How To Keep Employees Engaged

Would you say you feel more inclined to work hard and solve problems when you're invested in the situation at hand? Employees are the same! The more engaged an employee is, the more incentivized they are to perform well at work.

Plus, when employees are engaged at work, they tend to get along with coworkers better and stay at the company longer. This has a positive effect on your company because the engagement levels of your employees reflect well on the achievement of business goals.

What does research say about the importance of employee engagement?

Before employees quit their jobs, they spend a lot of time thinking about how dissatisfied they are and what they would change about their workplace if they had the opportunity. In fact, Gallup's annual State of the Global Workplace survey polled more than 122,000 employees around the globe between April 2022 and May 2023.

The survey revealed that 41% of respondents would improve engagement efforts or culture-related decisions. Meanwhile, 28% would improve the pay and benefits offered, and 16% wish their well-being was more of a priority.

In the executive summary of the survey, Gallup wrote that "leadership and management directly influence workplace engagement, and there is much that organizations can do to help employees thrive at work."

Gallup found that approximately 51% of those surveyed were "watching for or actively seeking a new job," while only 43% of employees who were engaged at work were doing the same. As a result of the findings, Gallup identified 23% of the world's workforce as being engaged at work.

Those who are engaged at work tend to be significantly less likely to look for a new job than those who are disengaged. However, the good news is that companies have the means to cultivate a workplace environment that improves engagement levels and retention rates. While many businesses use their resources to manage the impact of work location requirements — i.e., remote, on-site, and hybrid — they would likely do better to pivot their focus on tactics to improve engagement.

How to measure rates of employee engagement

A lot of corporations end up measuring contentment rather than engagement, and this isn't always on purpose. However, whether intentionally or not, this can have a detrimental outcome on your company's workplace.

When you foster a sense of appreciation and recognition, your employees understand that their efforts are not only recognized but also rewarded. If you're measuring employee contentment, that's one thing, but you're still missing out on engagement, which is the main driving factor behind employee retention and business growth.

How to improve employee engagement rates

To cultivate a positive and inclusive workplace, focus on fostering collaboration, recognition and appreciation. That's why it's important to regularly communicate with employees and educate them about everything the company has to offer to increase how appreciated they feel and how aware they are.

A major pitfall in employee engagement is insufficient communication. Employees want to stay informed about company happenings. When communication falls short, employees end up feeling disconnected and undervalued.

Prioritizing communication can help address this. Consider implementing regular meetings, using internal newsletters and updates, or establishing open-door policies to keep as many lines of communication open as possible.

It's also crucial to continually assess the effectiveness of rewards programs. Ask for employee feedback and adjust your systems to meet their responses. Failing to recognize the contributions your employees make to the workplace can significantly impact engagement levels, so take measures to avoid this at all costs.

When employees feel their efforts are going unnoticed, they can become disengaged, and in the process of becoming so, it's common for them to seek other opportunities. For instance, it has been shown that disengaged employees are more likely to take double the number of sick days compared to their engaged coworkers or peers.

Simple actions, such as publicly acknowledging an employee's hard work, can significantly boost morale and confidence. Regular performance reviews and ongoing feedback are essential. Offer training, well-being support and rewards — monetary or nonmonetary — as well.

It's also important to avoid micromanagement. This can make employees feel overly scrutinized, leading to a sense of distrust between workers and those they report to.

At the end of the day, never forget why you hired someone in the first place. Making sure they feel valued will cultivate trust between the two of you, which will only make the workplace better.

Interested in learning more? Chat with a Connectify HR expert today.