Employee engagement is a hot topic in the business world right now that companies are trying to boost through various strategies. The strategies include allowing flexible work hours, offering more benefits and perks, creating inspiring cultures, and many more.
However, it is not enough to offer employees these things. They must also be provided with challenging work environments so that they remain motivated and engaged throughout their careers. Here are some tips on how you can boost employee engagement at work:
Plan for Weekly Office Happy Hours to Keep Down the Workplace Stress
Planning office happy hours are a great way to keep down the stress at the workplace. Happy hour ideas can offer the perfect solution if you are looking for fun ways to de-stress your employees.
It’s a time for them to relax, unwind, and bond with each other over fun and games. The purpose behind implementing these events is to help improve the overall morale of employees. In addition, these events build camaraderie among co-workers and improve overall job satisfaction.
Happy hour is an easily accessible and effective way of rewarding your employees with something they love. Employees look forward to these events and ensure they do their best work to earn the right to attend them. It also helps create a sense of community within the office space and encourages team bonding.
Retaining employees is much harder than hiring new ones. When employees are disengaged, they immediately start thinking of switching jobs.
In the 2021 Q3 report of the US job market, a survey by Joblist says that around 73% of employees are actively thinking of quitting their jobs. It is an alarming situation for employers and managers, and they must work on the strategy of engaging the employees at the workplace.
Maximize Employees’ Expertise and Skills
Many companies have found that increased employee engagement results in better performance at work and improved customer satisfaction levels. However, according to a Gallup study, only 36% of US workers are engaged at work, and that’s not the lowest rate in the world. Therefore, when planning your company’s training strategy, it would be wise to focus on formal training programs.
You must equally focus on informal ones such as mentoring programs or knowledge-sharing sessions. Here, employees can share expertise or participate in workshops conducted by experts from outside the organization. It ensures that employees remain engaged in their jobs even if they do not receive formal training opportunities within the company.
Offer Recognition and Rewards
Employees love rewards. Recognition and rewards can be monetary or non-monetary. In a survey by SurveyMonkey, it was found that nearly 82% of employees are happier when their work is recognized. Telling your employee that you appreciate his/her efforts is a form of recognition that will help boost engagement at the workplace.
Giving an employee a bonus for exceeding sales targets or delivering exceptional service is a great way to show your appreciation for their performance. Rewards can be non-monetary as well. For example, an employee might appreciate a day off to attend his/her kid’s graduation ceremony or some time off for the birth of a new baby.
The bottom line is that when you have a group of engaged employees, you have a group of happy employees. Happy employees are more likely to produce better results than unhappy or disengaged ones. They are also more likely to stay with your company longer, saving you money in the long run. And they’re just generally more fun to work with.
