Steps to Employee Engagement

As the school holidays draw to a close signalling back to work for many, now is a great time for employers to think about how they engage employees to increase satisfaction and achieve business goals.

 

Here are some #stepstoengagement for employee engagement, some key principles for how companies can effectively engage their people:

 

1. Understand

Employers should seek to understand their people. Employers who get to know their people, understand that what drives them, and who demonstrate respect for what truly matters to the employee will create far better working relationships, leading to greater satisfaction, engagement, and productivity.

 

You can read more about Prioritising Personal Purpose here:

 

2. Empower

Companies which empower their people, which give them a genuine stake in the activities of the business, will see greater motivation and ultimately satisfaction. This is about delegating decision-making and giving employees genuine scope and autonomy within their roles. For example, devolving a budget, empowering staff to lead a project, or giving staff ‘permission’ to make their own decisions. When people are empowered they are able to fulfil their potential – which is great for the individual, and the organisation.

 

3. Engage at all stages

Take a comprehensive approach to engaging people and look for opportunities to engage at all stages – including pre and post-employment. Just as the way that it’s important that we engage people at recruitment, development and beyond, how we manage ‘endings’ is crucial too. Our ex-employees have the potential to be powerful advocates – which we could formalise through an alumni scheme.

 

4. Everyone has a role

Engaging people isn’t the responsibility of one person in an organisation. Whilst key activities may sit with the HR or Communications teams, everyone can and should play a role in engaging people. This includes leaders who engage by getting out and about in the business, empowering managers who engage through direction, clarity, and conversations, and employees who are given the tools and knowledge to get involved.

 

5. Two way communications

This is fundamental to engaging people: communicate transparently, openly, and regularly and in doing so, invite feedback. Ask employees what they think and let people know what has been said and – crucially – what has been done. The dialogue in a company should be two-way and adult to adult with everyone given a voice, and everyone listened to. Taking this approach not only allows companies to find out what people think, but it shows people that their views matter: that they matter.