Employee engagement

Employee engagement delivers a number of advantages for businesses. An effectively engaged workforce feel valued, committed, highly motivated, and are more productive. This leads to organisations being more efficient in what they do, more creative in how they do things, and more effective in delivering results.

Five tips for staff engagement

Follow our five tips to help you increase employee engagement in your organisation.

1. Listen to employees

Actively listen to your staff, and ask them for ideas for improvement and their opinions on business matters. Make it easy for staff to share their views and communicate with you. For example, through regular staff surveys, staff suggestion boxes, or forums that focus on specific business issues. This will help staff feel valued and invested in the success of your business.

2. Keep staff informed

Have a clear internal communications strategy and keep staff regularly updated on developments that may affect them. For example, you can keep employees informed through intranet updates, email communications, and face-to-face meetings. Good communication helps grow trust within your organisation and prevents the opportunity for rumours to develop.

3. Establish the right culture

Strive to create a working environment that is open and inclusive, where staff feel valued and supported. Create a culture where staff are not afraid to challenge how things are currently done and are willing to suggest new ideas.

4. Empower your staff

Give employees the autonomy to get the job done. Ensure staff understand the importance of their role and where they fit into the organisation's plans. Let them take responsibility for achieving business goals and new projects or challenges. This will help staff feel trusted, develop their skills, and may lead to more efficient ways of doing things. Appointing employee engagement champions can be a good way to empower your staff to drive engagement.

5. Show your appreciation

If staff have suggested new ideas or different ways of doing things, you should acknowledge their efforts. Respond to the feedback you receive. Explain why you aren't going to act on an idea and recognise and reward ideas that are implemented. This can also incentivise other staff to engage.