5 Best Employee Engagement Practices

Every HR professional knows people are an organization’s greatest asset, but not all organizations live by that creed.  Not because the company chooses to ignore its employees, it simply and unconsciously neglects the workforce.  When considering the ever-changing HR technology environment and the consistent amount of innovation, it’s easy to see how it happens.

Here are 5 practices that will reinvigorate your employee engagement strategy.

1. Create a Transparent Workplace

It sounds simple enough, right?  Find ways to allow employees a window into what happens at all levels of the company.  They will feel more involved with the company; more loyal than they would if left in the dark.  Often organizations focus too much on hiding information from employees.  This can lead to rumors and a feeling of distrust in the workplace. By being transparent organizations can develop an inclusive environment. That creates a greater sense of engagement and encourages employees to invest their future in a company.

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2. Encourage Open Communication

The bedrock of a transparent organization is open communication.  Encourage open communication at every level:  from the newest employee all the way up to the CEO.  Consider an open-door policy.  Creating a culture of honesty can help in managing a crisis should one arise.  It will lead to employees feeling more comfortable in voicing their opinions and will ultimately lead to a more content workforce.

3. Foster Collaboration

Being part of a team naturally fosters engagement.  Teams function primarily on the fact multiple individuals can work together.  In other words, they have to engage with one another to accomplish a goal.  In today’s changing environment, with an increasing number of workforces turning into remote employees, it is easy for employees to feel isolated.  Introduce new technology to offer more engagement and cohesiveness.  For instance, a simple cloud solution such as Google Docs or Hangouts will help cut back on the isolation workers may feel.

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4. Employee Investment

This is vital to an engagement strategy.  Undervalued or under-challenged employees will eventually seek out potential employers that provide what they are looking for.  It’s important to provide development opportunities.  Give your employees the opportunity to upskill or better the existing skills they already have.  Doing so fosters more connectivity with the business and engagement.

5. Wellbeing of the Employee

Focus on creating an environment that promotes employee wellbeing and creating a healthier work environment.  Many employees are placing a higher importance on living a healthy lifestyle.  A 2017 survey revealed nearly half of the 1,000 employees surveyed would leave a job where an employer doesn’t care about their wellbeing.  It’s for this reason employee engagement programs should consider healthy options.  This could mean healthy foods in the break room, organizing a health fair, or developing wellness programs.

Conclusion

Engagement is about more than just having employees work together.  It’s about creating an environment that inspires loyalty and breeds ambition.  It fosters innovation.  A healthy employee engagement program is also a vital component of a successful retention program, and in a world that continues to see a shortage in skilled workers, keeping the great workers in house becomes paramount.

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