When it comes to enhancing workplace engagement, helping employees to understand and support goals and strategies is a good start. We all like to work on something we can believe in and that we think matters. One of the main ways people become disengaged is when they become unsure as to whether their work serves any kind of overarching purpose.
Good leadership at the coalface matters too. When managers provide support in solving day-to-day challenges, are ready and willing to understand employees as individuals, and are ready to roll up their sleeves and get involved, employees care about their success and want to support them in reaching organisational goals.
Listening to employees and providing feedback is vital to the promotion of employee engagement. A 2018 McLeod report notes that “employee voice” is among the most important factors in workplace engagement. When people feel valued in the workplace, they’re ready to deliver value in return.
Opportunities for personal and professional growth also contribute to engagement, as do recognition and rewards. However, researchers say that material rewards can be great for morale, but may not do much in terms of helping people understand how their work serves a greater purpose.
On the other hand, non-material rewards, even just the simple act of thanking employees for their contributions to the company, can go a long way toward fostering engagement. Opportunities for bettering themselves by learning new skills ensure that people feel as though they are growing alongside the organisation.
With skilled employees performing jobs they understand well, it’s easy for businesses to allow them to get on with their work. If they know the desired outcome, they can decide on how they’ll get there. Being trusted to work autonomously is a real engagement booster. In a similar vein, providing the resources and facilities employees need to give their best empowers them to do just that.
Finally, there’s the social side of things. Having good relationships with colleagues and managers, and even having a bit of fun at work, makes the workday routine something to look forward to.