Employee engagement is vital for business growth. It is the emotional commitment people have to the business, which underpins how much they care about what they do.
Do you have team members that show up to work, listless, disinterested and who only do the bare minimum to get by? You know they are good at what they do but they just are not engaged.
It happens in most workplaces. People start with a workplace excited about the opportunities and dedicated to meeting the organisation’s goal and values.
Somewhere along the line, they unplug, becoming just a cog in the wheel.
As the leader, it is not the boss’s job to make sure the staff are happy; that is up to them, but it is important to keep people engaged. Without employee engagement, without commitment, without motivation, no one gives their best and the workplace becomes a lacklustre environment, devoid of enthusiasm and tangible successes
If you look around and find your people are disconnected, here are five ways to plug them back in for an energy boost and tick your employee engagement box.
Inspire Purposefully for Employee Engagement
Be a real person, not someone who leads from behind a closed door. A great leader nurtures and creates other leaders; gives people the opportunity to grow and learn, to step up and build on their skills. A good leader balances the business performance and spreadsheets by taking the time to get to know their team. People do business with people and if you invest in getting to know your people they will step up more often.
Work That is Meaningful
Even if someone is hired to do a repetitive task, they should know how vital their role is to the overall performance of the organisation. Take the time to help them see how their part fits into the whole. Making work meaningful also means giving people the opportunity to have a say in how things are done. Sometimes the best suggestions come from the people at the coalface. Remember this first step to employee engagement when taking on someone new.
Make Team Building a Regular Thing
It is easy to get caught up in the day to day when running a business that we often forget to stop and come together just for fun or connection. Team building activities do not need to be awkward and unproductive as long as you combine fun with a purposeful outcome. African Beat does team building activities that invigorate teams. Instead of getting another speaker, transform your team into an orchestra. Drumming is a powerful tool for team engagement. It breaks down barriers and inspires team spirit. African Beat uses ancient rhythms as a cutting-edge tool for communication. Your team will embark on a musical journey to discover their team pulse. Having lots of fun along the way, the end result will be a unified, uplifted and motivated group.
Rewards
Sometimes, rewarding great work is not just about money. Think outside the box – if you get to know your team then you will know what is important to them – for some, it may be an afternoon off, a gift voucher to the movies for the family, lunch with the CEO, an article in the in-house magazine. Of course, people want to be paid well for what they do but to keep them engaged, reward them. Recognition is a powerful thing.
Recognise the World Has Changed
Nine to five is not the norm anymore. Gone are the days when business stopped on a Friday afternoon or doors stayed shut on a Sunday. More and more, people are looking for flexibility and more balance for their lives – time to go for medical check-ups without having to take sick leave, mental health days, working from home, flexible hours to pick up kids, and job sharing. Take the time to see what is important for your people so they see you as a leader, not a manager.