Employees are and always will be the most important part of any company. Their work directly influences the growth of the institution and their efficiency is vital. A Gallup report on employee engagement shows that companies with a highly engaged workforce have 21% higher profitability. They also have 17% higher productivity than companies with a disengaged workforce. These statistics reinforce the importance of employees in companies.
What is Employee Engagement?
Employee engagement includes providing the right work atmosphere for employees, which motivates them to work hard and actively contribute to the company. An employeeās will to engage with the company shows how connected they feel with their workplace.
Creating an atmosphere in which employees are driven and give their best can be quite challenging.
In this article, weāll go through different ideas and inspirations to build a healthy relationship with your team. These small steps would have a big impact on the overall performance of your workforce.
1. Providing employees with a sense of belonging
Making the employees feel that they are important can do wonders. After all, employees do most of the work. As the manager, one should make it a priority to not let them feel unappreciated. Reports suggest that over 40% of employees do not feel connected with their jobs.
Building compound and healthy relationships with the employees by communicating with them regularly, considering their real-life problems, and showing empathy are no-brainers, yet often ignored. When you show that the company will stand by them in difficult times, it can motivate them to work harder.
Make your team feel like peers and not only salaried workers. Take note of their suggestions and learn about their problems.
2. Giving employees what they deserve
Employees are responsible for all the internal affairs of a company. Prolonged working hours can be mentally exhausting. Allowing them to pitch in their ideas can solve actual workplace problems that affect the employees the most. It will also give them much necessary breathing space and they do not feel the pressure of constant monitoring.
What makes Google one of the best companies in the world is its flexible workplace model. Employees can work outside of their cubicle in an open space and have no compulsion to work after their given tasks are completed. These creative ideas allow the employees to explore their potential and bring innovation to the workplace.
3. Taking care of finances
As an employee, the monetary factor plays a huge role. The employer must offer the best financial assistance and advice to the employees. Providing advice on how to realize one’s financial plans and dreams shows that you care about the employees beyond their payroll. Planning retirement, investing, having a home budget, and saving money are all essential concerns.
Getting a finance advisor attached to your firm can be fruitful on all fronts. Having an emergency credit service can also be very beneficial. There are many things you can do within your budget to make employees more financially literate.
4. Host social gatherings and office events
Social events are both networking and unwinding opportunities. However, employers need to focus more on regular social events that improve the overall office culture. One-off events would not have any lasting impact on employees.
It is also important to redefine the negative connotations that corporate events bear. Instead of making it formal, focus on engaging employees with each other and fostering a spirit of camaraderie.
5. Offer upskilling opportunities
No motivated person would want to stagnate their professional career. Sometimes, that means you won’t be able to retain your best employees. However, their dedication and zeal will only increase if you show that you care about their professional advancement.
Inculcating a culture of learning and growing in the workplace is very important. One of the best ways to do that is to foster an environment where employees learn from each other. Apart from that, organizing training camps and educational events are always great options.
6. Be the leader and not the boss
Much has been said and written about the differences between a boss and a leader. In a nutshell, a leader is a part of the team who is responsible for the well-being of other team members. A boss stays at a distance from the team and never becomes one of them. You have to break this barrier and be one of your employees to enhance their everyday work experience.
As the team leader, one should be the most approachable personality. Sadly, it’s the other way round. More than 60% of Indian employees complain of abusive managers and bosses.
By making small changes in the workspace environment and office culture, you can greatly change how employees feel about working under your leadership. With regular efforts and consistent practices, any workspace can transform drastically.
For more insightful articles about employee management and tech hiring, head over to the CodeQuotient blog.
