How to Keep Employees Engaged and Motivated: 10 Proven Ways
While organizations go head-to-head to acquire the best talent in the increasingly competitive talent market, leaders know it's not just about attracting the right people but also retaining them. The cost of replacing an employee is substantial, ranging from half to twice the employee's annual salary. Beyond the financial cost, organizations also take a hit from the subsequent decline in productivity and morale. Those who stay often have to shoulder an increased workload and face a greater risk of burnout.
With this, leaders have to prioritize their team’s well-being and figure out how to keep employees engaged and motivated. After all, employees are the most valuable asset of a company.
In this comprehensive guide, we will dive deeper into the importance of engagement in the workplace and actionable strategies to help you achieve your employee engagement goals, gaining knowledge from the ideas of organizational management leadership.
The Importance of Employee Engagement and Motivation
Before diving into the strategies, let’s understand why maintaining high engagement and motivation matters for leaders.
The short answer: it’s better for business. Engaged employees are 21% more effective in their work and generate 23% higher profits. There’s also 41% less absenteeism and 59% less turnover within highly engaged teams.
So whether you’re looking at ways to increase profitability, boost employee productivity, or reduce turnover, engaging employees can help you achieve these goals.
10 Ideas to Engage Employees
While employee engagement starts with putting the right people in the right seats, it doesn’t stop there. You can maintain high levels of engagement through the following proven strategies.
1. Set Challenging Yet Achievable Goals
A study by Gartner found that aligning employee goals with company objectives results in a 22% performance boost. Employees become motivated to put in their best effort because goals offer a sense of purpose and direction.
One of the most effective goal-setting frameworks is SMART, which involves ensuring goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. This clearly defines expectations and provides a roadmap to track progress, principles emphasized in management and organizational leadership as well as in HR leadership development programs.
As a leader, you can keep employees engaged by reviewing and updating your team’s task list regularly. By evaluating each task’s relevance to the company’s broader strategic goals and shifting priorities accordingly, you’re providing the right amount of challenge to your team members.
To visualize the alignment of tasks with objectives, you can create a “pivot table” with the tasks in the column headings and the objectives in the row headings. Next, assess whether each task is crucial to achieving those objectives or if you should remove it from your task list, a practice emphasized in organizational leadership programs.
Here are some critical questions to guide you in your analysis of tasks and goals:
● What was the core objective for my team last year?
● How did this align with the company's strategic objectives at the time?
● How have the company's priorities evolved since then?
● What is the outcome we're looking for in this area? (For example, increased revenue, cost savings, greater employee engagement, etc.)
● Can we set a specific numerical target or goal to measure success?
● When will we review progress towards this goal and make adjustments if needed?
● How will we celebrate success when we reach our targets?
● What can we remove from our priority list to accommodate the current priorities?
2. Recognize and Reward Employee Efforts
Recognition and rewards can strongly drive motivation and employee engagement. A simple “thank you” or a public acknowledgment of a job well done can go a long way in making employees feel valued and appreciated.
To formalize and standardize this appreciation process across the organization, leaders can implement an employee recognition and rewards program. A mix of monetary and non-monetary perks, such as gift certificates and additional days off, are common rewards for exceptional performance.
Here are some ideas to consider when developing a recognition and rewards program for your organization:
Awards like "Employee of the Month" or "Employee of the Year" where employees can nominate and/or recognize their colleagues’ efforts. This is especially effective when those recognitions align with the company's values.
Personalized thank-you notes or messages of appreciation. To write an impactful message, follow the rule of three: use their name and spell it correctly; be specific about what you noticed they did, how it impacted the department or project they’re working on, and how it made you feel; and handwrite it if possible.
● Celebration of achievements, such as project or certification completion and work anniversaries
● Celebration of milestones completed on the way to a larger goal.
● Company-wide recognition during meetings or events
● Offering career advancement and professional growth opportunities
By recognizing and rewarding employee efforts, you can reinforce desired behaviors and establish a culture of gratitude that boosts morale, increases engagement, and reduces sick days.
3. Foster Open Communication and Cultivate Trust
Mutual trust between employees and managers is a fundamental element of employee engagement. To cultivate trust, there must be open and honest communication within the team.
Create a safe space where employees can express their ideas and concerns without fear of being judged or negative outcomes. Actively listen to their input, embrace diverse perspectives, and consider suggestions for improvement.
By scheduling regular check-ins with direct reports to discuss their progress, career goals, and challenges, you’re establishing trust and collaboration. During these one-on-one meetings, ask open-ended questions to encourage them to freely express their thoughts and feelings. When they voice their concerns or challenges, address the issues promptly to make them feel heard.
Also, learn to listen between the lines. Pay attention to non-verbal cues and how they talk to gain insights into how they feel and think. Identify their motivations and see how you can support their learning and career goals.
Be sure you’re sharing, as transparently as possible, the reasons behind the initiatives and projects the team is working on. By keeping them informed as well as asking for their input, you build mutual respect and trust within the team.
This type of empathetic leadership can increase their trust in you, build confidence, and increase productivity.
4. Track Progress and Provide Feedback
Implementing a performance management system is crucial for tracking individual and team progress and providing feedback. One of the benefits of feedback, whether positive or constructive, is that it lets your employees know where they stand. This helps them make the necessary adjustments to reach their goals.
When giving feedback, ensure that it is specific, timely, actionable, and centered on behaviors, not personal traits. Use this discussion to discuss achievements, areas for improvement, professional growth opportunities, and the alignment between personal goals and company objectives.
Remember that progress tracking and providing feedback are ongoing processes and not just a one-time event. By communicating with them and offering support and guidance, you’re keeping engagement high and helping them thrive.
5. Empower Employees Through Upskilling
Upskilling employees improve their performance, keeps them motivated in their roles, and shows your commitment to their growth. Encourage them to take ownership of their professional growth and offer guidance in identifying areas for development.
After they identify these areas, here are some practical ways to upskill employees and keep them engaged:
● Encourage them to take time for asynchronous learning opportunities, such as online courses or webinars
● Plan interactive learning events where your employees can share their knowledge with their peers or bring in an expert to build knowledge and tools on a particular subject.
● Send your employees to attend conferences and industry events
● Improve their leadership skills through mentorship or coaching programs
● Support them in pursuing advanced degrees or certifications relevant to their jobs
● Partner with a respected employee training company to build a skill development curriculum to deliver to your teams in cohort style. (Call us to learn about our award-winning offerings.)
Instilling the value of continuous learning and investing in your employees’ growth can result in higher engagement, productivity, and business success.
6. Promote Work-Life Balance
Promoting work-life balance can make employees feel their leaders value their well-being. Those who can balance their work with personal obligations generally have higher job satisfaction, productivity, and commitment.
Below are some of the easiest ways to keep employees happy by supporting work-life balance:
● Flexible work hours or compressed work weeks
● Remote work or hybrid work setups
● Encouraging employees to take days off and fully disconnect from work
● Wellness programs and perks like gym memberships and mental health support
● Setting boundaries around personal time outside of work hours (As a leader, the best way to model this is through your own habits
Work-life balance looks different for each person, so know your employees, be flexible and try to accommodate their needs and preferences.
7. Develop Team Collaboration
Team collaboration is essential for establishing an engaging, productive, and inclusive work environment. When team members feel connected with each other, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated to work towards common goals.
Any time a new project or initiative is getting kicked off, it can be refreshing for the team to have a team-building activity– and make sure you participate too! Here are some ideas that will help build relationships among team members who may or may not know one another very well:
● Go for lunch. It's always good to have an informal get-together with the team. Innovative companies think outside the box by going for lunch in unusual locations, such as a park or beach, rather than a restaurant. This encourages employees to socialize and network with their colleagues outside of the office environment.
● Team quiz activity: There are many websites where you can create your quiz questions for employees to answer in teams. This makes for a fun Friday activity or an ongoing series you can host throughout the month. You can pair employees with those they don’t work with regularly to form new relationships.
● Host a workshop designed to identify and celebrate each team member’s strengths. (A shameless plug—we facilitate these events!) Clients tell us they experience more connection to each other, awareness of how they individually make a difference to the company, and feel valued and appreciated.
● Create funny videos with the team. Find a fun tool here or use your phone to record a timelapse video of an activity that captures your company mission, daily activities, or favorite joke.
● Do something service-oriented together.
● Bring in motivational speakers on a topic your team has expressed interest in.
● Host an improv class over lunch or after hours online. Did you know? Improv nurtures creativity and builds communication and leadership skills.
During the team-building event, take the opportunity to thank your employees for their hard work, dedication, and loyalty. Whatever employee engagement activity you implement, focus on creating a sense of belonging and camaraderie among team members.
8. Strengthen Your Culture Through Human-Centered Practices
If you’re wondering, “What can a business do to improve its productivity?”, the short answer is to keep your employees happy.
Happy employees tend to be more productive, innovative, and dedicated to achieving the company's goals. With a culture that implements human-centered practices, employees will likely stay with the company longer, reducing turnover rates and recruiting costs.
According to a recent SHRM study, 64% of employees perceive their company as a good place to work when they feel either very or somewhat satisfied with how life events are celebrated in their workplace. This may include acknowledging and congratulating them for buying a home, completing a degree or certification, getting married, or having a child.
Additionally, a culture of inclusion and diversity affects employee engagement. According to a recent study by Salesforce, employees who feel heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform at their best.
So, how do you create an inclusive environment? Start by hiring people with diverse backgrounds and opinions and encouraging them to speak up in meetings. Emphasize that everyone's points of view are valid, regardless of their career level. Ensure you take time to get to know your team members as individuals so you can learn about their lived experiences, what motivates them, and what is important to them. Be open to acknowledging your unconscious biases (as we all have them), and use courage to act as an ally for those not in the majority.
With many working remotely, some may be struggling with loneliness. So make sure employees feel supported and facilitate the mental and emotional health conversation if necessary.
9. Promote Health and Wellness
Employee wellness is not just a buzzword. Healthy employees are happy employees, and happy employees are productive employees. So the next time the discussion on how to increase employees' productivity comes up, be sure to consider the holistic well-being of your team.
Encourage employees to practice self-care and adopt healthy habits like getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating a balanced diet. Your company can also support them by providing access to wellness programs like yoga classes or meditation sessions, free counseling services ergonomic workstations, and hosting health challenges, as advocated in leadership training programs for managers.
As a manager, you should set the right example and practice these yourself. You can set boundaries and prioritize your health, family, and personal time. This might mean adjusting your work hours on Wednesdays to make it to 6 p.m. rowing class or blocking out time to hike on the weekend with friends or family.
Be conscious of how others may interpret your actions. For instance, there's nothing more off-putting than receiving an email from your manager on a Sunday evening. It sends the message that they should also get a jump start to their week. Pay attention to the 'hidden expectations' your habits communicate.
Here are a few tips for taking care of yourself as a leader:
● Block out time on your calendar for healthy activities.
● Hate cooking but want to eat healthier? Invest in a meal service to make sure you are getting balanced nutrition.
● Any movement is a healthy movement. Wear a pedometer to encourage yourself to increase your steps. Take part in a fun competition with friends or peers to reach daily movement goals.
● Set up a designated "out-of-office" responder message so you can ignore work emails after hours.
● Take an active role in decreasing your stress: practice mindfulness or yoga, or learn to do a fun activity that requires focus and allows you to breathe deeply, such as painting, swimming, drawing, etc. Note: Mindless social media scrolling doesn’t cut it!
● Drink more water! Most of the clients we work with admit they survive on lots of coffee and do poorly when it comes to drinking water.
10. Become a Coach and Mentor to Your Employees
Gallup’s Employee Engagement report highlights that effective management approaches play a crucial role in engagement, linking 70% of the difference to the manager or team leader. An authoritative management style, characterized by micromanagement, kills employee engagement.
Switching to a coaching management style can make employees feel valued and help you establish a strong bond with your team members. You can mentor those who have the desire and potential to get promoted and give them the chance to lead the team in some way. This may include spearheading brainstorming sessions or being in charge of certain portions of the project.
Taking a step back to analyze and improve your management style and develop your ability to coach your team can be a key way to improve employee engagement.
Final Thoughts
No organization wants to lose its top talent, especially as many are still dealing with the aftermath of ‘The Great Resignation’.
As a leader, you can directly affect employee experience and keep them engaged. So, after reading through these 10 proven strategies, choose one or two actions you can focus on and take action.
Set aside time to strategize and plan implementation steps with fellow leaders within your organization. If you need some guidance or a customized plan for your organization, our team would be happy to assist you.
During your team-building event, take the opportunity to express your gratitude in person and thank each employee for being part of the team. Let them know how much you appreciate their hard work, dedication, and loyalty during this tough time for everyone.
ABOUT LEADERSHIP IMPACT STRATEGIES
LIS builds proven leadership and team programs for discerning mid-market organizations who value building a collaborative, innovative culture and increasing company value by investing in their people. (‘Side effects’ of this approach include increased revenue growth, higher employee engagement, greater production and problem-solving, effective teams and reduced turnover rates.)
Our approach focuses on building deep-seated leadership capabilities within leaders, equipping them with the necessary knowledge and practical insights to lead in the future of work. To do this, we address both critical team leadership strategies as well as the building blocks of self-leadership to strengthen personal effectiveness.
Programs include Leadership Fundamentals, Leading Effective Teams, emerging leader programs, virtual leadership training, executive coaching, consulting and custom-built programs. Using data, we consistently measure the metrics of our programs to ensure both immediate training results and identify a path for sustainable growth after the training event.
LIS and our team of highly experienced coaches and facilitators remain committed to building and delivering innovative, results-driven programs that continue to drive positive change.
Information: https://www.leadershipimpactstrategies.com/