Table of Contents
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and the era of remote work, employee engagement was always a critical element of consideration for businesses. Now that companies have to manage employees operating in remote, in-person, and hybrid positions, one could argue that employee engagement is even more critical than before. But how are businesses supposed to promote better employee engagement, especially when many employees are no longer confined to the office?
Related: Disengaged Employees? The Real Problem Will Surprise You
The Top 20 Employee Engagement Tactics Your Business Should Try
Our experts here at B STATE have compiled a list of the twenty best practices businesses can use to enhance employee engagement quickly and effectively. Please explore the selection of tactics below, and consider implementing them into your business operations today!
1. Allow Flexibility for Work Hours and Work Locations
Despite the necessity of remote work and the fact that it has been highly successful for the past few years, some businesses have recently pushed to return to in-person work environments. However, research conducted by Gallop has indicated that up to 54% of employees would leave their current job for one with more options for flexible time and place scheduling. As such, it’s important businesses offer this flexibility.
2. Keep in Touch With All Employees (Especially Remote Workers)
It’s essential to maintain good relationships with all employees, especially those who don’t come into the office every day. Keep in touch with everyone regularly, and don’t be afraid to catch up on things outside of work. Employees need to believe that you value them outside of their employment alone.
3. Promote Supervisor and Management Accessibility
Managers and supervisors should remain accessible to all employees, whether they have an in-person, remote, or hybrid work schedule. Remote workers especially need to know they can access a supervisor if they have questions, concerns, or encounter specific issues.
4. Effectively Train Employees
Employee training was always essential to running a successful business. However, it’s perhaps even more critical now since they need to know how to function away from the office where they could otherwise receive in-person assistance. Ensure employees are effectively trained from the start and continually offer new training opportunities.
5. Ensure Information is as Accessible as Possible
Significant business and project information should be as readily accessible to employees as possible, especially those who work remotely or have a hybrid schedule.
Related: Six Things To Consider When Making Plans To Return To Office
6. Be a Motivator, Not a Micromanager
Employees don’t want to be bossed around. They want to be advised, nurtured, and coached by their managers and supervisors. Ensure those in leadership positions know how to facilitate productive interactions with employees without being overly controlling.
7. Re-Evaluate Your Manager Selection Criteria
Managers need the skills to coach, develop, invest in, and maximize the potential of their employees and teams. Ensure you hire managers based on those skills, not just their overall work performance.
8. Ensure Employees Are Not Overworked
Provide work schedules that provide plenty of free time for employees to live their own lives and respect their time to show you value them. Businesses overworking and undervaluing their employees have become primary factors driving the phenomenon known as The Great Resignation.
9, Define Your Values and Goals Clearly, and Recognise Employees Who Meet Them
Every employee should clearly understand company goals and values and how to bring them to life. Be sure to recognize employees who best exhibit said values.
10. Leverage Quality Software and Technology to do The Heavy Lifting
Human resources (HR) is always busy, so use specialized software to help monitor and track employee engagement instead. This provides efficiency while also ensuring better confidentiality and analysis.
Are you searching for ways to establish a more effective work environment to improve the performance of your employees? Our experts at B STATE offer access to transformational team-building practices, corporate leadership training, and more!
11. Develop a Feedback-Safe Environment
Employees need to feel secure and know that their feedback or concerns won’t cause negative consequences. They also need to know you’ll listen to what they have to say. If your employees can’t trust you to have their back, they’re unlikely to want to continue working for you.
12. Actively Encourage Employee Feedback
Developing a feedback-safe environment is an excellent first step, but it’s also not enough. You’ll also want to encourage employee feedback and communication through surveys and one-on-one meetings.
13. Make Decisions on The Feedback Employees Provide
Not only do you need to collect employee feedback, but you should also continually leverage it to make better decisions and establish a more effective work environment.
14. Address Feedback Results Quickly
Be sure to address the feedback you receive quickly and not put off making decisions to help ensure your employees know you take their comments and concerns seriously. Going too slow will impact their confidence in your company and make them feel ignored.
15. Make Sure You’re Effectively Measuring Engagement
Measuring employee engagement can be tricky, and surveys won’t do the trick by themselves. Follow some of these specialized methods to get started.
Related: Employee Performance Goals & Objectives [Examples for 2022]
16. Take Advantage of Video Conferencing Solutions
Again, it’s essential to stay connected with all employees, especially those who aren’t regularly- or ever- in the office. Take advantage of video conferencing solutions and other technology to keep everyone in touch.
17. Incentivize and Pay for In-Person Visits
Sometimes it can be helpful for even fully remote workers to visit the office, even if just to get to know their coworkers and connect. Pay for these trips or find ways to incentivize them at different points throughout the year.
18. Foster Social Interactions
Encouraging social interactions between coworkers can be a great way to help boost employee morale and engagement. Take advantage of the in-person visits in the above suggestion to get people to socialize.
19. Don’t Tolerate Poor Performance
No matter where employees are working from, poor performance shouldn’t be accepted.
20. Set the Tone of Engagement From The Top
Company leaders, managers, and supervisors need to set a tone of engagement that lower-level employees can emulate. You can’t expect staff to remain engaged if they don’t see their higher-ups doing the same thing.
Engagement Ideas for Remote Workers
We must remember the often overlooked remote worker. While some of the above ideas will work to engage them as well, here are a few that are particular to the challenge of keeping remote workers in the mix.
Team member engagement is the process of ensuring that your employees feel appreciated, valued, satisfied, and loyal to the company. This can be challenging with remote workers because of their physical distance. They can feel isolated, lonely, and excluded from the workplace comradery other employees enjoy.
Virtual Rewards & Recognition
Recognition is essential to job satisfaction and a feeling of valued contribution. If your remote worker is putting in the effort to produce excellent work, you need to tell them you notice it. Your thank you’s should be earned but free-flowing and generous. You can acknowledge them and their work at your next virtual meeting or company newsletter. And remember the rewards! You can give financial incentives, electronic gift cards, etc.
See Them As People, Not Just A Face on a Screen
If you only see some of the people on your team on a computer screen during virtual meetings, it’s easy to discount them. So, it would help if you made an effort to remember that they are people working for the good of your company and they have feelings. Do what you can to form relationships with them that help them feel aligned with you and the company. This goes a long way in making them feel secure in their roles and employment, empowering them to do their best work.
If you think you already know them, ask yourself:
- What are some of their interests other than work?
- Do they have a family … a new baby?
- What are their career ambitions?
- What forms of recognition work best with them?
Increase Remote Worker Involvement in Decision-Making
Even in-office employees can feel disconnected from the decision-making process in your company. This feeling is multiplied for remote workers who often hear of changes last – or at least, that’s what they think. Employees who feel more involved also feel more engaged. Your remote employees will feel more motivated to work within your designated parameters if they feel some ownership in these decisions.
It is empowering for remote workers to feel that they are working toward the shared goals of the company. And just as the company benefits from the fulfillment of these objectives, so should they.
Be Genuinely Concerned About Their Well-Being
Ultimately, a healthier, happier worker (remote or otherwise) is a better worker. They’re more productive, focused, and engaged. You can assist them with this by encouraging good work-life balance, positive mental health practices, and even mentorship.
Your company can provide learning opportunities to help remote workers achieve their career goals or offer assistance with money management, health and fitness, stress management, etc.
A show of genuine concern and the willingness to provide support can foster company loyalty, insulating your company from constant turnover expenses.
Looking For Ways to Enhance Your Employee Engagement? Here’s How B STATE Can Help!
Implementing the above strategies within your business can be a fantastic way to help enhance levels of employee engagement going forward, so consider giving each of them a try to see what they can do for you! For access to more ways to help enhance employee engagement, please consider contacting our experts at B STATE today and exploring our wide range of educational resources.
Are you searching for a way to enhance the performance of your trusted employees while promoting a more effective corporate culture within your business? Contact our experts at B STATE today to learn about our free business education and training.