Even before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and the era of remote work, employee engagement was always a critical element of consideration for businesses. Now that companies have to manage employees operating in remote, in-person, and hybrid positions, one could argue that employee engagement is even more critical than before. But how are businesses supposed to promote better employee engagement, especially when many employees are no longer confined to the office?
The Top 20 Employee Engagement Tactics Your Business Should Try
Our experts here at B STATE have compiled a list of the twenty best practices businesses can use to enhance employee engagement quickly and effectively. Please explore the selection of tactics below, and consider implementing them into your business operations today!
1. Allow Flexibility for Work Hours and Work Locations
Despite the necessity of remote work and the fact that it has been highly successful for the past few years, some businesses have recently pushed to return to in-person work environments. However, research conducted by Gallop has indicated that up to 54% of employees would leave their current job for one with more options for flexible time and place scheduling. As such, it’s important businesses offer this flexibility.
2. Keep in Touch With All Employees (Especially Remote Workers)
It’s essential to maintain good relationships with all employees, especially those who don’t come into the office every day. Keep in touch with everyone regularly, and don’t be afraid to catch up on things outside of work. Employees need to believe that you value them outside of their employment alone.
3. Promote Supervisor and Management Accessibility
Managers and supervisors should remain accessible to all employees, whether they have an in-person, remote, or hybrid work schedule. Remote workers especially need to know they can access a supervisor if they have questions, concerns, or encounter specific issues.
4. Effectively Train Employees
Employee training was always essential to running a successful business. However, it’s perhaps even more critical now since they need to know how to function away from the office where they could otherwise receive in-person assistance. Ensure employees are effectively trained from the start and continually offer new training opportunities.
5. Ensure Information is as Accessible as Possible
Significant business and project information should be as readily accessible to employees as possible, especially those who work remotely or have a hybrid schedule.
6. Be a Motivator, Not a Micromanager
Employees don’t want to be bossed around. They want to be advised, nurtured, and coached by their managers and supervisors. Ensure those in leadership positions know how to facilitate productive interactions with employees without being overly controlling.
7. Re-Evaluate Your Manager Selection Criteria
Managers need the skills to coach, develop, invest in, and maximize the potential of their employees and teams. Ensure you hire managers based on those skills, not just their overall work performance.
8. Ensure Employees Are Not Overworked
Provide work schedules that provide plenty of free time for employees to live their own lives and respect their time to show you value them. Businesses overworking and undervaluing their employees have become primary factors driving the phenomenon known as The Great Resignation.
9. Define Your Values and Goals Clearly, and Recognise Employees Who Meet Them
Every employee should clearly understand company goals and values and how to bring them to life. Be sure to recognize employees who best exhibit said values.
10. Leverage Quality Software and Technology to do The Heavy Lifting
Human resources (HR) is always busy, so use specialized software to help monitor and track employee engagement instead. This provides efficiency while also ensuring better confidentiality and analysis.
11. Develop a Feedback-Safe Environment
Employees need to feel secure and know that their feedback or concerns won’t cause negative consequences. They also need to know you’ll listen to what they have to say. If your employees can’t trust you to have their back, they’re unlikely to want to continue working for you.
12. Actively Encourage Employee Feedback
Developing a feedback-safe environment is an excellent first step, but it’s also not enough. You’ll also want to encourage employee feedback and communication through surveys and one-on-one meetings.
13. Make Decisions on The Feedback Employees Provide
Not only do you need to collect employee feedback, but you should also continually leverage it to make better decisions and establish a more effective work environment.
14. Address Feedback Results Quickly
Be sure to address the feedback you receive quickly and not put off making decisions to help ensure your employees know you take their comments and concerns seriously. Going too slow will impact their confidence in your company and make them feel ignored.
15. Make Sure You’re Effectively Measuring Engagement
Measuring employee engagement can be tricky, and surveys won’t do the trick by themselves. Follow some of these specialized methods to get started.
16. Take Advantage of Video Conferencing Solutions
Again, it’s essential to stay connected with all employees, especially those who aren’t regularly- or ever- in the office. Take advantage of video conferencing solutions and other technology to keep everyone in touch.
17. Incentivize and Pay for In-Person Visits
Sometimes it can be helpful for even fully remote workers to visit the office, even if just to get to know their coworkers and connect. Pay for these trips or find ways to incentivize them at different points throughout the year.
18. Foster Social Interactions
Encouraging social interactions between coworkers can be a great way to help boost employee morale and engagement. Take advantage of the in-person visits in the above suggestion to get people to socialize.
19. Don’t Tolerate Poor Performance
No matter where employees are working from, poor performance shouldn’t be accepted.
20. Set the Tone of Engagement From The Top
Company leaders, managers, and supervisors need to set a tone of engagement that lower-level employees can emulate. You can’t expect staff to remain engaged if they don’t see their higher-ups doing the same thing.