5 Strategies for Increasing Employee Engagement
Keeping employees engaged at work can sometimes be a difficult task. But it doesn’t have to be! Karen Crone, Chief Human Resource Officer at Paycor, defines employee engagement as the extent to which your employees:
* Talk positively about the company
* Stay with the organization
* Offer discretionary effort
When employees are engaged, they become advocates for your company. Time and time again research has proven that happy and engaged employees work harder and work better. In a Paycor webinar, Karen explained the importance of employee engagement and suggested five employee engagement strategies simple to increase the effort your associates invest in the workplace.
1. Communicate how performance aligns with the business
When there is a clear connection between an associate’s work and business strategy, a line of sight is created that gives them a reason to come to work and put in their best effort. By being open and acknowledging the dedication of your employees, you make their work more fulfilling.
2. Offer work challenges & a chance for input
Neither managers nor their employees can do their best work on their own. When your managers are willing to collaborate with associates and delegate some tasks, everyone is able to do their job effectively and hear a variety of points of view. If employees feel trusted and that their work is important, they will naturally feel more inclined to do it well.
3. Personalize career development
The workforce, especially with the addition of the Millennials, is becoming more focused on how on-the-job experiences can improve an employee’s skill set and their company’s future. Some great ways to foster personal development within the workplace include:
* Creating affinity groups
* Having employees self-assess their strengths and weaknesses
* Using subject matter experts within your company as teachers
4. Develop great managers
Developing great managers is especially important, because the three previous tips all depend on having managers who are invested in their associates. By keeping managers informed and engaged, their job of encouraging employee engagement becomes much easier.
5. Re-recruit employees
These days, recruiting new talent is a major focus, but there needs to be an emphasis on engaging existing employees as well. Periodically check in with your employees to assess their “flight risk” and make sure their concerns are being addressed to assure them that they are being heard and appreciated.
In today’s business world, only one in three employees is engaged and skilled workers are always in demand. The fact is, your dissatisfied employees can and will take their talent somewhere else. The average cost of turnover is $20,000 per employee, so making sure your employees are fully invested definitely pays off.
Free Whitepaper: Employee Engagement: Why You Can't Afford to Get it Wrong
Did you find this article useful? Check out our free whitepaper on employee engagement or contact Paycor to learn more about how we can help with your HR needs.
The Definitive Turnover Guide
Replacing employees is expensive. Learn the true causes of turnover and what to do about it.
Read NowMore to Discover
Why Diversity in the Workplace Matters
The latest research from the likes of McKinsey and the Harvard Business Review reveal that companies with diverse workforces are more profitable and have greater chances of attracting and retaining top talent. Still, many organizations have been slow to develop inclusion strategies primarily because they’re unsure how to promote and execute these initiatives. Start from the top In McKinsey’s research, they found that companies with the most diverse executives are 33% more profitable. Diverse management teams promote more innovation because individuals from different backgrounds with unique minds and ideas can come together and share input based on past experiences. If you’re looking to optimize a process or solve a lingering issue,...
Warning Signs of Disengagement
Four out of five medium and small businesses say they don’t effectively engage their employees. Why? Because many organizations lack ownership and the resources needed to understand what actually motivates their people. Organizations also tend to ignore the warning signs of disengagement believing a few unhappy employees can’t sway the masses. But similar to bankruptcy, disengagement happens gradually and then before you know it, the majority of your workforce is affected. Only 33% of employees are actually engaged at work, according to a Gallup study. Not only can disengagement quickly spread throughout an organization, but its impact is felt across all areas of the business. From lost productivity to affecting morale and even customer...
How to Create the Ideal Employee Experience
All companies covet an engaged, motivated workforce. When your people are engaged, they don’t behave like an average employee. They’re more like committed volunteers devoted to a mission, always seeking new opportunities to boost morale and make a difference. It’s no surprise then that, according to DecisionWise, in 2017, 73% of executives said employee engagement was a top concern. Yet Gallup’s annual survey of engagement continually finds that only 1/3 of employees are engaged at work. Most (51%) are not engaged and, even worse, 16% are actively disengaged. With so many companies focused on engagement, why don’t we see better results? A primary reason is that not all companies focus on the employee experience. Everything from...