An engaged employee is one who is committed, loyal, hard-working, proactive and motivated. In other words, an engaged employee is the kind of employee you want working in your business, whether you’re in aged care, child care or any industry you can think of.
Where do you discover this kind of employee engagement that’s going to make your workplace the best it can be? You don’t. You create it.
Investing in employee engagement pays off for your business, giving you a workforce who are willing invest more time, energy and dedication. Additional benefits could include staff retention, productivity and an overall more successful business.
There are many effective strategies you can use to improve employee engagement in your workplace, so read on to explore how your workforce can reach its full potential.
Improve employee engagement, improve your workplace
It’s not always just one silver bullet when it comes to inspiring your employees to engage within your workplace, but a number of things. Try a few of these seven engagement strategies in your workplace to see what works best for your team and gets results for your business.
1. Inspire through leadership
The saying ‘People don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses’ rings true. Leadership roles should be used wisely by inspiring your employees. Add meaning and value to their positions within the workplace and show that together you are making a difference.
2. Provide opportunities for your employees to grow
Engaged employees are stimulated and inspired to do well, which comes from leadership but also from professional development opportunities. In addition, professional development should be able to lead to positions in other areas of the business for employees who want to advance in their profession. We tailor professional development training for aged care businesses who want to create an engaged and motivated workforce.
3. Recognition and rewards
Having your hard work or innovation noticed feels great, doesn’t it? Harness the power of that energy by recognising and rewarding your employees when they do well. This could be as simple as a ‘team member of month’ system in place, and even a few pats on the back when you notice or hear about a job well done. A little recognition goes a long way toward employee engagement and loyalty.
4. Set and achieve goals together
Short- and long-term goals improve performance in the workplace, especially when your team is involved with setting the goals and held accountable to achieving them. Work together to create meaningful goals and timelines, plus adding a reward for accomplishment will boost engagement even further.
5. Be compassionate
While your business is important, personal lives can be stressful or overwhelming at times. Showing compassion and empathy when your employees are unwell or going through a bad time makes them feel that their wellbeing is prioritised.
6. Foster open communication
Stay in the loop of how your team is feeling with an open, two-way line of communication. Make the time to listen to employees when they want to speak with you. And don’t just want for your team to seek you out, but actively encourage the regular use of channels of communication such as in person chats, emails or even notes.
7. Strengthen work relationships
Let’s face it, some days work just feels like a drag. Thankfully, working in a team of great people makes it easier to head in to work with a smile on your face. Help your team bond with team building exercises, social events and even a slice of cake on birthdays and everyone will have even more reason to engage with the workplace and strive to be a valuable member of the team.
