Let’s face it; work can sometimes be a bit dull. It’s not unusual for employees to lose motivation, especially if they work remotely and feel out of the loop. That’s when employee engagement comes into play. You need a strategy that helps to reconnect the disconnected. It needs to inspire and enthuse your employees and bring some joy back into the working day. Because when it comes to productivity, there’s no worker more effective than a fully engaged one.
Just how important is employee engagement? Research shows us that it’s critical to a company’s success. Overall, companies with high employee engagement are 21% more profitable. And a Gallup study shows that highly engaged workplaces saw 41% lower absenteeism. The benefits of employee engagement simply can’t be underestimated. So, it’s time to make sure your internal communications are working as hard as they should be.
This blog explores some of the most effective employee engagement activities. Whether bringing people together to work as a team or adding variety with new technology, these innovative ideas will bring your employee engagement strategy back to max power.
The less it feels like work, the better. If you can implement a platform that employees enjoy using, half the battle is already won. It’s not just about adding fun content, such as videos and social activities, although this is a valid approach. It’s more about offering your employees a platform that is effortlessly user-friendly and a genuine pleasure to use.
You’ll find an employee engagement app offers a simple solution. The beauty of an app is that it is accessible across all devices, from the office pc to smartphones and tablets. This means employees are much more likely to use it and enjoy using it. A good employee engagement platform will also provide built-in modules that make it easy to connect – social calendars, chatrooms, polls, newsfeeds – all these elements help make an employee engagement model that delivers.
The new hybrid working model can leave employees feeling disconnected from their colleagues. It’s harder to get to know your team when half of them work from home. That’s where team-building activities for employee engagement come into play. You need to introduce opportunities for people to meet, chat and share their knowledge
One of the key employee engagement best practices is to promote knowledge sharing. People learn best in practice, and there’s no one better to show you how to perform your role than a colleague who’s done it themselves. Create an online social space where employees can meet up and chat. It’s a great way to cultivate a commitment to common goals and share valuable knowledge. Whether you create chatrooms for departments or specific teams, you’ll find people will welcome the chance to connect.
One of the benefits of employee engagement activities is that they can actually generate helpful suggestions for the company as a whole. By implementing a culture of innovation across the organisation, you’ll be boosting engagement and gathering some top ideas. You’ll also promote the all-important employee voice – giving your people a chance to speak and be heard.
Look for an employee engagement tool that enables employees to put forward ideas and suggestions that address business challenges. You should be able to capture suggestions, rate them and discuss them companywide. And hopefully, use some of them for the overall improvement of the organisation. This is one of those company employee engagement activities that really helps people focus on the bigger picture.
Create an environment where your employees feel comfortable speaking out, and you’ll have a happy workplace. Staff should be able to approach their manager to discuss any issues they may have – from job-related problems to personal concerns impacting their work. An open door policy that works smoothly and effectively is one of the key drivers of employee engagement.
Of course, not everyone is naturally vocal when it comes to discussing issues. That’s when you want to put in place employee engagement plan activities to provide a safe space to open up. Some employees may feel more comfortable discussing problems online; others will prefer a face-to-face setting; others may prefer a group environment. Adapt your strategy to suit the individuals.
It’s worth remembering that not everyone will have the time, or the attention span, to read through a lengthy company news update. With a long email or newsletter, you risk losing your audience before they can interpret the critical message. If you have important developments that you really need to put across, often video is a more impactful way to grab attention.
When it comes to online employee engagement activities, video is the number one performer. It allows employees to watch multiple times if needed and helps impart the tone as well as the core information of your message. An employee engagement app will make it simple to include video messaging in your overall strategy.
The great thing about public recognition is that it works in two ways. The people who have been praised feel valued and appreciated for their efforts. And they will almost definitely work even harder as a result. Plus, other employees reading about their colleagues’ success will also feel motivated. They will realise they work for a company that openly acknowledges success and will be keen to get some of that recognition for themselves.
Of all the employee engagement initiatives, this one is the easiest to implement. A good employee app will have a built-in recognition module that includes social tools to allow likes and comments. The best strategy will deliver both leadership and peer-to-peer recognition – both are equally valuable. As team building activities for employee engagement go, public praise is right up there as a way to improve company culture. And all you have to do is say thank you.
It’s obvious but often left out of many employee engagement programs. As well as sending information out to your employees, you need to ask for information back. Have your messages been received? Have they been understood? Have they been acted upon? Unless you know the answers to these three questions, you don’t actually know if your employee engagement ideas are working.
An employee engagement platform will make it easy to schedule regular surveys and health checks across the company. You can send out a comprehensive employee engagement survey or fire out quick polls and quizzes to check the state of play. The collation of feedback could be virtual employee engagement activities during work from home, or it could be conducted from the office. However you plan your feedback collection, it’s vital to ensure a two-way flow of communication to ensure maximum engagement.
When exploring how to improve employee engagement, the answer will always lie in the strategies you use to communicate. A carefully considered plan, which considers your employees' individual needs and requirements, will yield excellent results. Simply by implementing these seven key employee engagement activities, you’ll find that motivation levels take a dramatic upturn. After all, if you make work fun, listen to what your employees have to say, remember to say thank you and ask for feedback… who wouldn’t want to work for a company that does all that?