How to create an employee engagement program that boosts productivity, innovation and morale

A fully invested workforce is a powerful asset that can help your organisation hit new heights.

Is your business trucking or trailing on the employee engagement front? The term has become something of a corporate buzzword in recent times, used to describe the degree to which employees feel mentally and emotionally connected with their employer.

Typically, those with a high level of connection are motivated to learn and grow, and are willing to exceed the expectations attached to their role. In other words, they’re committed high performers – the kind of individuals every forward-focused enterprise wants to attract and keep.

Amass enough of them and you’ll find you’ve created a culture of excellence, one which has purpose, productivity and innovation as its hallmarks. In today’s challenging economic times, that alone can result in a powerful competitive advantage for your business. Companies that demonstrate a high regard for their employees have enjoyed revenue growth of an extraordinary 682 per cent, on average, according to one study.

The good news is, engaged employees are made not born. An effective employee engagement program can help you develop more of them and retain their services for the long haul.

Here are some strategies yours should include.

Understanding your employees

Genuine engagement is only possible where there’s understanding – of the needs, expectations and aspirations of employees. Not sure where yours are going or what they really want out of their jobs? Conducting surveys, holding focus groups and seeking detailed, honest feedback will help you find out.

Defining goals and objectives

While it’s designed to make people feel good about their jobs, an employee engagement program shouldn’t be a mere feel-good exercise. Whether it’s improving communication, promoting work-life balance, recognising achievements or boosting employee retention, putting clear measurable goals in place will help you ensure the initiatives you instigate achieve genuinely positive outcomes.

Promoting open communication

Chinese whispers, rumour mills and secretive, need-to-know approaches to internal communication do not make for an engaged workforce. In fact, the reverse. More often than not, they lead to fear, uncertainty and doubt, none of which are conducive to productivity or high morale. Practising open, transparent communication across all levels of your organisation, encouraging feedback and ensuring employees feel heard and valued when they raise questions or concerns is paramount.

Providing learning and development opportunities

Good employees don’t want to stagnate in the same roles for years on end, doing things they already know how to do. Rather, they’re hungry to continue developing their capabilities, and taking on new challenges and responsibilities. Investing in their professional development, via training programs, mentorship opportunities and stretch assignments, enhances their skills and demonstrates your organisation’s commitment to their career progression and success.

Recognising and rewarding achievement

Everyone likes to be acknowledged for a job well done, particularly when they’ve gone an extra mile or several to do their employer proud. Highlighting and celebrating the achievements and key milestones of your team, both informally and via structured recognition, reward and awards programs, lets them know their oversized efforts are appreciated, and reinforces positive behaviour and dedication.

Promoting work life balance

‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ – and Jill a dull girl – is a well-known proverb for a very good reason. We all know a balanced lifestyle makes for a happier, more productive employee; one who’s willing and able to give it their all during the hours they’re on the job. Creating a work structure that supports healthy work-life balance – encouraging breaks, offering flexible working arrangements and emphasising the importance of wellbeing – shows your employees you view them as real people, with lives and responsibilities outside the office, not units of productivity in the service of your organisation.

Tools to make the task easy

Instigating and maintaining an effective employee engagement program is easier when you have the right tools. Deploying an operations enablement and workforce platform will help you optimise your employee engagement activities and measure the success of your efforts across the enterprise.

Select a solution that enables you to carry out in-depth data analysis, monitor your employee engagement initiatives in real time and extract actionable insights and you’ll be in the position to promulgate a supportive, high achieving workplace culture. Doing so will give you an edge over the opposition and drive sustainable success.

If you’re committed to growing your people, productivity and profitability in 2024 and beyond, it’s foundation technology you can’t afford not to invest in.

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