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If you’re reading this article, chances are your employees are not as engaged as you would like them to be. Well, guess what? Your team is not the only one facing this challenge.
Improving employee engagement can seem daunting, but in reality, simple actions can make all the difference—and these are often overlooked.
In this article, I will highlight seven effective strategies for improving employee engagement and transforming your workforce into a motivated, high-performing team.
Plus, I’ll share tips specifically for remote employee engagement to ensure your entire team stays connected and engaged, no matter where they are.
But before that, let’s remind ourselves about the importance of employee engagement.
Importance of employee engagement - Why does it matter?
Nobody wants to work in a place that feels like a torture cell. One that raises anxiety and bores the S*** out of employees.
We are all humans, and just as we want to make the best out of our vacations or a movie night, we should also find fulfillment and enjoyment in our work.
Sure, it's not fun and games all the time, and employees have to do the so-called boring stuff, but the overall work environment should be engaging.
This keeps employees motivated to put in their best every time and boosts your company's revenue significantly.
Imagine two people, Alex and Cathy.
Cathy puts her heart and soul into her work and feels great about being a part of your organization. She completes her work on time and, sometimes, without her manager asking, goes above and beyond to get her job done.
Don't you think this will affect the company's bottom line? It sure will, and if the majority of your employees become like Cathy, your company will grow by leaps and bounds.
And that's not just my opinion; the stats support it. Companies with high employee engagement rates are 21% more profitable.
On the other hand, we have Alex, who does the bare minimum, feels like the office is a torture chamber, and often misses his deadlines. Even if 10% of your employees are like that, that could cost your organization a lot.
And no, you can't just fix the employee engagement dilemma by slipping a hefty paycheck into your employees' pockets. Your employees need to feel heard, valued, and be a part of something bigger and better.
Improving employee engagement benefits your company in many ways, for example, it helps in:
- Increased productivity and efficiency
- Higher employee retention rates
- Better customer satisfaction
- Enhanced creativity and innovation
- Stronger team collaboration and morale
According to a 2022 Gallup survey, only 32% of US employees were engaged at work, with 18% actively disengaged and the rest just disengaged employees overall. Aren't these numbers alarming?
Let’s take a look at how you can increase this number and improve employee engagement at your workplace.
7 Best ideas for improving employee engagement
Here are some practical ways of improving employee engagement.
- Go Beyond Basic Salary
As much as we might deny it, money is one of the biggest motivating factors. We all want money at the end of the day, and your employees are no different.
If you want to increase team engagement, offering them competitive salaries is the way forward. I would advise to offer them more than the industry standard. This will help you retain your top performers.
However, while performance definitely increases with more money on the table, it is not a long-term solution.
That's why you should consider offering additional incentives to your employees as well. These incentives can significantly enhance employee relationships and engagement levels.
Consider these options:
- Rewards in terms of gifts whenever an employee, accomplishes a difficult task or completes an important project successfully.
- Implementing a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance, retirement plans, and wellness programs.
- Offering performance-based bonuses to motivate employees to go above and beyond their regular duties.
By going beyond basic salary, you can create a more engaging and supportive workplace that motivates employees to perform at their best and remain loyal to your company.
- Switch Off the Boss Mode For a While
Employees often feel disconnected from their managers due to a lack of communication. In office hours, it's mostly work, work, and more work.
So, while the team may bond, managers and employees don't get the chance to do it. This results in lower engagement rates.
You can mitigate this by switching off the boss mode for a while and perhaps taking your employees out for dinner.
You may also plan workplace engagement activities such as team outings, game nights, or casual lunches. Celebrating events in your workplace like employees' birthdays or work anniversaries is also a good choice.
These workplace engagement ideas will give you more time to connect with your employees and make them feel valued.
Additionally, consider organizing remote employee engagement activities such as virtual coffee breaks, online team-building exercises, or virtual happy hours for remote teams.
All these efforts contribute to increasing team engagement and fostering a positive work environment.
By creating opportunities for informal interactions, you can build stronger relationships with your employees, making them feel appreciated and more connected to the organization.
- Let Your Employees Learn
Many employees are passionate about specific aspects or subfields within your industry. They may want to expand their knowledge, but they lack the time or resources to do so.
You can support their growth by providing these resources or allowing them some time off to pursue their passion projects.
You can also allow employees to learn about your company processes and systems beyond their immediate roles.
This will not only aid in improving employee engagement but also prepare them to take on higher roles within your organization, thus contributing to its growth—a win-win situation.
Moreover, when you openly discuss topics such as organizational goals, performance metrics, job opportunities, and leadership challenges with your workforce, it fosters a sense of inclusion and belonging.
Employees who feel informed and involved are more likely to be engaged and committed to the company's success.
- Keep Their Mental and Physical Health a Priority
Investing in your employees' mental and physical health has many benefits for your company. The biggest one, of course, is engagement.
When employees feel their well-being is prioritized, they are more likely to be motivated and productive. Providing access to wellness programs, mental health resources, and fitness facilities shows that you care about their overall health.
Encourage regular breaks, promote a healthy work-life balance, and create a supportive environment.
This commitment to their well-being fosters a positive workplace culture, reduces stress, and ultimately leads to higher levels of employee engagement.
- Embrace the Hybrid Model
If anything, COVID-19 taught us that work can be done from home.
According to a 2023 Buffer remote work report, a staggering 99% of respondents expressed a desire to work remotely at least part-time for the rest of their careers.
However, a complete work-from-home policy might not be the best solution for your company. So, what is the solution? A hybrid model.
The hybrid model is becoming more and more popular among companies. It gives employees the freedom to work from home in their comfortable pajamas, while reducing overhead costs for your company.
This approach contributes heavily to improving employee engagement by offering flexibility.
In a hybrid model, employees may perform better because they have the option to choose their optimal work environment, balancing the benefits of both remote and in-office work.
This flexibility ultimately leads to higher job satisfaction and productivity.
- Celebrate Your Top Performers
We all need validation for the work we do. If there are employees doing impressive work, don't forget to recognize and reward them.
They are the ones driving your company forward, and acknowledging their contributions and rewarding them accordingly will go a long way.
It will not only make your top performers more engaged, but it will also set an example for other employees. They will see that they can receive the same rewards and recognition if they put in the effort.
Why wouldn't I perform well if I saw my coworker getting a funded family trip to the Maldives for acing a project last month?
This will create a ripple effect and increase team engagement within your team, motivating everyone to strive for excellence.
- Conduct Frequent Employee Engagement Surveys
One of the latest trends in improving employee engagement is the use of frequent employee engagement surveys.
Companies are moving beyond annual surveys to more dynamic approaches like weekly or monthly pulse and engagement surveys.
These surveys provide real-time insights into employee sentiments and engagement levels.
However, it's essential to act on the feedback received. Conducting surveys without follow-through can decrease engagement.
Employees need to feel heard and see tangible changes based on their feedback.
Your focus should not only be on increasing survey frequency but also committing to action-oriented feedback to keep employees engaged.
Next, let’s explore some bonus tips on how to boost employee engagement for remote teams.
Bonus tips to improve remote employee engagement
Managing a remote team and increasing its engagement levels can be a real challenge.
To enhance remote employee engagement, consider these specific tips tailored for remote teams:
- Regular Virtual Check-ins: Schedule weekly or bi-weekly video calls to keep communication lines open and ensure everyone feels connected.
- Virtual Team-building Activities: Organize remote employee engagement activities like online games, virtual coffee breaks, or team challenges to foster a sense of camaraderie.
- Flexible Work Hours: Allow remote employees to set their own schedules to accommodate different time zones and personal commitments.
- Recognition and Rewards: Celebrate achievements and milestones through virtual shout-outs, digital badges, or online rewards platforms to keep morale high.
- Provide the Right Tools: Ensure remote employees have access to efficient collaboration tools and platforms to streamline their work and reduce frustration.
- Mental Health Support: Offer resources such as virtual counseling sessions or wellness programs to support employees' mental health.
Let Formaloo assist you in increasing employee engagement!
To be able to act on the strategies discussed in this article, you first need to measure your employee engagement.
This is where Formaloo can come in handy.
Formaloo is a no-code survey maker that helps you create engaging surveys with drag-and-drop features within minutes.
By using Formaloo, you can gather valuable insights and take actionable steps toward improving employee engagement.
So sign up for free today and start creating engaging surveys for an engaged workforce.
