How to keep employees engaged

Employee Engagement is important for maintaining productivity in the workplace and achieving company goals. Keeping employees engaged is a process that requires ongoing evaluation and encouragement. By identifying barriers to employee engagement and improving engagement and improving communication, team leaders and managers can ensure their employees stay engaged. In this article, we discuss the types of employee engagement and the importance with recommendations

Types of Employee Engagement

Engaged Employees

These employees epitomize a workforce fueled by passion and purpose, going beyond mere job fulfillment to embody a profound connection with their company. These individuals bring more than just their skills to the table; they infuse their work with enthusiasm and dedication, akin to artisans crafting masterpieces. With a deep-seated allegiance to the organization’s mission and values, engaged employees foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie within their teams, contributing to a positive and cohesive work environment.

Moreover, these employees serve as catalysts for innovation, constantly seeking opportunities to improve processes and drive the organization forward. Their proactive approach and willingness to challenge the status quo propel the company towards its goals, positioning it for long-term success.

Non- Engaged Employees

These employees are characterized by a lack of enthusiasm and emotional connection to their work. Functioning on autopilot, these individuals go through the motions without investing meaningful energy or passion into their tasks, akin to sleepwalkers navigating their day. Their presence in the workplace may be physical, but their minds are elsewhere, resulting in reduced productivity, poor performance, and limited collaboration. Without a sense of purpose or connection to their work, non-engaged employees contribute minimally to organizational goals, becoming passive participants in the workplace environment.

Actively Disengaged Employees

These employees represent a subset of the workforce who actively express their unhappiness, often undermining the efforts of their engaged colleagues. Their behaviors range from openly criticizing company policies to sabotaging projects, creating a negative work environment. To counteract this, HR departments must develop and execute a comprehensive employee engagement plan.

Why Is employee engagement Important?

Employee engagement is important for a productive work environment. When employees are engaged, they tend to be more focused and motivated on the outcome of their work. Often times, the level of employee development can directly affect a company’s overall culture. Employees that are actively engaged are:

• More likely to achieve company goals
• More satisfied with their roles
• More productive
• More likely to increase the company’s profits
• More likely to help out other team members
• Less likely to look for other employment, reducing retention rates.

How to Keep Employee Engaged

1. Provide employees with the resources they need

Employees need access to resources to stay engaged in their work. Check-in with them often to ensure they have what they need to do their job. This means ensuring they have the right training, materials and tools to meet their goals. It is important to note that these needs can change with new tasks or responsibilities.

2. Keep open communication

Communication is important in maintaining workplace expectations and keeping a team engaged. Check with your team often to identify any barriers to productivity. Get to know your employees and encourage them to come to you with any concerns. By encouraging open communication, they are more likely to turn to you if they have challenges, rather than becoming less engaged.

3. Be clear with expectations

Employees are more likely to be engaged when they know what duties and tasks are expected of them. It can also be helpful to revisit goals from time to time, so everyone knows what they are working toward. In addition to setting clear goals, it is also useful to determine how to measure progress toward those goals.

4. Give regular employee feedback

Feedback helps keep everyone engaged by identifying challenges and considering ways to overcome them. 360 feedback can be especially helpful, which includes feedback from all employees involved in the project. This could include team members and supervisors, as well as self-feedback, where the employee measures their own progress toward goals.

5. Improve based on feedback

Listening to feedback is important, but improving based on feedback is also necessary in maintaining engagement. Schedule regular meetings to evaluate concerns and identify ways that you and your team can improve based on feedback.

6. Identify everyone’s strengths

Employees are most satisfied when their role aligns with their professional interests and strengths. Identify everyone’s strengths and then designate responsibilities based on these factors. It can also be helpful to learn what tasks an employee enjoys versus the ones they do not. Employees who enjoy their duties are more likely to be engaged. By creating teams based on everyone’s strengths, you can optimize everyone’s skills to maintain engagement and improve productivity.

7. Invest in career development

Career development opportunities can help employees feel like they have a future with the company, which can help to keep them engaged. Invest in mentoring or training programs. Find out early on what each employee’s long-term goals are with the company and provide them with the resources and training developments they need to meet these goals.

8. Be flexible

Just as employees have differing strengths, they also have different work styles. What works for one employee may not work for another. Flexibility can help you meet numerous employee’s preferred work styles, while also encouraging them to stay focused on their work. Some employees, for example, may prefer working in a team setting, whereas others prefer to complete work on their own.

9. Take advantage of bonuses or incentives

Showing appreciation for hard work is important. Employ mees are more likely to work harder and be engaged in their work when they feel that they are valued. Rewards in the form of bonuses or incentives can help motivate employees, keeping them engaged while they work toward completed projects.

10. Promote within

Promotions can be another form of showing appreciation. When a company promotes from within, they demonstrate an opportunity for professional advancement, motivating employees to stay engaged.