This time last year we discussed the challenges of managing a workforce that was adapting to rapidly changing work environments and best practices for keeping your remote and onsite teams engaged and productive. It didn’t seem at the time that retaining employees was a problem given the number of people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
Here we are now with businesses re-opened and yet they can neither find enough qualified candidates nor retain good employees. It seems that employees are unwilling to be in jobs where they feel undervalued, in a workplace that is difficult to deal with and where the employee is not engaged. A fully engaged employee is an employee who feels valued and satisfied with the contributions they bring to the company. This is the employee most likely to stay with your company long term. But what does employee engagement look like now?
Since the early months of the pandemic, employers have faced many COVID-related challenges: lost business and revenue, complicated required COVID reporting, workplace health and safety requirements and layoffs. In the meantime, employees struggled with their own obstacles to work. Including juggling work responsibilities while helping their children with virtual learning at home, fears about keeping their families safe and how to maintain their place at work.
The best workers stuck it out over the past 18 months through all the uncertainly and worry. They took on additional duties and stress in uncertain conditions. California is now simultaneously trying to fully reopen the economy while grappling with growing COVID-19 cases, primarily due to the Delta variant taking a hold in the unvaccinated population, uncertain results of children returning to school and increased safety requirements for employers and employees. All of this means continued outside stressors for employees. Employee engagement is important now more than ever.
Gallup defines engaged employees as those who are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace. The task now is to revamp your employee engagement actions, both the tangible and intangible, to recognize these employees for their contributions and creative ways to help and encourage them to remain engaged and productive.
Where to start
Review the current needs of your employees for both their personal and professional lives. One-to-one discussions and confidential targeted employee surveys can yield important information about employee concerns, ambitions and areas of improvement within the company. Get clear about what outcomes would bolster employee engagement, how the Company can help achieve that end and what the budget is for such a campaign. Be certain that your management team understands the strategy and what their role is.
Next step – create a strategy for your employee engagement program. In addition to specific information garnered from discussions or surveys, employers should ensure that their employee engagement program includes fundamental components, such as employees feeling respected, supported, and valued.
Communication is key
One of the most critical tools for effective employee engagement is communications. Provide clear and simple communication in group discussions and written messaging that addresses up-to-date information about the latest health orders and related company policies. Ensure that all employees have a full understanding of their current role within the company and the importance of the employee in their role at the Company. Set clear expectations of increased or differing responsibilities.
As a follow up to employee surveys, check in with your employees and ask for feedback. Are you hitting the mark with changes and addressing their concerns and needs? Do they have the tools and resources needed to be successful? Have employees identify the high stressors they face at work that the company may be able to help them with.
Consider adding these conversations to periodic, scheduled one-to-ones to address these issues and allow employees to discuss career goals and future roles. Takes steps to ensure that you are promoting an environment where employees feel free to express themselves to owners and managers. This is an important step in employee engagement to ensure that your employees feel respected and supported at work.
Recognize hard work and accomplishments
Another fundamental element of employee engagement is employee recognition. Make sure hard work and accomplishments are rewarded by recognition and not just assumed as part of daily responsibilities. Let employees know you see and appreciate their dedication and commitment. Since employee engagement is all about building employee motivation to go above and beyond the bare minimum, employee recognition is important to the success of the company.
Recognition can be elaborate or simple such as group announcements, tokens of appreciation, delivered lunch or small gift, or posted notifications show both the employee your appreciation and can provide a goal for other employees. It motivates by building recognition into the daily routine. Announce at the morning meeting who went above and beyond the previous day. Turn sales goals into a competition. Set up communication platforms, online or old school bulletin boards, where coworkers can share their appreciation for one another. Help the team celebrate the wins together.
Stay on top of workplace safety
Update your Injury and Illness Prevention and COVID Prevention Plans to ensure they are compliant with recent requirements. Make the information available and provide continued training to employee on staying safe within the workplace and how to minimize the risk of COVID-19. Follow guidelines from local health orders regarding vaccination status, use of face coverings and other personal protective equipment and physical distancing indoors.
Maintaining a healthy and safe work environment also means keeping an eye on your employees’ mental wellbeing. Acknowledge the threat of COVID exhaustion on mental health and productivity. Acknowledge the stress of navigating the dangers of COVID-19 while working harder with limited resources has had on your employees. Physical activity can positively impact mental wellbeing.
A workplace exercise program will help incentivize employees to increase their physical activity and possibly into their daily work routine. Encourage stairs over taking the elevator or walking together during breaks. Challenge employees to a monthly walk-a-thon with prizes. It is also important to build in time to be social and encourage employees to find ways to connect throughout the day. Schedule virtual lunch trivia games or set up lawn games outside.
As you pull together ways to engage your employees, remember to rely on your open lines of communication and solicit employee ideas for ways to help relieve the stress and stay connected and motivated.
The role of employee engagement in hiring
The biggest challenge many businesses are currently facing is continued staffing shortages. Businesses across industries are experiencing difficulties hiring new employees and, in some cases, rehiring or keeping employees. The reasons for these shortages are varied but are presenting a significant hurdle to companies attempting to increase staff to meet growing customer needs.
A solid, effective employee engagement program becomes part of the recruitment cycle. Employees have more choices in where they choose to work then they did at the beginning of the pandemic. Pay is no longer the benchmark that attracts talented employees. Employees are looking for positions and companies that meet their lifestyles, provide opportunity for growth and challenge and where they know their contributions are important and valued. Having a current workforce of engaged employees, who feel valued and productive, are the best tools for attracting and hiring like-minded, talented workers.
If you would like assistance in creating an employee engagement program, or ways to help alleviate employee concerns, please contact me at karen@smallbizhrservices.com. You can also schedule a FREE 60-minute HR audit here.