Yes, You Still Need Employee Engagement! 4 Ideas To Consider

Trying to stave off resignations at your company? The answer you are looking for can be summarized in three words: employee engagement activities. 

Before we talk about the importance of employee engagement activities, we must first address why they should exist. Employee engagement In this case, we take into account The Great Resignation.

The Great Resignation is a phenomenon that occurred at the height of the pandemic, with hundreds and close to thousands of employees simultaneously exiting their companies. This mass resignation boggled the minds of employers, left wondering why their talents were quick to exit. 

A harrowing statistic to measure such departures is 80%, all initiated by employees. There are several reasons for these but the top one? They just weren’t taken cared of. 

But there may be a saving grace here. We explore more of how employee engagement can save your company from losing further talent. 

Also read: 10 Ways to Motivate Employees Aside From A Salary Raise

Simply put, employee engagement is the measurement of a worker’s connection to their workplace. Why is employee engagement important? The higher the employee engagement is overall, the more your employees want to stay and help reach your goals together. Lower employee engagement leads to demotivation, disconnection, and eventually, a voluntary exit. 

Losing employees over the course of time can be detrimental, especially if your star employees are the ones bidding goodbye. Finding good talent is hard enough, so make sure to be proactive here. Give them reasons to stay instead of go. After all, a working relationship is a two-way street. Your employees give for you to receive, and so you must do the same to ensure harmony and balance all the way.

Also read: 6 Ways To Reduce Return-to-Office Anxiety and Make Employees Feel Safe and Secure

Now that you know how great the responsibility is to keep your employees happy, let us move on to how we can apply that. Here are the top drivers of employee engagement and sample activities you can do. 

Trust in employers and bosses

Just as you would entrust your company in the hands of your employees, so should you expect the same treatment from your colleagues. Our Decoding Global Talent report seconds this motion. It states that professionals seek a good working relationship with their supervisors when considering an opportunity in the works. How do you make this into a concrete action step?

Some examples you can look into could be the following:

• Respecting off days.

  • This is a simple act that many employers overlook. Merely giving space to your employees on their leaves, off days, and weekends provide a work-life balance. This is another preference that employees look for in their dream jobs.

• Setting deadlines and committing to them.

  • Not only will this bring order and productivity levels up, it creates a realistic space for you to produce quality work altogether. This does not only resonate with project-based tasks, but also with employee growth like promotions and the like.

• Autonomy and independence.

  • Believe us when we say that no one likes a micro manager. It is not bad to get updates from your employee, but breathing down their backs every minute is toxic. Employees like it when you give them minimal supervision, because it sets trust within your relationship. Lastly, it gives them space to grow towards a future leader’s path too.

Value alignment with company and self

These days, jobseekers (and even current employees) appreciate companies that stay true to their values. More than that, they look at employers with values that actually mean something. It is not about having values for the sake of, but walking the talk that they put out. How do you ensure that your values are always in check?

• Applying company values in workflows.

  • If your mission-vision uses the word “respect” in each paragraph, do the same thing. Respect deadlines, off days, and the people themselves. There is nothing greater than when a company aligns with its people, and it should start with its leaders. 

• Look at the CSR arm.

  • Social responsibility does not stop at employee care. It should embrace the community as well. Try to look at how your company can reach out and contribute to social causes within range. 

• Make sure to include everyone.

  • Company values should also be innate within your people. Try to involve them in activities that apply these best, like community activities, company activities, and the like.

Recognize a job well done

There is a great debate about whether we should continuously pat someone on the back for a job well done, or just leave it be because it is, well, their job. Praise everyday is not necessary, but recognition once in a while can make a world of difference. Employees know their job requirements, but acknowledging the work they put in makes them feel they greatly contributed. And just as well, because they did.

• Have a quarterly awards ceremony.

  • Some companies go out of their way to reward their top employees with a badge of honor or monetized incentives. You can limit the attendees to those within the department all the way to a company-wide party. Wherever and whatever the occasion, publicly recognizing them is a great way for employees to make themselves known, and to be thanked for the work they give.

• Send an encouraging email.

  • Sending a simple text or email can already be enough for your employees. Whether it’s a “great job!” or “excellent work!”, it is a direct way of letting them know that they are on the right path. 

• Give them more responsibilities.

  • It is not about dumping more tasks, but it is to provide an even greater space for your employees to grow. Take this as a constant learning opportunity for them to adapt new skills or hone their current ones to climb the corporate ladder.

Opportunities for improvement

If there is a space for success, then room for improvement must also be there. Whether it be giving leeway for mistakes or opening the floor for feedback, chances should be given.

• Have a check-in session.

  • It does not have to be everyday, but it can be monthly or a quarterly thing. This is good especially for new hires who are still getting the hang of the job. But do not forget to check-in with your seasoned talent as well. They could also have some things to share.

• Measure goals.

  • Quantifying goals can help your employee grow within their space and to motivate them to work towards something good. They can also gauge their capabilities through goals and see what they need to address should something come up short.

• Feedback goes both ways.

  • The pillar of a good working relationship includes honesty. It is not verbal sparring, but an opportunity for you both to understand what the other lacks or needs. You can give employee feedback once in a while, but allow your employee to give you the opportunity to do the same.

Also read: New Employee Onboarding: 5 Ways To Make It A Success

Employee engagement may seem like a complicated process for some, but trust that it can make or break an employee’s stay. Engagement means participation, and nothing is scarier than a quiet employee who would rather be elsewhere than here. Ensure and encourage your employees to become better than they are yesterday. But most of all, always approach with a listening and understanding ear. Empathy can also go a long way. 

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