Five solutions to better employee engagement
Organizations often struggle to put strategies into practice that will improve workplace culture and employee engagement. Based on more than a decade of workplace research at Energage, we suggest these five solutions for improving employee engagement in the workplace.
Solution #1: Align the senior team
It takes effort to align leadership around a unified strategy. Do senior leaders see eye-to-eye on the topic of engagement? They should ask themselves where they see current strengths and weaknesses in workplace culture. Is the culture driving business results? How is progress tracked?
Solution #2: Share a clear purpose
Everyone within an organization should be able to articulate a consistent mission and values. When organizations are driven by a common purpose, they can measure the difference. This includes improvements in employee turnover, absenteeism, customer retention, and better safety records, among other factors.
Solution #3: Establish trusted communication
Do employees trust the organization? Naturally, skilled face-to-face communication helps. At high-performing workplaces, staff can hear directly from top executives and ask questions. Strong organizations initiate dialogue, build trust over time, and get ahead of underlying issues hindering success.
Solution #4: Leaders need to lead
For many leaders, getting input can be tough. And sometimes even tougher to hear when the feedback doesn’t match what the leader wants to hear. Asking – and listening – is a must. Smart leaders believe in group wisdom. When employees are inspired to collectively explore issues, they are better able to develop solutions, prioritize solutions, and commit to action.
Solution #5: Bring managers along
While senior leaders are key to getting the organization on the right track, they can only go so far. Support from managers is vital. Managers bring the skills and focus of employees into alignment with the goals of the organization. They generally hold a higher level of trust than the more distant executives. When employers focus on these areas, they create a more committed and energized workforce and, in turn, employees benefit from purposeful, enjoyable work. Fraser Marlow is head of research for Energage, a Philadelphia-based research and consulting firm that surveyed more than 2.5 million employees at more than 6,000 organizations in 2017. Energage is The Denver Post’s research partner for Top Workplaces.