Increasingly, fewer employees are truly committed to their work. Often, this isn't due to any personal failing, but a workplace that doesn't engage them! The numbers prove it: Employees who are really engaged in their office setting make better workers.
But how do you invest in employee engagement? How can you measure it? Where do you find the best employee engagement ideas?
In this article, we'll break down what employee engagement is and why it matters. Having invested, committed employees can make or break your business. Go into each day prepared to foster an engaging environment.
So read on! We'll show you all the reasons that you want your employees to truly care about their work.
What Does “Engagement" Mean?
No, we're not asking you to make sure all your employees are about to get married. But when they are at work, you want them to be present and mindful of their work. You want employees who are engaged in caring about your business.
Employee engagement describes workers who care about their company's success and vision. They are working not only to receive a paycheck but to further the message that their company puts out into the world. They are working with intention, and enjoy the process of working.
Engaged employees will do more than just their job duties, and with gusto. Investing in engaged company culture will encourage new employees to follow suit. This way, you can create a culture that will last a while.
Why Employee Engagement Matters
Employee engagement is something that's easy to overlook. Especially if you've been running a business for a while, you may be preoccupied with other matters. But taking the time to craft an effective office culture can change your whole business.
Nobody wants a bored workforce. Who wants to look into their office and be met with a dozen half-asleep eyes? Not to mention, boredom and tiredness will kill morale.
That said, there are many benefits to a team of employees who are actively engaging with their work. They will think more critically, feel more fulfilled, and enjoy coming in to work. Then, you'll reap the benefits!
1. Retain Great Employees
You've probably heard the saying before: People don't leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses. If you've ever had a great employee slip through your fingers because the office culture wasn't a match, you know how painful it can be.
Prevent this from happening by taking the time to engage your employees with their work. Great employees want to do work that they can care about. They'll dedicate their time more willingly and more often if they know their investment will be reciprocated.
2. Improve Productivity
People work more when they care. This may seem obvious, but it's easy to watch workers drown in paperwork and menial tasks and lose their spark. However, if they can feel that they're doing paperwork for a better cause, they'll work harder.
An attractive, engaging office culture will also make employees more likely to arrive early or stay late. It may also become easier to ask for previously-stubborn employees to work overtime. The increased productivity will show itself in your profits!
3. Attract Better Talent
Why do you think so many people want to work at Google? It's not just the open floor plan and in-house Starbucks. It's because they know that they'll care about their work there.
Create a workplace you'd want to be a part of. People will notice, and they'll want in on it. This widens your pool of applicants and potential employees.
This point goes off of our first one: that you will retain great employees by creating an engaging office culture. These great employees will spread the word about your office environment, and recommend their colleagues to open positions. You'll gain more amazing employees via word of mouth alone.
4. Create a Better Work Culture
An engaging environment will make work easier for you and your team. Long hours, difficult customers, and piles of paperwork will feel easier if the culture is engaging and understanding.
This way, regular stressors will feel less important. Employees will not get as tense or resentful after being engaged with their work. You'll figure out how to keep employees engaged as you go, and craft a long-lasting work culture.
5. Gain Promotable Workers
You already know that bringing in new talent is more expensive than hiring from within. Save yourself onboarding costs by hiring workers that will want to stay and fill leadership roles.
This way, instead of having to go through the rigamarole of interviewing new managers, you can work with someone you already know. You'll be able to create a stronger leadership team and boost morale across the board. Promoting from within is always a smart choice.
Employee Engagement Ideas
Employee engagement surveys are a great first step when looking to improve engagement. Allowing your team to fill out anonymous surveys about their engagement will show you any weak spots in your current management style. You'll get honest feedback about what does and doesn't matter to your employees.
Once you've gotten their opinions, here are a few beginning steps to cultivating an engaged office culture:
- Take time outside of work: Grab a meal, go volunteer, or do an escape room together
- Increase employee recognition: “Employee of the month" is passe; find new ways to recognize your team's effort in unique ways
- Promote self-care: tTeat your employees as people, not just workers; have a “wellness check-in" and let them be human
- Implement a health and wellness program: Incentivize daily meditation, or start a Quit Smoking program to show that you care about their wellbeing
Build Morale and Build Profits
We hope this article gave you plenty of employee engagement ideas and helped bring home the importance of an engaged workforce. Creating an open, communicative office culture isn't always easy, but it is always worth it. You'll be amazed when you see what your team can really do when given a little attention.
If you want more advice on becoming a better leader and executive, check us out at Executive Coaching Now. We're in the business of training good workers to become powerful speakers and leaders. Come see what our professional coaches have to offer!
