6 Factors for Your Engagement Program

When it comes to developing an employee engagement plan, the importance and necessity of it is enthusiastically agreed upon by most business owners—regardless of the industry or company size.

Whether you own a restaurant, lead a team, or run a corporate division, managers understand that disengaged employees can affect morale, productivity, and ultimately, the bottom line. Which is why engaged employees are the gold standard when it comes to employee retention and performance.

Retaining top talent remains a primary HR concern for many companies today. Failing to keep high performers can leave your business understaffed, with a less qualified workforce, and can ultimately hinder your ability to remain competitive.

There is no shortcut to making your company the perfect place to work, but creating a powerfully positive employee experience will help keep more of your best employees on your team for the long haul.

In fact, according to Gallup, “Companies with a highly engaged workforce outperform their peers by 147% in earnings per share.”

Here are six important factors to consider when building an employee engagement program:

1. Create relationships with your employees

According to Gallup, friendships in the workplace can increase productivity, retention, and job satisfaction. A few ways you can foster stronger bonds amongst your teams is by communicating about non-work items, providing a comfortable space, rallying around team culture, and involving remote employees.

2. Listen to and understand what's happening around you

Open and active communication must happen across the organization, from top to bottom, and throughout. All employees, leaders, and stakeholders have to understand the importance of creating a safe environment for honest conversations to happen and the best way to leverage the constructive feedback given.

3. Show appreciation to keep employees engaged

While it can be hard to find the perfect words, sometimes a simple thank you or pause to take the time to step back to appreciate their great work goes a long way to having a happy and motivated team. The most important thing about acknowledging employees is to effectively communicate it with the individual, as well as the larger organization.

4. Recognize talent and reward excellence

Recognizing excellence can make a world of difference in the workplace. We’ve seen firsthand the impact of reward programs and one of the biggest misconceptions we come across is cost. But you don’t have to break the bank to reward your employees’ hard work. From giving away a free lunch to reserving the VIP parking spot, rewards are a proven way to impact both employee engagement and company culture.

5. Invest in the well-being of each other and the business

Whether it’s physically, emotionally, or mentally, wellness plays a critical role in overall performance. And while this is commonly known amongst athletes, taking care of your well-being actually positively impacts most jobs. In fact, Gallup states that the two major factors influencing employee performance are engagement and well-being.

6. Set up a coaching program to develop your people

Providing the opportunity to grow and develop through an employee coaching program requires having a plan in place. Start by defining your objective and aligning your program with company culture. A well structured program sets expectations for all participants and is continuously learning and improving. Companies of all sizes can start empowering their employees and grooming them for success, without a large budget or expensive initiative in place.

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