Employee Engagement: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Improve It
Employee engagement is a term you’ve probably heard before in the workplace, but you might not know what it actually means, or how to improve it and how that will, in turn, boost productivity and employee satisfaction. In this guide, we’ll explain what employee engagement is, why it matters, and how you can leverage it to create a more motivated and high-performing team.
What Is Employee Engagement?
At its core, employee engagement refers to how workers feel about their employer. It encompasses the emotional connection they have with their team and the broader organisation, as well as their overall commitment to the job.
Well-engaged employees won’t just feel that they are doing a job to get by. Instead, they’re committed to completing their tasks, passionate about delivering high-quality work, and actively advocate for the success of the business.
How Is Employee Engagement Measured?
One effective way to measure employee engagement is by having workers complete an anonymous internal questionnaire. This allows team members to express their thoughts and feelings freely, without fear of judgment.
Managers can implement these questionnaires to gauge the feelings of their team and provide insight that can be used to make changes to different aspects of the business.
Want to gain deeper insight into how your team is feeling? We've got you covered! Corporate Learning Solutions specialises in managing and running employee engagement surveys. Reach out to us today to get started!
Questions for Employee Engagement?
Typical employee engagement surveys cover various aspects of the business, with a strong focus on daily operations and employee experience.
The first questions you might find asked in one of these surveys are things like how employees feel during their usual daily activities, what challenges they face, and how the work makes them feel. Here are some questions that may be similar to those commonly asked in an employee engagement survey:
How does your day-to-day work make you feel?
What part of your workload is the most interesting to you?
Does your job make you feel fulfilled?
Do you see yourself remaining with the company for a long period of time?
Would you recommend the company to any friends or family seeking employment?
Other questions shift the focus towards the leadership and management teams. These offer valuable insights that leaders can use to adapt their management styles to suit different business situations.
Does your team leader make it clear what is expected of you?
Does your manager inspire you to come into work each day?
How would you describe your manager’s leadership style?
What advice would you have for your manager that could optimise your workday?
Finally, there will also be questions regarding workplace culture, which are extremely important in gauging how employees feel being a part of the business as a whole.
Do you feel respected at the workplace?
Do you feel that your coworkers value you as a member of the team?
Do you have any suggestions for changes that could improve the workplace culture?
Those are just some of the questions that you may find within an employee engagement survey. However, survey content will vary across businesses. It’s best to consult a professional who can guide you in designing the most effective approach for your team.
Initiatives for Employee Engagement
While every business is different, there are several proven strategies that can significantly boost employee engagement, especially when implemented by management.
Provide Quality Training, Mentoring, and Development Opportunities
No employee ever wants to feel stuck in their career. For this reason, providing opportunities for growth through mentoring, training seminars, coaching, or even informal sessions like lunch and learns is a powerful way to boost engagement. Naturally, we all want to grow as we progress in a new role, and one simple and effective way to facilitate this is to ensure that newer employees have experienced colleagues available to learn from.
If this isn’t possible or realistic for your specific business, then the good news is that there are several other ways to offer growth. Ultimately, if you can find a way that works to offer employees a clear career progression plan, then you’ll typically see a boost in employee engagement as a result.
Communication and Clarity
One great way to make employees feel that they are a key part of the team is to remain clear and honest in your communication. A good idea is to make sure that lines of communication with your team are always open and that you invite feedback regularly.
If you’re honest with how things are tracking as a business, you’re going to build trust with your employees, which can, in turn, offer them a better chance to take ownership over their work, which is likely to boost performance. Regular check-ins with your team are a great way to put the chips on the table and help them understand where things are at and what is required to reach business targets and other milestones.
Work Culture isn’t Just About Work
It’s important to remember that your employees all have lives outside of the office, and allowing them the flexibility to juggle personal and professional arrangements is a great way to increase employee engagement.
Flexible working options still remain common in many workplaces, and they are very useful in helping employees balance work and life. However, they aren’t possible in all workplaces, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing that can be done.
Wellness initiatives are a great way to make sure your team are in their best physical and mental state when reporting to work. Several initiatives can be implemented, but some of the most common include mental health resources and stress management workshops.
It’s also important to make sure that your employees are having positive social interactions at work. Some of the best ways to do this include team-building activities and group lunches. Holding these events will allow team members to socialise and build rapport with each other, which can make their time spent at work even more enjoyable.
Now that you’ve got an idea of what employee engagement is and how it can be managed in the workplace, contact Corporate Learning Solutions so that we can help you take these initiatives to the next level.
