As reported by Gallup, only 13 percent of employees worldwide are engaged at work. And according to a recent State of the American Workplace study, just 33 percent of employed U.S. citizens can say the same.
Those employees who are engaged stand out as they willingly go the extra mile, work with passion, and feel a profound connection to their companies. They are the superstars who will move your business forward.
Listen to your employees.
We learn more when we listen than when we speak.
- Encourage your employees to share new ideas. If they find a project that sparks their interest, offer them the time and resources to pursue it in a thoughtful manner. If there’s a contract they want to bid on, encourage them to develop a plan to present to the team, so everyone can make a decision together. Keep your mind open to new directions and fresh thoughts.
Give them what they need to succeed.
Don’t just assume every employee has the tools, resources, training and support from management that they need. Check in with the regularly to be sure.
- Offer continuing education. Encourage employees and offer compensation for taking classes or tuition assistance if they decide to go back to school. Host brown-bag lunches where you bring in experts to share tips of the trade. These strategies not only increase company and individual knowledge, they also let your people know that you appreciate and value them.
Recognize and reward.
Incentive programs are highly beneficial to motivating employees. A major benefit is they can be based on actual performance and paid out only after a person has reached a desired goal.
- A study by the International Society of Performance Management showed that incentive programs can contribute to up to 22 percent performance improvement in individuals and 44 percent improvement in teams. They also help companies attract high-quality talent, who are them more likely to say with their employers.
Communicate well and often.
One of the most important – if not the singularly most important – part of a manager’s job is communicating effectively. Create a culture of communication in which supervisors and employees share goals and work together to meet them.
- Ask employees for their input and use their ideas. This way, team members have a vested interest in seeing a project succeed.
- Communication is always critical, but never so much as during times of change. Let employees know as much as possible about upcoming changes, in order to minimize uncertainty. And whatever the situation, be crystal clear about your purpose when you meet with them.
The workforce development experts at PrideStaff Modesto can help as you strive to increase employee engagement and build your winning workforce. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.