It is especially important in modern work environments to boost employee engagement since they change at a tremendous pace. Lack of an engaged workforce can lead to serious productivity and performance issues for most organizations today.
Engaged employees are emotionally invested in committing their talent, energy, and time to the growth and profitability of their organizations.
Such employees help their organizations outperform their competitors and help businesses make a faster recovery from market-induced setbacks.
Engaged employees also play critical roles in solving problems, driving innovation, and establishing connectivity between the management and the workforce.
When employees are engaged, they are more creative and they often go above and beyond to ensure fulfillment of goals.
Despite the benefits of an engaged workforce, more than 70% of employees are either disengaged or indifferent toward their organizations.
A majority have to drag themselves to work every day and lack passion while performing their tasks.
This tends to hamper the productivity of an organization, reduce overall employee motivation, and cause a rise in turnover rates.
That is why boosting the engagement level of the workforce has become the top priority for modern organizations.
Here are 5 simple strategies that organizations can implement to boost employee engagement:
1. Create a flexible work environment
2. Recognize good work without delay
3. Provide ample development opportunities
4. Establish honest and transparent communication
5. Provide a sense of purpose
Most employees feel trapped in a rigid work environment. This makes them feel detached and uninterested in the growth and success of the organization.
Whether it is the rigid work schedule, or inability to utilize their skills and creativity, an inflexible work environment can cause lower engagement.
A flexible work environment provides employees with a sense of empowerment and increases their engagement with the organization.
Appreciating employees for good work or even desirable behaviors without delay can go a long way in boosting their engagement.
Cheering on employees’ success and highlighting their achievements helps assure them that the organization values them.
It fills them with a sense of belonging and deeply impacts employee loyalty toward the organization.
This low-cost strategy is considered one of the most effective ways to boost engagement.
Employees are concerned about their professional growth; providing them with such development opportunities can boost engagement.
Assigning projects for skill development, understanding individual career aspirations, and appropriate training programs are steps that organizations can take.
Additionally, managers should hold regular career discussions with employees and offer them necessary help and support.
Employees today do not like to be in the dark and despise the communication policy of “need to know”.
They prefer to work for organizations where honest and transparent communication forms an integral part of the work culture.
It should be based on listening to the views and opinions of employees before any decision-making that impacts them.
Helping employees understand their role in organizational growth and success is important to enhance their sense of belongingness.
Establishing clear connectivity between employee responsibilities and organization objectives boosts employee productivity by filling them with a sense of purpose.
When employees feel that their work matters, they tend to give their best and participate in various initiatives.
Implementing the simple strategies above can positively impact employee engagement and create a progressive work environment.
Even though these ideas are not exactly new, they need commitment and initiative from the organization to drive desired results.
Lead author: Sagar Chaudhuri, the Co-Founder and CEO of HiFives. He is an HR Tech Evangelist with over 25 years of experience in the corporate world and entrepreneurship. In the past, Sagar has worked with companies such as Genpact, Infosys, and ICICI Bank, in leadership roles. He has an engineering degree from IIT Kharagpur and an MBA from IIM Lucknow. Connect on LinkedIn
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