement is more important today than ever. Why? Well, the following numbers are self-explanatory and quite concerning, to say the least, and maybe an answer to all your queries. Forbes writes, “According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, only 15% of employees worldwide are engaged in their jobs – meaning that they are emotionally invested in committing their time, talent and energy in adding value to their team and advancing the organization’s initiatives. More Gallop research shows that employee disengagement costs the United States upwards of $550 billion a year in lost productivity.”
Now you can understand why disengagement of employees is such a serious problem. However, the situation is still not out of hand as with the use of certain measures, not only can you turn this into an opportunity but also a stepping stone for the growth of your organization. In the business world, challenges and competitions are more rampant than ever. In order to excel and stand at the top of the pedestal, it is imperative to have a workforce that is not only engaged in what they do but also willingly satisfied with their roles.
The Benefits of Employee Engagement
As per Forbes, in any organization, there are three types of employees – engaged (15%), not engaged (67%), and actively disengaged (18%). Yes, those numbers are shocking and that is why it is all the more important to instill proper employee engagement measures as it can yield fantastic benefits for your workforce and organization.
- Higher Productivity
- Higher Retention of Employees
- Lower Absenteeism
- Better Employee Satisfaction
- Happy Employees is directly proportional to increased loyalty.
- Increased productivity improves the company’s revenue.
- The quality of work increases exponentially.
- Cost-effectiveness
- Innovative employee
How to Improve Employee Engagement?
Now, if you are a small-scale business or any other organization finding it hard to keep your employees engaged, you have come to the right place. Below, we have curated a detailed guide for how you can improve employee engagement to generate a positive output for your business.
- Perfect Fit Happens When Employees are Placed in the Right Roles
One of the key aspects of increasing employee engagement is placing your employees in roles that are absolutely perfect for them. This will keep them interested and engaged because of their expertise in that specific role. Otherwise, not just the employee’s talent goes to waste but they do not provide any input to the ultimate aim.
- Training is an Absolute Must
You really can’t expect a new joiner to know how things work around your organization just because HR gave them an overview. Training is an absolute must whenever you have a new addition to your workforce. Additionally, if someone is changing roles internally, even then you must absolutely train them in their responsibilities. This will give the person a rough idea of what’s expected of them, how things work, and how should they function in order to generate maximum output.
- Keep Checking In on Your Employees
A mid-term evaluation or review is now a thing of the past. If you want your workforce to be engaged, you will need to give them regular feedback. It is absolutely mandatory to check in on them and let them know what you think of their performance and if they should stick to how they work or improve in certain areas. Regular review sessions and frequent discussions work wonders and always go a long way.
- Physical and Mental Health is a Priority
Whenever an organization makes an effort to enhance the overall well-being of each one of its employees, it always helps in keeping them engaged. Amidst all the unpredictability, meaninglessness, and existentialism, it is natural for your employees to have certain mental and physical breakdowns. Prioritizing their overall well-being by conducting outdoor sessions, meditation classes, mental health workshops, where they can just focus on themselves, is always a good idea to keep your employees happy. Remember happy employees = happy customers.
- Reward the Top Performers
When a top-performing and hard-working employee is recognized and awarded for their dedication, it gives them a reason to keep doing well, thereby keeping them engaged. Make a point to recognize the top performers of the month across all departments. And don’t just stick to the ones winning the awards but also appreciate the hard work that the others are putting in.
At last, be thoughtful and empathetic to their problems since your employees, too, are human beings. By employing all the aforementioned measures, you’ll surely reap the benefits that an engaged workforce can bring in for your organization. So, what are you waiting for?
