Does employee engagement matter?
Study after study answers this question with a resounding “Yes”! Employee engagement is the measurement of how much effort and attention employees use when completing tasks, as well as their commitment to the company and its overall goals. Disengaged employees routinely perform less efficiently than engaged employees, resulting in less productivity, lower quality of work, and a greater error rate.
Here are five ways to help engage your employees in order to meet your business goals:
- Give them a clear career path. Employees may “check out” when they feel their work does not lead to a promotion, a raise, or another clear goal. Talk to each employee about their goals for the coming year, and provide focused feedback that gives them a clear path forward.
- Broaden their duties – the right way. Giving employees more to do can fill their time, but it may not engage their attention. Instead of simply adding more to their to-do list, broaden their duties to include more meaningful work. Choose projects that align with both the employee’s goals and the company’s goals – or better yet, offer employees projects that meet company’s goals and let them choose where to put their own effort.
- Connect them to one another. Disengaged employees are likely to disengage from one another as well as from their work. A well-designed mentorship program can help employees connect and learn from one another, and use that energy to meet company goals.
- Embrace feedback. Communicating clearly to employees is essential, but so is leaving the door open for their responses. Start by asking how engaged they feel and what things cause them to “tune out.” Then, ask for specific feedback on ways to address the “tune-out” factors. As you make changes, ask employees how each change is working or how it could be improved.
- Screen for cultural “fit.” Employees whose personalities and personal values align with the personalities in your workplace and your business’s values are more likely to be invested in what they do, increasing their engagement and decreasing the chance that they’ll look for work with one of your competitors. Your staffing firm can help you screen for cultural fit as well as necessary skills.
At Burnett’s Staffing, our experienced recruiters can help you find engagement tools that align with your company’s values and help you address your business goals. Contact us today to learn more about our recruiting services in the greater Fort Worth region.