The past 18 months have impacted on the workplace in ways that should not be underestimated. Now more than ever, organisations must rely on the commitment and engagement of their workforce to make it through these challenging times. This is vital if you’re planning to survive and thrive.
A recent Gallup* poll found that only 15% of adults in full-time employment considered themselves ‘engaged’ at work. Put another way, a staggering 85% of employees were neither highly involved nor enthusiastic about their work, or their workplace. Whichever way you cut it, that’s a big problem for your organisation. It translates as lost opportunity, productivity and profitability. Who can afford to have over three-quarters of their staff coasting with one eye on the door? The answer’s obvious, but how do you turn that around? How you go about improving employee engagement?
It often falls to HR teams to determine where problems with employee engagement lie, then fix them. That seems perfectly reasonable, at first. However all levels of management need to be invested in improving employee engagement since these positions are the interface between staff and the company as a whole. Disengagement is a significant problem that faces most organisations, yet it can also be seen as a terrific opportunity for those companies and managers who choose to master the art of engagement.
If your company is not in the 15%, it’s time to implement some changes. Here are some strategies that can help improve employee engagement.
The Right Role
You need the right person in the right role. A simple realignment of responsibilities can realign skill with position, enhancing the working experience for everyone.
Power Up
Micro-managing has its place, but on the whole it chokes workplace engagement. When staff are trusted and supported to make and act on their own decisions, engagement levels rise.
Bend And Flex
It’s an open-secret that flexible working arrangements helps increase employee engagement. Whether that’s a work-from-home strategy or more flexible hours, your willingness to meet individual needs boosts happiness and productivity.
A Little Learning
Boosting skills through mentoring, training or further eduction has an immediate and positive effect on your workplace culture. Training programmes demonstrate your commitment to helping staff do their job better and helps them fulfil their own work goals. engagement.
Five Stars
Showing appreciation is not just a nice thing to do, it’s one of the fastest ways to increase trust in the work place. When employees know that their effort is valued there is an immediate, positive effect on their wellbeing and productivity.
The world in general, and the business world in particular, is moving faster than it has ever done before. While organisations are bombarded with more change than they can handle, those with the best chance of keeping a clear head are those who recognise employees as their greatest asset. But that’s only true for the 15% who are engaged and enthusiastic about their work and workplace. If you really want your organisation to thrive, it’s time to improve employee engagement and turn that 15 into 100%.
Interesting related article: “What is Motivation?“