As a business strategy, employee engagement may be very beneficial, but it’s more difficult to achieve than it appears. Your first thought might be to make a new benefits program and add things like fresh juice on tap or a workout room on site. Despite the fact that your employees will be happy with the new additions, they are more likely to promote job satisfaction than engagement.
To be clear, employee satisfaction is not the same as employee engagement. A satisfied employee is less likely to put in extra effort to ensure the success of their organization; instead, they are much more content to simply complete their tasks without exerting any further energy.
Companies of all sizes throughout the globe struggle with low levels of employee engagement. In 2017, a worldwide Gallup poll indicated that just 15% of individuals in full-time jobs are “engaged” at work, described by the research firm as “very interested and passionate about their work and environment.”
When it comes to employee engagement methods, it all comes down to establishing an atmosphere wherein engagement is now more likely to thrive. Basically, ’employee engagement strategy’ refers to boosting the possibility that your employees will have a good emotional attachment with your firm.
Every firm is unique, and therefore, no two will have the same set of requirements. Only by designing strategies for employee engagement around the individuals they are meant to reach can they be successful.
A company’s particular demands dictate the type of employee engagement strategy that may be implemented, but the options are practically limitless. BOSS Accounting Outsourcing Blog has compiled five examples of employee engagement initiatives to get you started. With the aid of these suggestions, you can put together an effective action plan that you can roll out across your firm.
Work-Life Balance
Employees who maintain a work-life balance are less likely to get stressed or burnt out, two of the most common causes of disengagement at work. Providing employees with opportunities for flexibility is the most effective strategy to assist them in maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Letting staff work remotely, offering a substantial paid leave policy, and giving paid parental leave are all examples of strategies that may be used to help employees balance the pressures of work and life. For companies, flexibility is costly, but so is replacing disillusioned staff.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for a productive workplace. Work-life balance eliminates workplace stress and prevents workplace burnout. A lack of workplace flexibility can lead to employee disengagement and a greater rate of turnover.
You shouldn’t expect engaged employees, most of whom are eager and go the extra miles, to always perform at a pace above average. Make sure they aren’t left high and dry and made to toil on account of their coworkers because they aren’t the only ones on the team. Employee burnout is more likely to occur when you rely mainly on the work of your most dedicated personnel.
Organizational Transparency
Transparency at work is vital. Creating a culture of transparency and honesty between management, supervisors, and employees is essential for every leader.
Make sure your Execs, managers, and HR managers are setting an example for the rest of the workforce. Employees will come to resent management if they believe the rules of the workplace only extend to a chosen few or just when it is opportune for the top executives to enforce them. Distrust among coworkers may quickly snowball into a toxic workplace culture. Employees might get disengaged and start seeking other jobs if their workplace has a toxic culture.
The easiest way to keep employees engaged is to involve them as much as possible in the decision-making process. If your employees don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors, they won’t be able to devote their complete attention and efforts to the organization. As a side effect, they may begin to distrust managers and lose faith in leadership if they feel they’re being deliberately shut out of the loop.
While it is perfectly acceptable to maintain discretion as circumstances evolve or agendas shift, you should strive to tell team members as quickly as possible about choices that directly impact them.
This is a two-pronged approach. To begin, set up a method or platform that allows employees to voice their opinions and get in touch with the proper individuals to get answers. Although this would most likely be handled by your human resources department, senior executives should be available to all staff on a regular basis, even if it’s just for a few days a quarter and only by appointment.
As a second step, make use of the input from your staff. The feeling that they are wasting their energy when discussing issues that are actually important to them will frustrate and discourage your staff faster than almost anything else. Actually pay attention to what your staff members want to share and take action.
Independence and Challenges
Greater autonomy is associated with higher levels of work satisfaction. We become more driven to achieve when we have greater control. People are more loyal, trusting, and productive when they believe their supervisors have faith in them to use this freedom.
In crisis situations or when employees are unreliable and are unable to conform to tight deadlines, it’s natural that some bosses turn to micromanaging. Micromanaging, however, can have a negative impact on employee engagement when it becomes the norm. Constant criticism and comments will sap employees’ motivation and innovation. As a result of managers serving as stumbling blocks to progress, workflows will be impeded. The consequences will be seen in terms of employee retention and recruiting.
Alternatively, encourage, enable, and empower your staff to work independently and to report back to you when they need further direction. If you notice micromanagement in action as an executive, speak with the manager in issue. Take the time to help them understand how their management style affects their employees, and help them come up with a strategy to trust and assign more control to their subordinates. As well, you can help them create opportunities for staff development, and set up the right courses or resources for them to use.
Place a premium on respect
To be able to openly express one’s thoughts and ideas and have one’s voice heard, one must first feel respected. Trust and cooperation will flourish as a result if they do. Because if they don’t, they’ll end up demoralized, frustrated, or upset. As a result, they lose interest in the project.
Tip of the day: You have always had the power to respect others even if you don’t agree with them. It’s okay to ask questions or get more information about someone else’s perspective or work. They shouldn’t, however, ever get the impression that you’re doubting their good intentions or abilities. Change something if you are unable to achieve this level of respect; either your attitude, the people you work with, or your position.
Redesign your office space
Employee involvement in the workplace may be influenced by a variety of variables, including the design of the office. Open collaboration spaces, closed-door meetings spaces, and private communications spaces provide employees with the flexibility to pick the atmosphere that best matches the task they’re attempting to do.
If your work environment is dreary and uninspiring, it may be time to reorganize or relocate. Keep your staff happy by redesigning your office or by moving to a new location that promotes teamwork and creativity. A trusted partner in workplace community development for many organizations around the world, WeWork provides offices in cities around the world that are intended for maximum engagement, providing employees with the ideal space to brainstorm, cooperate, and celebrate their accomplishments.
The atmosphere in which your employees work has a significant impact on their productivity. Because of its isolating character, cubicles are becoming increasingly rare in today’s environment, as you’ve surely seen. Businesses can’t be successful if their workers are isolated from one another and unable to communicate and collaborate effectively.
Work on reorganizing your floor design in a way that facilitates greater cross-communication among your staff. Employees that create great relationships with their coworkers will be better able to foster an engaged workforce.
“Think more holistically” – BOSS Accounting Outsourcing Blog
No approach, no matter how well-intentioned, will be a complete success. Which is perfectly OK. You can’t reach everyone since everyone is different and has distinct needs. The main takeaway from this BOSS Accounting Outsourcing blog is that you should have a holistic mindset for your strategy.
Whatever angle you decide on focusing on, the advantages will show themselves sooner rather than later. Some outcomes you can expect are:
- Higher levels of customer satisfaction
- Growth in productivity and efficiency
- Decrease in rate of staff turnover
- Decreased absenteeism
- Better company culture.
- Improved business outcomes
Accounting solutions from BOSS Accounting Outsourcing help accounting firms from all around Australia increase their capacity, margins, and profitability. Find out how we can help your company by getting in touch with us.
