Employee Engagement Ideas That Work
Originally published by Virgin Pulse on 11 November, 2019
Written by Gabrielle Purchon
As a business leader, you surely have been faced with the challenge to produce more with less. As resources will always be a finite reality, the way to truly achieve more is to increase productivity. One of the root causes of low productivity is low employee engagement. But, organisations have the power to greatly influence the culture, engagement and wellness of their people through the programmes and benefits they offer.
According to Gallup, employee engagement has increased only slightly when compared with the last few years — with about 34% of employees actively engaged in their work. As long as engagement remains low, both individuals and businesses suffer — they are less productive and successful than they might be otherwise.
Just as employee engagement is intrinsically linked to company cultures, it’s also dependent on an individual’s wellbeing. Corporate wellbeing programmes are an effective way to boost engagement because members of a workforce who are empowered, balanced and focused on personal wellbeing will be better equipped to do their jobs with focus and clarity, day after day. To help you amp up productivity and boost wellbeing at your organisation, we’re sharing 5 employee engagement ideas that are simple to implement and effective.
Here are 5 employee engagement ideas that will help your people and your organisation thrive:
Offer tools to improve holistic wellbeing
Healthy, happy employees are productive, engaged employees. A wellbeing programme with a robust, mobile-friendly platform that addresses all areas of health — from financial wellbeing to mental health — is a great way to help your people achieve their goals no matter where they are on their wellbeing journey.
Offer skill training and career development opportunities
Employees who feel that their position lacks room for growth and achievement eventually disengage, even if they enjoy their position. Supporting employees, in whatever way your budget allows, in ways that are pertinent to their role or department, helps increase engagement. Many organisations offer partial tuition reimbursement or cover a seminar stipend per year.
Clearly define roles and responsibilities
Surprisingly, even tenured employees can feel murky about their job role and, more importantly, how success in their role is quantified. When evaluation criteria are unclear or employees aren’t sure about what they need to do to succeed, they often disengage out of frustration. Does everyone in your organisation have a job description? Is it the same job description from when they started the position? Could it use an update? Set aside time for management and their reports to update job descriptions, and have both sign off on the agreed-upon role.
Provide timely and scheduled feedback
When individuals feel that their work isn’t noticed or that management doesn’t care about the work they do, it can create apathy towards the mission and importance of their role. Make sure that annual reviews are organised and occur in a timely manner. If possible, mandate quarterly reviews or ‘check-ups’ so that employees and their management have a clear game plan, and individuals feel that the work they are doing is recognised and a priority.
Encourage time away from the workplace
Although a lot of companies offer paid time off to their employees, it’s important to encourage your people to actually use the time they’re given. Taking time to disconnect — and we mean really disconnect — is incredibly beneficial for employees and their organisations. Not only will it help employees come back ready to work, it may reduce their overall stress levels and increase engagement — employees are 68% happier at their jobs when working for companies that encourage taking time off.
Download our free quick read to learn how to better manage stress in your workplace.
Creating a culture of employee engagement takes intentionality and planning. Whether you start making improvements to your current employee wellbeing programme or its time you look for a new wellbeing vendor, make it a priority to always put the wellbeing of your people at the top of your priority list. Your people and your business will thank you.
Virgin Pulse, a Partner of Thrive HR Exchange, founded in 2004 as part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, designs technology that cultivates good lifestyle habits for your employees. Configured to complement your culture, Virgin Pulse’s technology, and the overall wellbeing experience it delivers, drives superior outcomes for your people and your business.
