Improving employee engagement is becoming very important as businesses start to realise the benefits. Improving employee engagement helps reduce employee turnover, increases safety, boosts productivity and helps support business strategies. Engaged employees have energy, passion and are committed. They feel like part of the company and thus do their best and go above and beyond what is asked of them for the sake of the business. Many businesses already struggle with improving employee engagement, and this is why we are going to look at some ways in which businesses can improve employee engagement.
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Conduct Employee Engagement Surveys
Measuring engagement is a crucial step in improving employee engagement. Businesses cannot know where to start to improve employee engagement if they do not know how engaged their employees are currently. The best way to do this is through employee surveys. Businesses can get insights from surveys done through employee engagement platforms. These platforms allow businesses to get a 360-degree view of employee engagement and see where the business is thriving.
Employee engagement surveys also allow employees to provide feedback to a business safely because they can be anonymised. This is especially useful where employees fear backlash. The business can show that it cares about what its employees have to say without the fear of retaliation or backlash.
These employee engagement surveys have been used to make informed decisions and to stay ahead of highly competitive business environments. This is because they give employees a seat at the table and allow employees to have a say on what is important and where to focus the most effort for the business to be successful.
The employee engagement surveys can be done throughout the year and used to effect change and inspire employees who know their voice is being taken into account when business decisions are being made. Read Employee Benefits and Hiring in a Time of Uncertainty
Ensure the Business Lives its Mission, Vision and Values
Businesses have to know what their purpose is and what they value internally. Having these things in mind helps employees know that the business is keeping the bigger picture in mind and that it is trying to provide meaning to both its employees and itself. A business that weaves its values into the work its employees do and how it conducts itself helps create a meaningful work environment.
Many businesses already have their missions and visions statements written on their websites and elsewhere. This is usually not enough because employees must see and feel that the business’s long-term vision and values are being taken seriously and incorporated into the business functions.
When employees see the business vision and values being incorporated in this way, they have a better understanding of where the business is going and how these values impact how the business will get there. This makes employees more likely to feel engaged and inspired.
Create a Great Onboarding Process
First impressions matter a lot to new employees. The onboarding process is usually the first way employees engage with the business and sets the tone for how these new employees view the business and what they will be doing in it.
The onboarding process should be created in a way that helps employees connect with the business as well as its values, visions and mission. The onboarding process should also help employees understand how they fit into the bigger picture.
Businesses should use the onboarding process to show new employees the company culture and what makes the business unique. It should also show these new employees what their role in the business and the teams they end up in is. Once employees understand how and where they fit into the bigger picture, they are much more likely to reach and surpass expectations and remain engaged through the time they are with the business.
Provide Employee Career Growth Opportunities
A major reason why people leave their jobs is because they are looking for career growth opportunities. They want jobs that allow their development as people and as employees. Creating clear paths for both personal and professional advancement has been shown to improve both recruitment and employee retention.
Businesses must, therefore, provide opportunities that allow their employees to grow within the business. Doing so discourages employees from leaving and seeking personal and professional growth opportunities elsewhere.
Employees also want to feel supported and cared for as they work for a business. Providing these feelings allows them to create genuine connections that become the foundation upon which they build their success.
The best businesses understand that they must provide support and opportunities for growth if they want to unleash an employee’s potential and get the best out of them. Building relationships that help employees feel safe so they can share their interests, skills and motivations should be a clear focus for businesses that want to get the best out of their employees. Every business should do its best to get the most out of its employees. The best way to do so is by ensuring their employees remain engaged through their time at the business. Doing all the above will go a long way in helping businesses get there.
