In the past twenty years, I have been working with companies and small businesses helping them create a Disney-like culture by tackling the factors impacting employee engagement, organizational change and team culture growth. There has also been plenty of research to support my coaching, including recent research by Gallup, which found that almost 85% of employees worldwide are still not engaged at work.
The bottom line is that you can’t create and build a successful business and team culture without employee engagement.
In this “Magic Minute”, I will cover some of the easy to do steps you can take in order for your employees to feel empowered, motivated, and valued at work. As always, I will share the importance between employee engagement, business performance, and customer experience results you can achieve if you put your employees first.
The role of the manager in employee engagement
I have found in my coaching experience and in research, that around, 70% of team engagement is determined by the manager. It supports what I preach is the importance of investing in your managers’ soft skills.
As we all know, managers claim they are often too busy to have one-to-one conversations with their team members. However, dedicating time to your employees can be crucial in empowering employees to perform with more motivation and energy. To lead meaningful conversations with employees, the manager has to be confident and open to receive and give honest feedback.
Today, employees want to know the path of their career development and whether that plan meets their needs and work-life balance. Leaders who want to be successful should adjust their attitudes and their managing of people strategies towards this emerging employee need for flexibility.
What do people need to be engaged at work, to perform well and stay in the company long? Your employees have to see the meaning and purpose in the work they are delivering daily.
What are the best ways to engage employees?
There are plenty of creative ways to engage your employees. However, you’ll need to run some discovery sessions with your employees to uncover their preferences. Whatever activities you decide to implement, make sure they are designed to demonstrate appreciation, self-sufficiency, and belonging.
To help you out on this journey, I have selected the four most impactful ways of boosting employee engagement.
- Employee Recognition
Make sure your employees are frequently recognized and rewarded for their success. This doesn’t have to be glamorous recognition but a small act of catching people doing it right and for acknowledging the hard work he or she does.
- One on One Personal Conversations
As a manager or a leader, you have to see employees beyond their skills at work. Show curiosity for their personalities, hobbies, and talents that might have nothing to do with the daily tasks.
- Ownership and Self-sufficiency
The best way to engage your employees is to give them control over their work. If they own the tasks, they will do their best to deliver exceptional results. Ask them what they need to feel the full ownership and do the tasks how suits them the best.
- Empathy and Wellbeing
Over 75% of people who experienced empathy from their managers, are more engaged.
The benefits of keeping your employees engaged
These days, employee engagement and team culture are the driving forces behind a small business’s success. However, many businesses still tend to overlook all the benefits that come with a highly engaged team. Here are some of the benefits and biggest advantages of employee engagement.
1. Improved Productivity
Keeping your employees engaged is all about supporting their creativity and increasing their work motivation. Highly engaged team members stay focused on the tasks at all times and tend to deliver better results in the long run.
2. Lower Employee Turnover
Satisfied and engaged employees tend to stay loyal to the company and are more likely to seek other job opportunities. When provided with the right motivation, opportunities for growth, and recognition, people feel more committed to your business.
3. Increased Customer Satisfaction
Considering all of the above, it’s not hard to conclude why engaged employees contribute to the overall customer experience. When people care deeply about their jobs, they also tend to be committed to the customers and want to provide the best possible experience to them.
4. Lower Absenteeism and Employee Burnout
Increasing employee engagement also means investing in the health and safety of your team members. Engaged workplaces tend to respect employees’ needs to a higher degree, providing them with the right solutions whenever necessary (e.g. flexible schedule for a better life-work balance). This further lowers the chances for stress, burnout, and absenteeism at work, keeping employees happy and healthy.
In my opinion, it all comes down to empowerment. Enable your team to bring ideas to the table and implement them. Offer your support no matter if it turns out to be a huge success or just a learning experience (it’s never a failure). If you have a team of people who feel empowered, supported, and believe in your purpose, employee engagement should rarely be an issue. Now that would be “Magical”!
Need help? Contact Coach John to schedule a FREE 45 Minute Strategy Session Call. No Fluff and Nothing For Sale. (info@johnformica.com)