An engaged workforce produces substantially better outcomes. According to Gallup’s most recent findings, engaged employees:
- treat customers better and attract new ones
- are more likely to remain with their organization than those who are less engaged
- are healthier and less likely to experience burnout
Employee engagement is determined by factors such as role clarity, having the opportunity to do what you do best, having opportunities at work to develop, enjoying strong coworker relationships, and working with a common mission or purpose. In order to build a more engaged workforce, start with these three steps:
- Review Culture
Really think about what the organization’s culture looks like. A company’s culture is made up of the people within it, how they work, and how they work together. In a post-pandemic workplace, culture will be the glue that holds teams together. During this year’s period of disruption, teams faced by unique challenges were able to rely on each other to keep work flowing and morale high. Now as the workforce enters into an altered version of normal, culture will bring teams back with more fervor than ever before. Take the state of culture into consideration: do you have a set of values that employees act on? Shared values among employees, management, and c-suites drive a positive workplace culture and can even make or break an engaged workforce.
- Incorporate Employee Recognition
Consider building an employee recognition program and follow it closely. Encourage managers and employees alike to use the organization’s values to drive a culture of positive support. View employee recognition as a means to stretch and develop employees in a way that resonates with them. The more often and genuinely an employee is recognized, the more valuable they will feel, the more confident in their role they will be, and the more likely they are to be highly engaged.
- Hold Managers Accountable
In order to ensure every team member is clear on their roles and responsibilities, receive consistent recognition and feedback, and is provided with opportunities to develop and grow, managers and team leaders should be held accountable for defining roles, setting clear expectations, measuring success, and encouraging career development. Organizations with the highest engagement levels view managers more as coaches in order to continually develop employees.
Take a look at culture, be sure to introduce employee recognition, and hold managers accountable for developing and implementing positive feedback to boost engagement, overall happiness, and build a highly engaged workforce.
