Employee engagement is vital for a business to perform to its full potential, but what is it, and how can you nurture it?
Read on to better understand why an engaged employee is such an asset and how you can foster engagement within your team.
What is employee engagement?
Employee engagement is when a member of staff is not just working for the paycheck. They understand they have an important role to play and care about the company and how it is viewed by the outside world. They carry out their work to the highest standard and are prepared to go over and above the call of duty to help improve the business.
They don’t behave in this way because they are scared of repercussions or because they are expecting an extra reward; they do it because they are engaged.
How do you create an environment where employees do their very best not because they have to but because they want to?
Nurturing employee engagement
There’s no single solution to creating an engaged work ethic within your business; rather, there are many smaller changes to implement.
Here are a few key areas you need to get right.
Provide effective communication
Keeping your team informed means, they could better understand the business’s current performance, what has worked well, and if any problems are arising.
This honest communication makes team members feel like just that, part of the team. They feel valued and understand they play an important role in the success of the business.
Recognize achievements
Rewards for outstanding work are a nice perk, but to simply have achievements recognized both in one-to-ones with a manager or among the whole team, if appropriate, shows their hard work does not go unnoticed. A thank you from the right person can go a long way in the workplace.
Show trust
Trusting your staff to get the job done, working creatively, and managing their own workloads shows you value their talents and believe in their ability to work effectively.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you simply leave everyone to their own devices and offer no support, just that you are allowing them the space to get on with their job without a manager breathing down their neck.
Creating an environment where employee feedback is welcomed also reinforces to employees that their value is recognized.
Both of these things build trust and grows employees’ confidence in themselves.
Create an attractive work environment
You can create an attractive work environment by giving the office a fresh and welcoming design, providing the latest technology, offering staff perks such as free gym membership, and delivering the right training when needed. The best HR and payroll systems can monitor staff performance, and training needs to make sure nothing slips through the net.
Taking care of your employees’ wellbeing shows, you care about them. It proves you are invested in creating a happy workforce and that you want to reward your people for their skills and effort.
So there are many things tied up in nurturing engagement. From building trust, raising smiles, rewarding hard work, and building team spirit, no single thing on its own will work, but find the perfect blend of all of them, and you will reap the benefits of a fully engaged workforce.
