5 Employee Engagement Best Practices to Improve the Workplace Environment
There are a lot of challenges to overcome and elements that need to be balanced to improve engagement. Since the pandemic, many relate to disparate teams, varying employee needs, increased remote working, and the inevitable communication issues that arise from these factors.
In this blog, we’ll look at 5 employee engagement best practices to improve the workplace environment. From developing inclusive policies, improving communication, providing recognition and opportunities, to encouraging employees to prioritize their work-life balance.
Most companies now understand that high employee engagement solves many other typical business barriers. Low productivity, retention, and employee wellbeing all impact performance and overall business progression unless they are tackled at the root cause - lack of engagement.
There are a lot of challenges to overcome and elements that need to be balanced to improve engagement. Since the pandemic, many relate to disparate teams, varying employee needs, increased remote working, and the inevitable communication issues that arise from these factors.
For deskless employees, a sense of purpose and alignment is critical, yet research by Ragan found that just 56% felt connected to their employers. With these employees often at the forefront of customer interaction, it’s a problem that needs fast resolution.
Let’s take a look at 5 employee engagement best practices that can help with this!
1. Adapting mobile technology for engagement
All employees benefit from an accessible mobile platform, but for frontline workers, it can make the difference between engagement and feeling adrift. It offers a flexible way to receive information that recognizes that non-desk-based staff have distinct working patterns that require seamless communication. It can unite the diverse, multi-location teams that are the future of successful, agile workplaces.
Most employee engagement platforms, like Speakap, will allow companies to adjust the platform experience for different groups of employees. This ensures that the most relevant tools are visible and common tasks can be streamlined to improve efficiency.
2. Creating a culture of recognition
Real-time communication helps frontline employees to feel connected to the organization as a whole and brings greater transparency. It allows them to give feedback and get support without waiting for periodic meetings and performance reviews.
A survey by Nectar HR found that 98% of employees who received daily recognition felt valued, but only 37% of those recognized in an annual review felt the same. When issues and ideas can be actioned faster, this builds engagement through a higher sense of personal value and contribution.
A dedicated platform can be the catalyst for instilling an ongoing culture of regularly celebrating achievements - large and small. After all - employee recognition is not just a feel-good practice; it has tangible benefits for both employees and organizations. It boosts morale and well-being within the context of a team rather than just as individuals, ensuring that everyone can share in success. Read more about the 4 things signaling that employee recognition matters now more than ever here.
3. Promoting learning and development
We’ve moved away from traditional training delivered at a fixed location and time, and mobile apps are ideally placed to allow staff to acquire new skills and knowledge at their own pace. Continuous professional development has been a struggle for frontline staff in the past, requiring additional staff to cover their duties.
Opportunities for skills development and career growth are critical to employee loyalty and satisfaction. Kahoot’s recent workplace culture report found that nine in ten frontline workers considered the learning and development opportunities available to them a deciding factor as to whether they would stay in their current role.
Making training accessible recognizes that frontline employees have a clear idea of the direction in which they want to develop their careers.
4. Enhancing communication and collaboration
We know that success is rarely achieved in isolation. Teamwork and collaboration foster innovation and guarantee diverse input. A cohesive team makes the workplace a better place to be and boosts problem-solving, productivity, and efficiency.
Leadership engagement is pivotal - clear and inspiring communication builds trust and aligns teams with the company’s business objectives. However, engagement isn’t solely achieved through top-down recognition or unity between the front and back offices.
Teams should be encouraged to show mutual recognition to their team members and other colleagues. When employees articulate their appreciation and admiration for each other it cultivates a supportive and positive environment.
5. Monitoring and measuring engagement
A mobile platform allows you to create forums and communities with spaces for collaboration and shared insights. These platforms enhance communication, foster a sense of belonging, and empower employees to contribute ideas, ultimately strengthening engagement and teamwork.
With a dedicated platform, metrics and analytics that allow you to review and evaluate the impact of your interventions on employee engagement are readily available. You can quantify engagement levels, identify trends, track specific initiatives, and look at the best methods to continue your upward trajectory.
Download our Measuring Internal Communication Effectiveness White paper here
Building engagement for remote and hybrid workforces
The challenges of working remotely no longer apply to a minority of employees. With a sharp uptick in remote working since the pandemic, companies need robust policies and solutions.
The positive aspects of flexible work arrangements may become overshadowed by the negative if people aren’t adequately supported. They may feel disconnected and struggle to find a good work-life balance.
Prioritize their mental health and well-being with clearly signposted resources. Offering these resources signifies that you are committed to safeguarding the holistic health of your employees.
The time to act is now
Not sure where your company sits on the employee engagement scale? Read this and find out
The core employee engagement best practices to ensure your workforce thrives hinge on a new understanding of remote work, the value of reciprocal recognition, collaboration, and the availability of development opportunities for all. It’s vital that frontline workers are informed and consulted, and that their ideas and feedback are acted upon.
The challenges of communicating with multi-location and disparate teams are significantly reduced with the introduction of a mobile-first employee app that allows employees to interact and receive information at a time and place that fits their daily routine. It also strengthens teamwork and removes barriers between different groups in your organization.