Staff Engagement: What you need to know

Employee engagement is one of the top challenges faced by organisations worldwide, and ensuring that your staff are motivated and engaged can have a massive impact on the success of your team, and your business as a whole.

Outlined below are our top ways you can influence employee engagement:

Stick up for them and be consistent

A key way to make sure your staff remain engaged and loyal to your company is by making sure you have their back, and not assuming they will automatically be loyal to you. It is vital that an employee believes a their manager will stick up for them when needed, and by demonstrating that you support your team, they will respect you more and be more likely to remain engaged within their day-to-day role.

Allowing your employees to work autonomously, without fear of interference or judgement will help to ensure they feel they are moving forward. Allowing them the opportunity to make mistakes is an important aspect for their progression. This doesn’t mean you should not step in if your employee makes a mistake that could negatively impact your business, but ensuring that they are addressed in a positive manner, so they can see you are still on their side and are looking out for their interests is paramount. Inconsistency regarding their role and your behaviour are quick ways to disengage any employee.

Make them feel valuable

“The wise man forfeits his fortune when he does not trust himself.”

Providing your staff with a sense that you value them is a great way of boosting employee engagement. By making them feel that the company’s success is their success, you are showing you are value them as an important part of your achievements – this is a sign of trust that breeds engagement. Employees want leaders that are open and honest, willing to collaborate and offer transparency.

Give recognition for a job well done

Offering praise and recognition is a fundamental part of being a leader, and failing to ensure your staff feel recognised for a job well done can be a deal-breaker. When your team use initiative, problem solve, keep your clients happy or create growth within the business, they should always be praised. Especially when this has a key impact on the business as a whole. When your team see that hard work gets rewarded (regardless of if these rewards are complimentary or monetary), they will be more driven to succeed and achieve the same type of reward. This behaviour helps to drive staff engagement; your staff will feel valued. Employee engagement is a direct reflection of how employees feel about their relationship with their boss or manager.

Make them influential

By putting your employees in a position of influence, they will remain engaged. The most engaged employees are those who have managers who have confidence in their ability to do a good job. Those that are trustworthy and dependable. Micromanagement of employees can lead to disengagement. By allowing them the opportunity to develop their own leadership skills, they will become more rounded employees; allowing them to see how their decisions can impact the company as a whole. In addition, your promotion of good employees within your company will not only engage other employees and drive them to work harder, but also let your promoted employees know that you have noticed and acknowledged their ability.

There are many more ways you can increase staff engagement, do you have one that has worked well for you?

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