The importance of employee engagement
In times where employees see each other more often on screen than in real life, personal interaction and cohesion within the team and organisation prove to be challenging for employers. The lack of clear communication and perceived organisational support often leads to demotivated employees. As Effectory stated: “Employees have an intrinsic desire for their work to be meaningful and impactful and thrive when provided with autonomy, respect, and regular feedback”.
To prevent employees from feeling disconnected from their company, it is essential to put time and effort in realizing employee engagement. This describes the dedication and commitment an employee has to their organization and is driven by a sense of belonging. They feel as though their contributions are valued and that they have the ability to grow within the organization, and therefore feel intrinsic motivated to succeed.
An engaged workforce comes with several benefits, hence why we believe this should be a key priority of every team. Engaged employees have a positive attitude about their work, feel connected to their organisation’s values and as a result, perform better. Furthermore, engaged employees seem to be much more loyal to their company and are less likely to seek out alternate job opportunities.
“Engaged employees have a positive attitude about their work, feel connected to their organisation’s values and as a result, perform better.”
There plenty of reasons to dive into employee engagement. According to Effectory, these statements have the biggest influence in achieving this:
- My manager motivates me in my work
- The work of my team contributes to the success of the organisation
- I feel that I fit in at my organisation
- I feel that I am appreciated by my organization
Frequent check-ins seem to be a great method for managers to engage their employees and set short-term goals. One of the greatest barriers to getting value from employee engagement is that employees lack the feeling of ownership of their development, performance, and engagement. Having more regular two-way conversations with employees about their goals will increase your employees’ sense of being in charge of their own development.
For those who are eager to take this into practice, we added a list that includes tips to increase employee engagement.
1. Foster a strong company culture of which employees are proud to work for and feel connected to;
2. Communicate regular recognition and feedback;
3. Support and promote a healthy work-life balance;
4. Create growth-oriented career paths;
5. Provide benefits that impact both your employees and their loved ones – and communicate these benefits! Reward Communication tools prove to be very effective for doing this.