In an era where the world of work has been completed transformed by the circumstances of the last two years, companies have a greater responsibility than ever to maintain the wellbeing and satisfaction of their employees
If they don’t, they’ll face a high staff turnover and run the risk of losing their best team members
Investing in employee engagement is absolutely essential for maintaining good relationships with your staff and keeping them content and productive in their roles. It’s easier said than done, but if you’re looking for ways to re-engage your team, here are three ways to do just that.
1. Play to everyone’s strengths
The biggest reason employees become disengaged at work is that their talents are not put to good use – their intellect is not challenged, and ultimately their job ceases to provide opportunities for development.
Give staff the opportunity to explore their strength and flex their creative muscles. Don’t be afraid to delegate – aside from sharing duties, and taking pressure off yourself, it also gives them a sense of being trusted, and offers them the chance to perform in new ways.
As Virgin’s Richard Branson once said, “Give your staff the skills they need to leave, and treat them so well that they don’t want to.” If you can strike that balance, you’ll drastically improve your staff retention.
2. Lead with empathy
Management is challenging, there’s no two ways about it.
But if you can utilise your leadership skills to create a positive team environment and approachable managerial structure, you’ll get far more out of your team than ruling with an iron fist.
Particularly in the post-pandemic age, employees are conscious of the impact their working lives can have on their overall wellbeing. Factors from stress and everyday pressures to the flexibility of their working hours, and capacity of their leaders and managers to demonstrate compassion, will vastly influence their attitudes to their role, their motivation, and ultimately their engagement at work.
3. Recognise the culture
Company culture is a huge part of why employees leave jobs, but it can also encourage them to stay.
A good team with strong interpersonal relationships will maintain good employee relations, as Ormiston Wire discovered. A wire manufacturer with over 200 years of experience, their working week may seem unconventional to some, but has become part of the company culture thanks to adaptation by leadership.
Managers noticed that Friday paydays would see staff enjoying their wages in the pub at lunchtime, and the company found that these afternoons saw a predictable dip in productivity. Not to mention, with operating heavy machinery being a large part of the job, this presented significant health and safety risks.
But rather than punish their team, they made it standard practice to finish early on a Friday to allow employees to enjoy that social time together.
By recognising what mattered to their staff, they boosted their productivity as well as overall morale.
Want to improve employee engagement in your organisation? These are just three ways to go about it.
