Lately many organizations have questioned why their employees’ lack of motivation makes their days less and less productive. In down economic times, it has become progressively more difficult for leaders in an organization to keep spirits and productivity at their highest level. To solve this issue, leaders of an organization must build a culture where employees feel personally valued, have a sense of purpose and have the ability to make decisions.
What is engagement?
Employee engagement can be fundamentally defined as the emotional connection a person has with their organization that influences the level of exertion in any position. To keep employees engaged at their highest level, leaders must come together to set a clear direction in which the organization must move. On this path, honest and open communication, trust and corporate and personal goals must be shared between leadership and employees.
How can you increase engagement?
Without frequent and authentic communication the level of trust between leadership and employees may be low and results may not be achieved. To ensure each and every employee is engaged, set time for one-on-one meetings to lay out personal and corporate goals that will put leaders and employees on the same course. When goals are met along the way, recognize and reward the performance!
Involve your employees in the customer’s experience and ensure all employees understand their contribution to the end product or service. Ask for input on ways to improve sales and customer satisfaction and commit to implementing some of their ideas.
Employers should also recognize that continuous training and education are very important for growth. Employees want to be and feel valuable to the organization. Surveys indicate that employees who are encouraged by their employers to participate in continuous education see an improved commitment to the organization. Making this employer investment can be a great way to enhance employee contributions and promote continuous learning within your organization.
There are many types of employee engagement activities, including: mentoring, training, team building, feedback systems, employee committees and recognition programs. In order to be successful when implementing any of these programs, there must be a culture of open and honest communication where employee input is acknowledged, respected and implemented.
Improving engagement requires the commitment of all members within an organization; however, a company’s leadership must set the standard and ensure all managers and supervisors consistently model the philosophy. When you have the ability to increase the level of engagement, employee retention will go up, costs will go down, production will increase – all of which are critical to organizational success.
For more information pertaining to programs or activities that help improve employee engagement, go to www.XeniumHR.com or continue reading on our blog.