Employee engagement should be one of the top priorities for every brand. Actively engaged and motivated employees are more committed to their company’s goals. They’re willing to invest more time and channel their talents in the most effective ways. They’re also more likely to become brand ambassadors that believe in and promote the company’s values and products or services.
On the other hand, disengaged employees cost businesses between $450 and $550 billion annually.
Despite this significant impact, 36% of businesses see engagement as one of their biggest challenges. In this article, we’ll discuss ways to create employee engagement.
These are some strategies you can use to help your people connect with your brand.
1. Appoint Leaders Your Team Can Trust
Belief in senior leadership is a critical driver of engagement, as is growth and development. This is because team managers are in the position to drive employee engagement by inspiring people, measuring performance and holding employees accountable.
Managers account for 70% of the variation in employee engagement. They have the power to communicate with each employee to make sure their actions align with the organization’s values. Leaders can motivate and engage employees through clear briefings and excellent communication skills. Appointing skilled team leaders is a crucial step towards improved employee engagement. Encourage managers to engage in real-time coaching.
But even simple improvements in management styles could improve engagement. 70% of employees say motivation and morale would increase significantly if managers simply said ‘thank you’ more often!
2. Invest in Employee Development
Stagnation and inertia are often named reasons for why employees end up leaving a company. Younger people now make up a bulk of the workforce. It is important to note that 87% of millennials claim that professional development is vital to them. 83% of employees say they feel more engaged when they can take on new challenges regularly.
It is no surprise then that development opportunities improve retention and engagement. Development helps employees feel like they are growing and fulfilling their potential. This keeps jobs interesting and deters feelings of stagnation and boredom.
3. Improve the Workplace Environment
The typical employee spends about 40 hours a week at work with their team so having a good relationship with co-workers has a significant impact on job satisfaction and overall happiness. Thus, establishing a working environment where your team can have fun, is imperative to boosting employee motivation.
It also means that your employees are more likely to step in to support colleagues when they need help. Improve the team environment by hosting regular social events and using team-building exercises.
4. Set the Right Expectations, Starting with Recruitment
The candidate experience can have an immediate impact on an employee’s future engagement with the company. False expectations during the recruitment process can disillusion hires about their job. Employees that are confused about their role struggle to perform well and lack direction. Screening new hires for cultural fit during the recruitment and selection process can be invaluable.
Communicate all responsibilities, requirements, and expectations early to ensure candidates are a good fit for the role. Keep enforcing these expectations throughout their employment so that there is consistent clarity.
5. Show Appreciation and Provide Feedback
Glassdoor found that 80% of employees will stay at a job longer if they feel appreciated by their boss. Some form of recognition each week can boost motivation and reinforce employees. Appreciation goes a long way in making employees feel like their work matters! This will make them more likely to care about their performance and to set high standards for themselves consistently.
6. Enable Employees to do Their Jobs Well
Most employees want to perform well and do their job well. However, external factors may make this difficult. If there isn’t the right equipment to make their job easy, employees could get frustrated with their work. Ensure employees have everything they need to work as effectively as possible.
Minor but significant ways to do this is by providing healthy and well-equipped workspaces. This includes comfortable office chairs and desks. Employees also value software and hardware, and the statistics back this up. 92% of employees say having the technology to do their job well affects their work satisfaction.
Increase Employee Engagement by Aligning and Rewarding Core Values
A vision grounded in shared core values can be aspired to by all employees. A brand’s values and vision can provide employees with a sense of purpose. This is deeply important to the modern worker. 80% of employees feel more engaged when their work aligns with the core values of the organization. SERVICEBRAND GLOBAL can help your brand define and communicate its values to drive employee engagement. Engagement and Brand identity are two of the driving factors we consider. We help businesses deliver sustainable and value-aligned customer experiences. Get in touch to see how we can help you improve employee engagement.