If getting a pulse on employee engagement is a priority for your organization, you’ve come to the right place. In this week’s blog we share our top six tips for creating a successful employee engagement strategy that unlocks the full potential of your people and your company.
Before we share our top tips, let’s start with a definition of employee engagement.
What is employee engagement?
Employee engagement is the extent to which employees are emotionally, cognitively and behaviorally invested in their work.
Engagement has the potential to impact nearly every aspect of your business, from revenue to retention to recruitment and more. That’s because employees who are more engaged in their work are likely to work harder and motivate others to do the same. They’re also more likely to enjoy better overall health and well-being.
The current state of employee engagement.
Unfortunately, employee engagement has dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade. Recent data from Gallup suggests that employees increasingly report feeling:
- Detached from their employers
- Less role clarity
- Lower satisfaction with their organizations
- Disconnected from their company’s mission or purpose
- Less confident that someone at work cares about them
The good news is that engagement is something that can be improved. But it does take time and a concerted effort to move the needle.
6 tips for creating your employee engagement strategy.
Here are some things to think about before you embark on an employee engagement initiative, which typically includes both a formal engagement survey and regular pulse surveys.
It’s critical to understand the current climate.
Gauge the current climate in your organization so you’re prepared to present a strong case to leadership. Consider these questions:
- Do we have strong communication between managers and their teams?
- Do we collect valuable, consistent employee feedback?
- Do we recognize employees who exceed expectations or consistently go the extra mile?
- Do new employees tend to stay with our organization or do we experience high turnover?
- Do we do a good job retaining our current employees?
- Do we have a culture that empowers our employees to grow within the organization?
The answers to these questions will help you identify gaps and create goals.
Leadership engagement is key.
Strong employee engagement starts with leadership support. Setting clear goals and bringing leaders into the conversation helps ensure alignment and shared accountability. Be prepared to demonstrate the value of investing time and resources in improving employee engagement by highlighting the well-known benefits: increased profitability, improved retention and the ability to attract top talent.
Remember: leaders set the tone for everyone else. When leadership openly supports engagement efforts, employees will feel participating in surveys is worth their time.
Employees need to know what your goals are.
Employees need to know why their engagement is important and the positive difference it can make in their day-to-day work experience. Communicate what you hope to achieve by surveying employees. Let employees know expected launch plans, when they will receive surveys, and how long it will take to complete them. Perhaps most importantly, stress that you intend to take action on the results.
Measurement is a must.
As with most things we aim to improve, we won’t know if we’re making progress unless we have something to measure our progress against. When it comes to employee engagement, conducting a baseline survey will give you the data you need to assess the current state of engagement, and identify areas for improvement. Repeating that same survey (or at least certain questions) over time will allow you to see where you’re succeeding and what still needs attention.
Keep taking the pulse.
While formal engagement surveys typically happen once a year, short pulse surveys that are sent at regular intervals can help your organization stay on top of issues that are important to employees. Many organizations ask the same questions at regular intervals to see how and when answers change. Every month, after a department meeting, I like to survey the team based on meeting content or market dynamics and growth opportunities outside of our team. This type of engagement makes employees feel part of something bigger and it builds stronger working relationships.
Follow-up is essential.
Surveys on their own can’t improve employee engagement—the key is how you use the results to create meaningful change. Share the purpose of the feedback and why it matters. After employees share feedback in a survey, it’s important that leadership takes visible action. When employees see that their voice drives improvement or real change, it increases trust and a willingness to stay engaged. It matters.
Ensure your employees feel valued and heard.
TINYpulse by WebMD Health Services is an innovative employee feedback and engagement software solution that can help you put these six tips into action. We empower companies globally to not only measure but also enhance company culture, boost employee retention, and elevate performance by ensuring you are listening to your people. To learn more about how TINYpulse can help your organization increase engagement and prioritize the well-being and success of every individual in your organization, check out these resources or request a demo.
