Increasing employee engagement is a priority for many companies – at least it should be. An engaged workforce is more productive, more effective at communicating company values and more likely to stay in a position for a long period of time which reduces turnover. Boosting engagement is all about maximising employee value, so it’s important to try and reach every single staff member.
With only 36% of the UK workforce currently engaged, there are huge profits to be made simply by making more of an effort in this area. Engaged employees are more productive, and never forget that productivity leads to profitability. Regardless of what sector your business works in, if staff are more efficient then you’ll increase output and should be able to increase revenue.
We know what you’re thinking – yes, we might be able to profit from engagement methods in the future but it means a hefty upfront investment. In fact, you’ll be surprised at how low cost many engagement techniques can be. The key ingredient to achieving engagement is appreciation, and you don’t have to spend big bucks to show your employees they are valued.
Take a look at some of these innovative ways to boost engagement which won’t eat up business profits.
The right tools for the job
Improving work processes is a good starting point for improving engagement. Depending on the task at hand, see whether investing in a new type of software or piece of equipment could simplify the process so staff can get more done. An example of this is transitioning to a paperless office, to reduce the time spent filing. Why not have a conversation with different departments and see what they would suggest? Asking for suggestions is another way to let employees know their opinions are valued within the company.
Communication
Companies large and small often have a communication issue. What is the best way to communicate with your line manager, how often do you have team meetings? A lot of the time, methods of communication are simply not clear to staff and this can lead to a range of issues. It’s important to gather everyone together and talk about current business objectives, what is being done well and what can be improved. In addition to regular team meetings you could also have a weekly e-newsletter with company updates, photographs of social events and mentioning top performers.
Reward and Recognition
Recognising a job well done has a wealth of benefits. First of all, it makes the employee feel values and appreciated and encourages them to carry on working hard. By rewarding certain actions and behaviours, you’re also encouraging other staff members to repeat these and work hard. These techniques work really well on people with a competitive spirit. The rewards involved don’t have to be expensive, but they should be presented in a public way so the workforce understands why a worker is being recognised, and what they have to do to be rewarded next time.
Rewards and prizes can differ from financial rewards such as a bonus or a shopping voucher, to more social rewards eg. the week’s top performers get an early finish on a Friday, or get taken out to lunch.
Disengagement hurts your bottom line, so you do need to make changes and small investments to boost engagement and productivity. However, whatever you spend to boost engagement will be returned in efficiency, increased output and higher profits.
