Five Effective Strategies For Boosting Employee Engagement

Without a proper plan set in place to improve employee engagement levels, your organization is at risk for losing top talent, profits, customers, and more to competitors. So, with this much at stake, you’re probably wondering, “How can I improve employee engagement in my office?” Luckily, Nexus has got you covered! Keep reading for our five best tips and tricks.

Collecting and using feedback 

Ultimately, any strides your organization takes toward improving employee engagement needs to focus on what employees themselves want. Conducting employee surveys or focus groups are two ways your organization can learn how employees measure their own engagement and if and how they want to improve overall engagement. 

After all is said and done regarding feedback, how your company uses the information collected is crucial. Without actually implementing any plans for change, employees may feel underappreciated or taken advantage of. Instead, when feedback is properly taken into consideration, it can create a positive cycle of engagement and improve your organization’s overall business performance. When employees feel their thoughts and opinions are valued in their organization, they’re more likely to work hard and as a result, the organization is able to incorporate more feedback, rewards, professional opportunities, and more of the following strategies into its everyday practices.

Recognizing and rewarding achievements 

When employees aren’t acknowledged for their hard work, they’re likely to bring their talents elsewhere. According to the results of our recent LinkedIn poll, many employees agree -- a lack of appreciation or recognition can be a leading factor in their decision to leave a position. On the other hand, recognizing employee achievements is linked to higher motivation, productivity, and loyalty -- all important qualities of engaged employees.

With that being said, it’s important that rewards reflect the accomplishment or achievement at hand. While an “employee of the month” certificate or a shoutout on your company’s social media pages are great ways to show appreciation and contribute to a positive company culture, sometimes it’s necessary to think a little bigger. Giving an employee more responsibilities, reflecting their hard work in a raise or bonus, or supplying them with well-deserved vacation time can all hold more weight in not only showing your appreciation, but also improving office morale, retention rates, and of course, engagement.

Providing options for professional development

From re-inventing current business strategies to building their knowledge on industry-specific topics, engaged employees are dedicated to bettering their organization with their own passions. However, without the support of their organization or the necessary means to follow these passions, it can be difficult to actually make any progress. Therefore, providing options for employees to invest in their own professional development can have a huge impact on engagement.

Whether it’s implementing effective training practices or providing tuition assistance, your organization can give employees the opportunity to advance their career that they may not have at other organizations. If your organization doesn’t have the budget to implement these strategies just yet, try encouraging employee mentorships across departments or finding suitable courses and career certifications available through accredited programs like LinkedIn Learning and HubSpot Academy.

As a result, these options will all help employees become more confident in the work that they do and cause them to increase their productivity and motivation or the amount of responsibilities they take on.

Increasing employee communication

Boost employee engagement by increasing opportunities for conversation, networking, and bonding. This can be done either in-person or virtually -- during work hours or when employees are off the clock. For example, after-work activities, company-wide volunteer initiatives, or even introducing an open-floor office plan can all allow employees to open up and feel more comfortable around one another. 

When it comes to increasing employees’ communication through digital channels, investing in social media, a third-party communication software such as Microsoft Teams or Slack, or even a personalized organization-wide intranet can all make a difference in increasing communication for employees that work remotely, have a far commute, or even those who might be more hesitant to partake in social situations. 

Regardless of whether you choose an in-person or digital route, clear communication is a surefire way of boosting employee engagement. When employees are comfortable communicating with one another, they are able to confide in, rely on, and collaborate with one another -- all of which will increase productivity, motivation, satisfaction, and thus, engagement.

Hiring employees for their soft skills, not just their hard skills

What is it that makes a candidate qualified for a position? If you’ve thought, “an applicable degree, a proven track-record of success with relevant technologies, and tangible samples of past work,” you’re only halfway there. Of course these resume highlights matter, but they can’t be the only deciding factor when it comes to making a hire. Take the COVID-19 pandemic for example -- during these uncertain times, it has become evident just how important soft skills such as adaptability, compassion, and resilience can be in the workplace. Without these values or soft skills, employees have the ability to negatively affect company culture, overall employee satisfaction, and as a result -- employee engagement. 

In other words, when employees have positive soft skills, they’re more likely to be engaged with their organization and thus be willing to go the extra mile when they need (and want) to -- whether it's for fellow employees or the organization as a whole. Therefore, while on the search for the perfect candidate, be sure to put your focus on soft skills, not just hard skills. Try gauging soft skills with behavioral interview questions focused on specific scenarios or including a personality assessment in your hiring process. After all, hard skills can be taught, practiced, and improved, but it’s an employee’s soft skills that make an organization what it is.

Employee engagement starts with hiring the right candidates. Contact Nexus today to learn more about our personalized staffing services or get started with our free job market analysis for an in-depth look at top candidates and what exactly it is they’re looking for in their next position.