How To Increase Employee Engagement
1. Foreword
Employee satisfaction and commitment at work is the foundation of a happy and well-functioning working environment. A committed and satisfied employee motivates others around them and helps to enhance the company's reputation as an employer. Despite this, many employees feel that they are not involved in decision-making, that their opinions are not listened to or that their work is not valued. Such a work culture can lead to employee burnout and foster a constant need for new recruits.
In order to create an effective working environment and to actively involve employees, both the nature of the work and the individual characteristics of the employee need to be taken into account. It is therefore important for employees to get to know each other better in order to work better together and motivate each other. In the following, we will look at different ways of getting employees more involved in the work culture and making them feel like a valued member of the family.
Keywords: employee satisfaction, work culture, work motivation, burnout, successful employer, employee engagement
Table of Contents
2. Showing Trust
Over the last few years, working remotely has become increasingly popular and, depending on the nature of the work, can be offered by many companies, giving employees the opportunity to plan their own working hours. However, many managers tend to micromanage, requiring employees to report progress and be responsive at every step. Such constant control can, however, lead to increased stress and a feeling of mistrust.
Work environments can be different, so instead of constant monitoring, it can be more efficient to do progress reports at regular agreed upon times, where everyone can get an overview of what’s being worked on.
As working remotely can often mean that the only external social contact a worker has is during meetings with other workers, it is good practice to conduct such meetings via video and not to start the conversation immediately with work problems. Why not also have virtual coffee breaks where work is not discussed at all, as has become popular in the Swedish fika culture.
Since employees may not be able to see each other face-to-face when working remotely, it is also possible to motivate each other beyond the work, for example by setting team and company challenges, which would encourage participants to compete to push themselves or educate themselves.
3. Employee Involvement in Decision-making
It is important for a happy and committed employee that, whatever the size of the tasks they are doing, their work is important and contributes to the company's goals. According to the Harvard Business Review, it is very important for an employer to demonstrate how an employee's performance contributes to the organisation's purpose. Therefore, it is also important that the objectives and the employee's role in achieving them are clearly understood. Involvement in decision-making and discussion of issues shows the employee that their opinion is important and, even if it is a minor issue, that they have been heard.
For a positive work culture to emerge, it is important that employees have a shared understanding of what they are doing and what they are working towards. Allowing employees to make small decisions and come up with new ideas on how to solve a problem also gives the company a chance to see things with fresh eyes and helps build trust.
4. Employee Recognition
Gallup research shows that it is easier to keep an employee who is recognised and appreciated at work than one who is not. Regularly acknowledging employees and trusting their ideas creates a sense of doing the right thing. This is why it is important to highlight both excellent teamwork and individual contributions towards achieving goals.
However, employee recognition does not always have to be about work. For example, if an employee has achieved a sporting feat outside of work, recognising them will encourage other employees to lead a more active lifestyle.
5. Motivating Working Environment
In order to achieve work objectives, it is important that the working environment also meets the expectations of the employee. To develop a pleasant and comfortable working environment, it is first necessary to understand what the employee's expectations and needs are and how best to meet them. That's why it's a good idea for companies to keep up to date with new technological solutions that could make their employees' lives easier.
But a good working environment is above all about happy people. Allowing people to socialise and spend leisure time together in the work environment helps employees to socialise and relax in a situation where they would otherwise not be able to do so. Shared lunches, board game tournaments or exercise challenges can help employees to connect better and get to know each other. An exercise challenge planned together at lunch can become a great way to get into the habit of finding new and exciting activities to do together.
6. Supporting Healthy Habits
Supporting employee health and well-being is as important as creating a good working environment. A healthy and well-rested worker is better able to cope with stressful situations and is more immune to potential burnout. Employees who feel good about themselves are better able to concentrate on the tasks at hand and do not feel that work is draining their energy.
Mental health should also not be forgotten. According to the Mental Health Foundation, mental health problems affect around fifteen percent of workers. That's why it's important to regularly check how people are doing and, if necessary, offer activities to support mental health.
Promoting a healthy diet and physical activity in the workplace can help guide employees towards healthier lifestyles. Cross-company wellness challenges, such as those offered by YuMuuv, are a good way to keep fit with colleagues and motivate each other. This collective commitment to activity and health boosts employee well-being and demonstrates their importance to the company.
7. Summary
A committed and satisfied employee is more likely to influence and motivate those around them. In order to make employees feel part of the company, it is important to involve them in decision-making and to show trust. Recognition of the employee, both individually and as part of a team, also plays an important role in demonstrating the importance of their work and personality. It is important to value the employee's health and to create a pleasant working environment with opportunities to take a break off work and work-related activities. It is also useful to promote healthy lifestyles and physical activity, for example through activities and challenges, in order to improve cooperation between employees and to motivate each other.
