Employee engagement is a workplace approach & an emotional connection which all team members feels towards their organization, that tends to influence their behaviors and level of effort in work-related activities. It is basically an approach of making such a workplace environment where employees look after what they are doing.
To perform a task in an efficient manner, emotional attachment is necessary. There has been a change in how employees define happiness nowadays. Earlier, spending time with family and pursuing hobbies were the sources of happiness. But with work-life being a serious a part of our lifestyle, happiness at work is what now everyone seeks.
There are several barriers to employee engagement on which every organization has to keep their eyes:
- Lack of work-life balance
- Growth and recognition
- Communication channels are saturated
- Engaging leadership behaviors don’t always come naturally
- Bringing the rest of the organization along
The success of a corporation is directly proportional to the happiness of its employees and the way engaged they’re in their work.
So how does one balance these factors and make an environment which works best for your employees? By planning logical engagement strategies.
Mindless Employee Engagement Strategies, Which Are Failing You!
- The “No” approach: simply throwing parties, of course everyone loves to hangout, but leaders should understand that they are “seeking engagement with organizational goals” and not just making them good friends.
- The Shallow Approach: If you give your employees a hike only to spice up their morale or make them engaged, then you would possibly want to reconsider or think about into it. A hike would definitely help your employees and make them happy for a short period but won’t help in your retention rates or engagement at the end of the day. This is what I meant by a shallow approach. Employee engagement isn’t a trend or tactic to follow. This is often a deliberate and consistent effort to empower, motivate and have interaction with your workforce and align them together with organizational goals and objectives.
- Inconsistent Approach: don’t make the entire process a shallow one-time affair. If you’re not consistent in your efforts, it might do more harm than good.
- Not Knowing What Your Employees Want: Often organizations follow the routine and conduct employee engagement programs for the sake of it and fall through on their faces.
Employee engagement is the workplace approach for all the members and creating an environment that suits all and helps each and everybody to offer their best. So if you’re getting to design the proper employee engagement strategies, then make one that suits your company’s culture and its members. If you’re taking care of the employees’ needs and build strategies around those aspects, you’d not only create an engaged workforce but also enhance the general employee experience.
Offer Development Opportunities : Irrespective of the industry, all employees need a chance to grow and thrive in their career of choice. Unfortunately, many businesses forget that their hires want challenges, development, and opportunities! You should:
- Implement individual development plans supported your hires goals.
- Offer mentorship and training to employees at every level.
- Deliver training on a daily basis for essential skills, like teamwork or leadership training.
Deliver Transparent Leadership
How does one create leadership that employees can commit themselves to? Here are the simplest belongings you can adapt:
- Communicate openly
- Deliver good benefits and compensation
- Provide job security (or guide them how to secure themselves!)
- Deliver on promises
- Operate ethically
Share information about the company’s values on social media to enhance your employer brand (only if you are truly living the same!). Give employees how to attach with both in-house and remote colleagues, and confirm that you always follow through on your promises.
Invest in Work-Life Balance
If you’re hoping to make a team of high-performing employees this year, and within the years ahead, then you would like to start out by bringing more flexibility into the office. Determine what your staff must work on their best and check out your best to offer it to them, as an example, you can:
- Implement flexible working schedules with remote work days.
- Give people the prospect to figure remotely once they produce other commitments in place.
- Discuss the individual needs of your employees with them when putting schedules in place.
Make Engagement a Social Concept
Perhaps one among the most important reasons why employee engagement is suffering so badly today is that we’re specialized in the incorrect things. Ultimately, employees are people, and therefore the neatest thing you’ll do to enhance the state of your workforce is to urge to understand those people.
One of the biggest factors in how successful, happy, and engaged your employees feel at work, is their ability to attach with others on a social level. For instance:
- Find out what their challenges are, what they want to accomplish and work with them to achieve mutually-beneficial goals
- Build the relationships which will make your team desire they belong to something bigger than themselves through team bonding exercises – connect people with the broader purpose of organization not just what they are doing today or tomorrow.
Commit to Better Health and Wellness
At work when team members feel stressed and overwhelmed, they’re more likely to neglect their career and suffer from reduced engagement. To boost the wellness of new hires moral duty of organization is to deliver a better work-life, but you can also take the strategy one step further with your own wellness programs at work
- Encourage regular breaks throughout the workday to attenuate feelings of stress and overwhelm.
- Give hires time to require part in healthy activities at work, like yoga or short walks round the building.
- Offer discounts on healthy food packages and gym memberships.
Take Employee Engagement Online
Socially-engaged employees are naturally more likely to remain with their current employer, and that they also feel more connected to and inspired by the brand. Of course, getting employees on social media with an advocacy strategy is simply one among the methods you’ll require to employee engagement online. You can also:
- Curate content for employees to share. This not only helps to enhance your brand reputation, but it also gives your staff an opportunity to desire they’re doing something to assist the corporate, without forcing them to stress.
- Use employee satisfaction surveys. If you’re unsure what your staff wants from your business, you’ll use online anonymous surveys to urge more information. The easiest thanks to start understanding your team is to easily speak to them.
- Write newsletters to keep your employees updated about business best practices, where your company is headed, and what you would like to realize. Employees feel more engaged, when they see themselves making progress towards crucial company goals.
Build an Exciting Company Culture
Company culture is a foundation that a business must work on consistently. For instance, you can start by:
- Speaking to your current employees and asking them how they might describe your company culture. Find out what your business means to your existing hires, and check out to create on the items you wish, and alter the items that simply don’t work.
- Get involved in volunteer work or ask your employees to hitch you in supporting a community cause. Remember, it’s not enough to inform your hires about the items you value, you furthermore may got to actively show your commitment to those things too.
Recognize and Celebrate Your People
Lack of recognition is their main reason for leaving employment.
- Celebrate with the team: When a private accomplishes something for your business. This will help to create connections between employees and remind them of the effect their work has on people.
- Get to know the people behind the employee. Congratulate them once they lose that weight they’ve been trying to urge obviate or marry to their fiancé.
Conclusion
Confine mind that your efforts to keep your employees happy and engaged need efforts and consistency. But if you genuinely invest some time and put efforts, you’d soon create a workforce which will thrive.
Author:
Mamta Balwani: an MBA graduate is associated with J.Hirani as a Business Analyst. Extrovert by nature, she is always open for new challenges. Her conscientious and straight forward attitude has helped her in achieving success at every project she takes in her hand. She has worked with industries such as Forex, Energy & Power, Apparels, Education, and COVIID – 19 safety products.
Co – Author:
Keyuri Patel, an engineer who has mastered refining cultures and leadership, is associated with Jagdish Hirani & Associates as a Project Manager. She is consistently improving the conversion of strategies from design boards to ground team. She has a wide experience consulting organizations in the fields of BFSI, Education, Textile, Outdoor Media, Technology, Garments, Architectural Hardware, Travel and Event Management. Apart from contributing to the consulting projects she is also leading people initiatives at J.Hirani.
Success Mantra “Don’t say “yes” if you are not convinced”. Understand that ultimately it’s your team (not machines, technology, money or product) who drives your organization.
About J.hirani: J.hirani is a Strategic Transformation team which works as a growth partner for different organisations in various industries by providing services like Agile transformation, Scenario mapping, Strategic alignment, Balance scorecard, Digital transformation, Incubating new ventures, Operation excellence and Aligning human capital.
©J.hirani, Importance of Employee Engagement in an Organization, November, 2020. All rights reserved
