Companies with highly engaged employees tend to be 44% more productive than counterparts who merely feel “satisfied.” Here are 4 top things you can do to get your employees more engaged.
In our case study on employee engagement, we outline how our experience with these initiatives have helped increase profitability for our clients. In this post, we take a look at the top 4 steps you’ll need to start improving engagement:
4 Steps to building employee engagement:
1. Establish or update your employer branding
Is it possible for employees to feel invested in a company that is unclear about its values, mission and purpose? If your company hasn’t invested an employer brand, chances are strong that your employees are under-engaged. Remind them who your company is, what it stands for and what you’re working together to achieve. Share news, insights and celebrate success. You can support these initiatives by establishing a meaningful employer brand and improving internal communications.
2. Make communication part of your culture
2020 and adapting to working during a pandemic gave companies a unique opportunity to flex their internal communication strategies. Employers who communicated regularly throughout the pandemic and customized communication needs for virtual employees, saw a higher-level engagement with their employees than those who didn’t.
According to the 2021 Gallup State of the American Workplace study, “Clients who have increased their percentage of engaged employees to 70% or higher have seen their workplaces completely transform, with corresponding improvements in growth and profits.” Honest, frequent and personal communication creates a bond between management and employees at every level.
3. Drive alignment
If you don’t have an employer brand, establishing one will create a guiding light for alignment. Every value and goal must cross all areas of the business, including employees, partners, vendors and consultants. When you’re all working together towards a common goal, employees are more likely to feel they’re working toward a collective purpose.
4. Build a meaningful company culture
This is the measurement that separates the winners from the rest of the pack. It’s the lifeblood of your internal brand, and it matters to your employees. According to Robert Half's research, “More than one-third of workers in the U.S. (35%) and Canada (40%) wouldn't accept a job that was a perfect match if the corporate culture clashed.” Communicating, reinforcing and celebrating culture are crucial to keeping your team engaged and on track.
Don’t wait until the “dust settles” to create or establish your company culture. Times of transition create the perfect opportunity to re-align and build a strong path forward that keeps employees engaged and retained.
Ready to start building employee engagement and creating a brighter future for your organization? Let's talk.