Employee Engagement, Employee Productivity

As important as it is to work towards improving your organization's levels of employee engagement, there's no getting around the fact that it can be rather difficult.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

CEOs, managers, and "higher-up's" need all the help they can get in order to ensure that their staff is on the right track, especially as businesses begin to grow.

After all, everyone wants to lead their team to success, and sometimes all it takes is a few fresh ideas to help rejuvenate your employees and increase their productivity to a large degree.

Every once in a while, it helps to have a cheat sheet on your side that can help you to steer your team in the right direction. There's no harm in referring to the following employee engagement ideas from time to time, as they can help to bring your team together and encourage empowerment, engagement and improved performance.

If you try all of these ideas and there’s still no improvement?  Perhaps you need to look at who is on your payroll.  It’s not like your business is a prison (or shouldn’t be).  If they don’t want to be there, show them the door. (I mean, even the worst convicts get excited about SOMETHING in jail).

1. Encourage Employees to Speak Up

It's common for modern-day employees to go through the workweek feeling uncomfortable with the concept of speaking their minds. This discomfort can result for a number of reasons, but the most important thing to focus on is trying to break it down. When people don't feel as if they can speak up, they may be holding back valuable ideas and solutions that could help push your organization forward.

If you want your employees to feel comfortable speaking their minds, you have to make it clear that they can do so without fear of criticism and judgment. Promote and practice candor.

Keeping an "open-door" policy is essential, and you can help encourage your employees further by holding roundtable discussions in which they can discuss anything that may be on their minds at the moment. The more you foster an open, safe space for communication, the more likely it is that your staff will bring great ideas to the table.

2. Help Your Employees to Get to Know Each Other Better

In larger organizations, many employees go through their days without knowing their colleagues very well, if at all. The bigger a company gets, the more chance of a disconnect. As a manager, it's important to place focus on helping your employees to get to know each other better, and there are a number of fun ways to go about doing so.

You could play office games.

Or:

You could just plan a happy hour at the end of the work week. This is a great way to get employees to communicate with each other on a more personal level.

There's really nothing like taking your employees out to a bar, throwing down a few hundred bucks from the petty cash, and getting them wasted ... right? One can learn a whole lot about another when there's alcohol involved. Some co-workers may be into this, but there may also be many who are not. Understand this and you'll be ok.

Perhaps more importantly ...

You should always be sure to allow your staff to interact throughout the day and outside of work without having to worry about whether or not they're being watched or judged. Conversations related to business are important, but that doesn't mean your staff doesn't need a break every once in a while.

3. Serve as a Mentor

When an employee begins to experience problems with engagement, it's essential to step in as quickly as possible so that things don't progress further. Some managers simply don't take the personal approach that is often necessary for getting through to an employee, and instead rely on canned methods and techniques that will supposedly help to raise engagement levels. Unfortunately, these individuals are taking the wrong route the vast majority of the time.

Improving employee engagement means serving as a mentor for those who are facing issues, regardless of how busy you may be. Offer your help.

Setting aside just a bit of time to help someone who is struggling in their job can go quite a long way, and you can always task other managers with taking the reins if you truly don't have the time to do it yourself. So long as someone is mentoring the employee in need, you can rest easy knowing that no one is being left behind.

4. Only Reward Employees for a Job Well Done

Some managers believe that one of the best way to keep employees engaged and performing well is to reward them on a regular basis, even if they're not performing up to par. Unfortunately, carelessly dishing-out rewards won't do your business any favors and may even hurt performance and engagement even further.

I mean, if you reward your dog every time he sits down, rolls over, or fetches a stick he's going to get comfortable.  And when he gets comfortable, he poops on the floor. 

Rewarding employees is certainly something that you should do from time to time, but that's not to say you should do so carelessly. Pay close attention to the progress made by your employees, and don't hesitate to let them know WHY you're rewarding them, whether it be via a bonus, salary increase, a pat on the back, a verbal thank you, or otherwise. As long as you make a point to clarify the reason for the reward, you'll effectively help to increase the chances that they'll remain engaged in the future.

5. Focus on Collaboration & Working Together

Take a look at any employee whose engagement levels seem to be suffering, and you might find a constant — they're likely to prefer to work alone.

Collaboration is one of the most important things for businesses to focus on improving, as it can help to improve ideas, cut down on wasted time and — yes — improve employee engagement. It may seem like a lofty goal if your employees tend to stick to themselves, but it doesn't have to be at all.

One way to improve collaboration in your company is to implement social business software. This serves as a virtual platform that all of your employees can work off of, which means they'll have little choice but to work with one another, regardless of how shy or disconnected they may be.

It's important to view social business software not as a way to "force" employees to collaborate , but as a tool for motivating employees to branch out and work more closely with their colleagues. Once they get the hang of how to use it, social business software becomes an incredibly powerful tool that will likely serve a huge role in the future of business.

6. Encourage Positive Health & Wellness

If you want to have a staff full of engaged employees, you've got to take steps yourself to help them remain happy and healthy.

Wellness is important for any professional, yet stress and other life factors can sometimes get in the way and cause people to neglect exercise and healthy eating habits. In the end, it stands to reason why so many businesses have issues with engagement — it's a product of modern society.

Go have lunch with your coworkers. Have lunch with those that report to you.

Encouraging wellness within your organization doesn't have to be hard. Some companies provide their employees with gym memberships, for example, while others choose to bring in massage therapists or other professionals to help staff members de-stress and maintain clarity. It can even be as easy as stocking healthy snacks in your company refrigerator for employees to turn to if need be throughout the day.

7. Clarify Goals and Responsibilities

Every employee has a set of goals and responsibilities they need to work on. One of the biggest contributing factors to falling engagement levels, is the confusion over what one's role actually is.

It doesn't take poor management for issues such as this to occur, either. (Though usually it is due to poor management.)

Clarifying goals and responsibilities is essential if you intend to improve employee engagement within your organization, a staff member simply can't be engaged in something they don't understand.

Whenever you kick off a project or delegate out a new task, it's essential to go into the logistics in as detailed a way as possible, taking time to answer any questions that your employees may have. You may end up spending a little more time explaining things, but the fact that you'll be likely to experience less headaches as a result, makes doing so more than worth your while.

8. For New Hires, Start on the First Day, Perfect the Onboarding Process

There's nothing more depressing for a manager than hiring someone who seems as if they'll be an excellent fit for the job, only to find that they simply aren't nearly as engaged in their work as they should be.

Sometimes the issue stems NOT from the individual, but from the way they're on-boarded. Joining a new company can be a very stressful experience, and the more help a new employee can get, the better they'll be at their job.

It can be tempting to allow employees to fend for themselves during the onboarding process instead of helping them through each step, but you'll benefit greatly from being there in case they're in need of a hand.

CEOs and those in managerial positions should make themselves available when new employees join the team, as this will help to ensure any issues that pop up are negated as quickly as possible.

9. Be Flexible

The best managers are those who hold their employees accountable for their performance, yet give them the flexibility they deserve. These are professional adults, after all, and they don't need someone breathing down their neck at all times. It can be quite difficult for those in leadership roles to give up control, especially when working on high-profile projects.

That said, it's essential to realize just how much of a difference a little bit of flexibility can have on an employee's performance and level of engagement.

There are plenty of ways to prove to your employees that you're willing to give them the flexibility they need. You could allow them to work from home, for example, or take a personal day if need be. So long as they keep up their end of the deal regarding the work they're supposed to get done, there should be little to worry about.

10. Help Employees Move Forward in Their Career and Education

No manager wants to admit that their employees may someday go on to work at a different company ... but that's typically the reality of things.

In today's world, the sky's the limit, and many people put a great deal of effort into advancing their career as far as possible through education, workshops, and other enrichment tools.

A good manager is one who is there to help their employees reach their goals, even if that means they may someday leave the company.

If you want to improve engagement levels, you need to show your employees that you're here to help. You can do this in a number of ways, such as paying for classes, allowing employees to attend workshops during workday hours, arranging internships, and more.

Sometimes, all it takes is giving out some simple advice to let someone know that you really care.

11. Create a Unique Office Environment

Showing up to an office every day can be a trying experience after a while, especially if the environment isn't altogether comforting.

No one wants to sit in a dimly lit cubicle between the hours of nine and five ... yet this is, unfortunately, the way many people live their lives.

Managers, CEOs, and the "higher ups" shouldn't settle for such a dull work environment, as it will do nothing to help push an organization in a forward direction or improvement engagement levels.

Creating culture within your office is something that is typically done one step at a time. Artwork, music, branded mugs/dishes, even an office pet are just a few things that can help to add character to your work environment, but this barely scratches the surface of what is possible. So long as you constantly keep in mind the notion that your office should be fun and inviting, you'll be doing what it takes to improve employee engagement levels and make the workweek just a little bit less stressful.

12. Hire Based Upon Traits and Attitude

Every manager wants to have employees who have a great deal of experience and have incredible qualifications on their side. After all, these things do matter, and great experience can sometimes signify a great employee. Everyone can get ahead if they try hard enough, but this doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be engaged in their work.

More often than not, you can spot the traits that might make a person a great candidate to join your team from miles away. Employees that are most likely to be engaged in their work are those who are excited, personable and not afraid to speak up. Typically, these traits will come out during the interview process; especially if you take the time to conduct a thorough interview with each and every candidate. A resume may be able to tell you what type of professional experience a potential employee has under their belt, but there's no substitute for a face-to-face interview when it comes to getting a sense of someone's attitude.

13. Hold Fun in High Regard

One of the most unfortunate aspects of modern office culture is that many people don't associate the word "fun" with work. It can seem at times as if the two are mutually exclusive, with fun being something experienced outside of work hours and the office.

You don't necessarily need to disrupt your normal workweek in any way to incorporate fun into the office. Starting a company band and jamming on Fridays, holding contests within your organization, and taking a little bit of time out for some physical activity are just a few ways in which you can make the day a bit more fun for you and your employees ... each of which can help to lower stress levels and serve as bonding activities for your workers.

Fun can help break the monotony of the day AND help to improve employee engagement levels.

14. Let Your Employees Focus on What They Do Best

Employees want to know that the work they're doing is being appreciated and meaningful ... and if they do, they will be engaged.

They also want to be given the opportunity to shine, which means they have to have the ability to do what they do best as often as possible. The biggest mistake that a manager can make is assigning tasks to those who work under them that simply don't match their skills. This can lead to poor performance and will have a negative impact on employee engagement.

If you want your employees to stay as engaged as possible, you have to allow them to focus on their skills. First, ask them what they feel most comfortable taking on task-wise (which will help to let them know that you're paying attention). They'll most likely identify areas in which they have specialties that can also benefit your organization, so take this information and keep it top-of-mind when assigning tasks.

Over time, you'll be building a team of individuals that are experts in their own right.

15. Encourage Networking

A great employee is one who is driven and focused on improving his or her own career as much as possible.

You don't want a complacent .

Encouraging your employees to network with others (both inside and outside of your organization) is a great way to help them focus on building their careers, all the while helping them to be more engaged in their current roles.

There are so many ways to network in today's world that it can be relatively head-spinning. Take a look at the popularity of social media and professional networks and encourage your employees to utilize these services for outside networking.  You may also implement social business software for internal networking. Send your employees to tradeshows, conferences, workshops, educational talks ... send them to events where they can learn something!

The possibilities are endless, and the more your employees focus on building their networks, the more your business will benefit in the end.

16. Create a Truly Authentic Mission Statement

The popularity of the "mission statement" in today's business culture is difficult to ignore. It seems as if every company has their own statement to the public, some of which can be extremely well-composed and honest ... to those that are being pushed out by the best marketing-manipulation-seduction teams in the world.

However, what often goes overlooked when creating a mission statement is authenticity.

A simple, to-the-point phrase may have quite a bit of impact when properly presented, but this isn't to say that it actually means something to your employees. Or anyone else.

Your employees want to know that they are part of a greater good, which is why it's so important to ensure that the mission statement you end up drafting is one that everyone on your team can get on-board with.

Ideally, you want employees to view your company as an entity that takes action towards reaching important goals and finding solutions that will benefit the community as a whole. This is only possible when a true, proper mission statement is created, which can take quite a bit of time and brainstorming.

17. Make Use of Philanthropy

The best businesses are those that place focus on giving back to the community.

Many employees will be quick to say that they'd prefer to work for a business that places some focus on philanthropy.  It not only looks good on their resume, but also allows them to go home at the end of the day knowing that they're doing a good thing.

Philanthropic organizations tend to have high levels of employee engagement.

Make a list of different angles you might wish to take, and don't hesitate to ask your employees for feedback and ideas of their own. If as many people in the organization as possible have interest in a single form of philanthropy, engagement levels will surely rise.

18. Don't Just Use Money as a Reward

No employee is going to turn down a raise ... and there are plenty of reasons for giving one ... you can throw money at any problem. However, there are other ways to reward your employees for a job well done than giving them money - some of which can be even more effective when it comes to improving employee engagement.

As far as rewards go, you may want to consider giving extra time-off to employees that have done well on a project, or perhaps tickets to go see their favorite band or sports team. Write them a handwritten thank you card, something they can hang at their desk. Ask them if there's a book that they've been wanting to read, and get it for them. 

This will help to clarify that you truly care about your staff, and it doesn't have to cost you nearly as much as increasing their salaries.

19. Give Your Employees Visibility

If there's an employee engagement idea that practically every employee can attest to, it's wanting to be given credit for the hard work they've done.

Giving your employees visibility within your company can have a huge impact on their engagement. 

"You Matter."

Sometimes, all it takes to give visibility to an employee is to put their name in or on something that other people will see.

If someone had a huge part in spearheading a campaign for a new product or service, give them credit in a press release or mention them in the company newsletter. Mention them in your Intranet (where other people can see it) and thank them for a job well done. 

20. Allow Time During the Day for Personal Enrichment & Development

The workday can be long at times, and it can be difficult for some employees to get the time they need to work on personal enrichment.

Most people want to learn something! So give them time to learn it and better themselves.

The weekend is only so long, and many people are exhausted at the end of the workday. If you want to improve engagement levels, you may want to allow time throughout the day for people explore something new.

Each day, allow your employees to take a half hour or so to work on something they're passionate about, even if it isn't work-related. It may seem as if you're losing time doing this, but in the end, you'll actually be making the environment more comfortable for you employees, which will lead to a more engaged staff.

21. Celebrate Your Staff: Birthdays, Accomplishments, etc.

Most managers know they should put effort into recognizing their employees for the work they do, but that's not to say that staff members shouldn't be recognized simply for being a part of the team.

When employees feel like they're getting the proper amount of attention, they typically have more of a pull to be as engaged as possible in their work.

Celebrating your staff is essential.

Pick and choose specific occasions to celebrate, with time-out from the day ... these can include birthday parties, work anniversaries, the birth of a child, or major professional achievements.

Pay attention to random accomplishments – whether personal or professional – everyone likes to be noticed..

22. Experiment With Employee Engagement Activities

Employee engagement activities really do hold a great deal of importance in today's world, and most managers are doing everything possible to keep their staff engaged.

The best way to find employee engagement activities that work for your team is to experiment with a number of different ideas and see what sticks. Ask your staff what they like to do for fun ... then experiment with those activities.

Keep your staff's preferences in mind when choosing activities to try, and you'll no doubt find options that will benefit your organization.

23. Hold Regular Brainstorming Sessions

Ideas are very much like water.

When things are flowing, the benefits are as clear as day, and everyone is in a good mood.

A lack of ideas is like a drought, starving your business of potentially and stifling progress.

The more you can do to foster the creation and sharing of great ideas within your organization, the better off your business will fare in the long run and the more engaged your employees will be.

The best way to keep ideas flowing is to hold regular brainstorming sessions with your staff. Promote candor and open talking. No criticism. No discussion is wrong.

Allow them to articulate ways in which they feel your organization could benefit and see progress, and don't be close-minded about anything they may say.

Sometimes, all it takes is a seed of an idea in order to spark something magical, and you'll be missing out on an ocean of potential if you ignore what your staff has to say.

24. Hire from the Inside First

For employees that are concerned with upward movement within an organization, there's nothing more discouraging than working for a company that tends to hire from the outside only.

Hiring from the inside has a number of benefits.

For one, the candidate will already have a strong handle on the ways in which your organization operates, not to mention the fact that they will already have working relationships with colleagues.

But perhaps most importantly, hiring from within will generate excitement among your entire staff, raising levels of engagement and promoting a more positive work environment — two things every great manager should be focusing on.

25. Hold an Awards Night

It may seem like a goofy idea at face value, but there's actually quite a bit to gain from holding an awards night, and it can be a great time for you and your staff to get together and celebrate a year's worth of achievements.

You can hold the party at the office or get away to a local venue.  Live music and catering can help make the ceremony a hit.  Think of inexpensive games to play and make sure everyone is included.  Come up with a wide array of awards – most friendly, most punctual, most helpful, etc.  Just be sure you're creative with the awards categories!  Again, ask your employees about award categories and even let them vote on who should win awards. But remember to keep it in good fun.

26. Bring in Motivational Speakers Every Month / 3 Months

If you've ever seen a good motivational speaker work their magic, chances are you already know just how effective they can be at helping to improve employee engagement / inspiration / motivation / whatever. I absolutely love hearing smart people talk, no matter what they are talking about.

Motivational speakers help to remind your employees just how vital a role they serve within their organization, and their positivity can often be exactly what the doctor ordered in terms of improving levels of engagement.

Not just any motivational speaker will do, however; it has to be the right fit.

Plan to have a different motivational speaker come in each month, and structure the visits in a way that will benefit your employees the most. In choosing an individual to come in and speak, it's essential that you take the interests and culture of your staff into consideration. Do your homework. Ask for references. If your employees are into music, consider bringing in a professional musician as a speaker; sports fans will respond well to local athletes. The possibilities for tailoring your motivational speaker program to best fit your organization are many, and the more focused you can get, the better.

27. Make Up Your Own Holiday and Throw a Party

Happy Logical Axiom Day!!

There's never a bad excuse for throwing a party, so why not make one up?

If you've ever heard of the concept of "Christmas in July," or "Halloween in April," or an "80's party" ... you get the idea.

This serves as a great platform for throwing a fun party that will help people to separate themselves from the workday and have a great time with their colleagues, and it's quite clear just how positive an effect this can have on levels of employee engagement within your organization.

28. Encourage Your Staff to Write-Up Their Own Employee Recognition Cards

A common misconception among managers is that employees only need to be recognized by higher-ups in order to feel engaged.

There's no substitute for peer respect or peer recognition, which is why it's important for you to urge your employees to give each other a pat on the back every once in a while. This makes teams work more fluidly together and can add a genuine air of respect to the office that might not exist otherwise.

Employee "recognition cards" or “caught in the act” awards are an easy solution for helping to spread congratulations around the office. Encourage your staff to pay attention to the achievements their colleagues make and prepare one of these cards to celebrate a job well-done.

In this situation, everyone wins, and there's no reason for any bad attitudes to get in the way of moving in a forward direction.

29.  Employ Qualified Managers

Managers are (or should be) natural born leaders.  Having a manager abide by the philosophy, ‘do as I say, not as I do’ will kill company morale.  As much as we may hate to admit it, we’re all a little like 5 year olds.  The whole, Monkey See…Monkey Do theory is embedded in us all.  If a manager isn’t engaged, chances are their employees won’t be engaged.

Hold leadership meetings that include managers of all levels to attend.  Bad aura trickles down.  Lead by example and be engaged.

30.  Brand your Business

Employees want to feel pride in where they work.  If they go to the aforementioned networking events or they are talking about work outside of the office they want to be able to hold their head up high when asked where they work.

If they hear the name of their company on the radio, see a commercial on television or see their logo/banner displayed prominently at a community event they feel more confident in the business.

Come up with a marketing and advertising campaign and hold an exclusive ‘viewing party’ for your staff before it hits the air.  They will feel like they are in the know and will be excited to share with their family and friends.  Information is power and employees will feel so powerful knowing that their company is a leader in the community.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Employee morale is a huge issue and directly affects a company’s turnover rate.  See who is engaged at work – who seems to really enjoy their job.  Ask them to lead an employee engagement program and heed some of the suggestions listed above.  Anyone can get a job.   But landing a position wherein you enjoy the work AND the work environment is difficult. It is not your employee’s job to like their job.  It is YOUR job to help them enjoy coming to work.