Five Ways to Boost Employee Engagement at the Workplace

According to Gallup, only 21% of employees in the U.S. in 2021 were engaged in their work. Organizations with highly engaged employees are more likely to achieve their goals and meet or exceed their bottom line and provide better customer service.

Employee engagement has been gaining traction for almost two decades now, with many organizations investing more and uncovering better strategies to boost employee engagement because engaged staff produce better results.

Why Employee Engagement is Vital?

Statistics reveal that engaged employees tend to perform at high levels, resulting in superior customer service and increased productivity. Thus, they can positively contribute to overall organizational success.

Employees play a vital role in the success of any company, making it essential for them to be driven and empowered. In contrast, managers play a pivotal role in motivating them to cultivate their performance and enhance their capacity.

Such benefits can only be achieved when both parties-employees and managers, adopt various strategies and strategically perform their respective duties.

Here are five strategies that can improve employee engagement at the workplace:

1- Promote Working from Home Arrangements

It is quite evident today, with the advancement of technology and high-speed internet connectivity, people prefer to work from home if it offers a sense of autonomy, enhances flexibility, and allows them to balance work and personal life.

Your company's HR should seriously consider giving employees the opportunity to work from home, if it has not already done so, in order to remain competitive in the labor market and attract talented employees.

According to a survey conducted by SHRM, nearly half of the employees actively search job opportunities to work remotely.

Employees ,who work from home, tend to spend more time on the tasks assigned, communicate spontaneously and meet deadlines which helps managers boost productivity. In addition, they also enjoy flexible hours, and avoid commuting which results in better work-life balance for them that overall contribute to employee engagement.

Employees who work from home report being less distracted by colleagues, staying away from gossip and other workplace drama, and being able to take breaks whenever they want, which in turn contributes to employee morale and engagement.

Your company can benefit from additional advantages if you offer work from home privileges. You can get rid of all or part of the building costs, utilities, office supplies, etc., while your team members perform their job responsibilities from the comfort of their kitchen.

2- Encourage Creativity and Innovation

Creativity is finding unique thoughts and practical answers to problems and difficulties. One of the most important elements contributing to the success of a business has already been highlighted: Creativity.

Innovative companies are more likely to be one step ahead of the competition and better able to adapt to environmental changes. As a result, companies today recognize the importance of creativity and the need to encourage innovative behavior among employees as their primary employee engagement strategy.

To engage your employees, you need to provide them with the best environment to unleash their creative potential. You can encourage creativity and innovation by organizing brainstorming sessions where employees develop innovative ideas, later evaluated by the management team.

Employees need to brainstorm, think out of the box, challenge thinking process, or explore different possibilities to develop ideas to increase productivity.

These innovative ideas will play a vital role in the success of any company. Plus, employees are expected to express themselves freely without fear of being judged or criticized.

3- Celebrate Successes Together

For most, if not all, companies and individuals, productivity in the workplace is a high priority.

In the swift pace of business transactions, it seems normal to complete one task and move on the another quickly without recognizing the team members. If not stopped, this strategy can be effective in the short term but eventually lead to burnout, dissatisfaction, and disengagement. Even success can be demotivating if it is not celebrated.

Consider making recognition a priority as your top employee engagement strategy to motivate high-performing teams and employees. Celebrate a job well done, as it's an excellent way to express gratitude.

Celebration improves employee engagement, strengthens groups, and boosts morale.

Whether it is an achievement on an individual or organizational level, all achievements should be celebrated to foster a sense of pride and boost employee engagement at the workplace.

According to employees, one of the great ways to celebrate success is by having happy hours where everyone comes together, shares stories, and bonds over drinks and snacks.

They feel that such moments help them connect with their co-workers and team members. These happy hours allow employees to engage in various social activities and bond over different interests, which promote healthy working relationships.

4- Promote Work-life Balance

An increasingly demanding job market has left people feeling overwhelmed, thus leading them to feel more stressed, but due to lack of time, they find it challenging to cope with the increased pressure.

A work-life balance is a great way to keep your employees healthy and happy while enjoying their time as well. Therefore, companies should provide flexible schedules, vacation leaves, and other benefits to enhance their productivity and boost employee engagement.

Today, professionals want to derive satisfaction from their careers and achieve a better work-life balance. Allowing your workforce to maintain a work-life balance will help them perform at optimal capacity since they can dedicate time and their loved ones.

The balance between work and personal life allows employees re-energize, recharge, and come up with innovative ideas that can benefit the organization as a whole.

5- Invest in Employee Development

The best way to boost employee engagement is by investing in employee development through various training programs that help employees explore their potential and develop skills that can further contribute to organizational success.

When you invest time, resources, and energy into developing your employees, they will feel appreciated and motivated, which ultimately enhances their overall performance, thus creating a win-win situation for both parties.

Your organization's Human Resources Manager should be in charge to build systems for all staff to have a annual professional development programs that should include sessions to develop their both technical and soft skills.

Do not listen to your finance department that often reluctant to invest in people since they think employees would just leave after gaining the skills.

By investing in employee development, you can strengthen your company's foundation and prepare the workforce for future challenges.

With ongoing training, employees will acquire knowledge that enhances their skills, thus contributing more effectively towards increased productivity.

Apart from that, when employees are encouraged to develop new skills, they tend to feel motivated since they realize their importance.

In conclusion, to boost employee engagement at the workplace, companies need to emphasize their employees' overall development and growth by offering flexible working conditions, encouraging them to think out of the box, celebrating success together, providing a better work-life balance, and establishing a sense of community amongst professionals.

Your Human Resources Manager is your best friend to develop employee recognition programs.

Here are a few benefits of investing in employee development:

• It helps managers to retain top talent.

• Workers learn new skills and grow as professionals.

• Employees feel motivated and inspired to work hard, which results in improved productivity levels.

• A better opportunity for career growth and advancement.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, creating a working environment where employees experience a strong sense of community, get an opportunity to work flexibly, feel motivated and rewarded for their efforts, develop new skills, and contribute towards organizational success is the best way to boost employee engagement at the workplace.

Happy employees result in more satisfied customers, which is beneficial for everyone involved.