Gallup defines employee engagement as the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work. For instance, whether employees are actively engaged or merely going through the motions. In recent years, employee engagement has trended downwards, especially among younger and remote workers. So in today’s competitive business landscape, maximizing employee engagement is crucial for organizational success. With the right approach, you can tailor team building activities or company practices to improve your employees’ connection to their work and your company.
Fostering Employee Engagement
Look at the work UC Berkeley has done to understand 12 different factors that are crucial to fostering employee motivation, commitment and satisfaction. They include elements such as clarity, trust in management, diversity and inclusion and more. This Employee Engagement Model was created through a comprehensive analysis of research from various organizations such as Gallup, Google’s Project Aristotle, a UC Staff Engagement Survey, and more. Click here for a link to the UC Berkeley guide to delve into the 12 different elements for employee engagement and how to ensure its success.
Employee engagement is so important because it can lead to better health and happiness for workers. And engaged employees tend to be more productive, innovative, and committed to both their work and your organization’s goals, leading to higher overall performance. Achieving employee engagement requires creating a supportive environment where employees feel valued, recognized, and invested in. Keep reading for tips on how to maximize employee engagement.
Communication
Clear communication is the cornerstone for maximizing employee engagement. Asking your employees the important questions can start a dialogue, help you to better understand the specific needs of your employees, and foster a sense of visibility and appreciation among your employees. Just sending out an employee survey and moving on isn’t how you can truly understand where your employee’s engagement stands. Instead, keep employees informed about company goals, changes, and encourage and foster continuous communication about employee experience between employees and management. Additionally, when leaders are accessible and actively present, they cultivate trust.
Recognition
Another important element to employee engagement is recognition and praise. Acknowledging and rewarding your employees helps to motivate and incentivize your employees. Make it a habit to offer timely acknowledgements that are visible and specifically tailored to each employee. This demonstration of appreciation reinforces positive behavior and strengthens workplace morale.
Positive Work Environment
Creating a positive work environment where every employee feels respected and a part of decision making regardless of identity. Fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace strengthens relationships, collaboration, and promotes awareness and understanding. If you want to learn more about creating an effective DEI strategy or utilizing management engagement for corporate DEI strategy success, click on the links to read our blog articles.
Investing in Relationships
Lastly, establishing and nurturing relationships between leadership and employees is crucial for boosting employee engagement. Employees seek managers who demonstrate genuine care for their well-being and professional growth, as well as a company culture that values them as individuals. People want to feel as though they have purpose and meaning from their work. A manager who cares about them and has the desire to mentor and empower them can help to achieve personal and career goals.
Employee Engagement at ATHENA
When creating work environments that promote employee confidence and engagement, it is important to foster unity among employees. At ATHENA, we are dedicated to fostering a positive and supportive workplace. A recent fitness challenge exemplified this commitment, encouraging wellness while enhancing employee engagement. Through shared personal victories and challenges, the event cultivated a strong sense of community, innovation, and discipline among our team members. If you want to learn more about the employee camaraderie and the lessons learned during the challenge, click this link to read more.
