How to Boost Employee Engagement

Disengaged employees do the bare minimum, leading to poor productivity, low customer satisfaction, and volatile profitability. Savvy organizations build in ways to actively engage with employees to keep them motivated and performing at a high level.

Boosting employee engagement requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the many factors that lead to employee satisfaction, and it all starts with a positive workplace culture.

READ MORE: Download our Employee Incentives Report from NAPCO Research

How Can My Company Foster a Positive Workplace Culture?

First and foremost, you can’t boost employee engagement if your company culture is dysfunctional. Feeling disrespected at work is a big reason that employees quit. To retain team members, your workplace culture should promote mutual respect among colleagues, have programs in place that prevent burnout, and be transparent about opportunities for growth. Sending a survey, which is a key employee engagement tool, will reveal what your employees think and how you can improve your work environment. You can also incorporate a few tried-and-true strategies to boost employee satisfaction.

Offer Training and Development

Learning opportunities are a widely requested perk that keeps employees from leaving for greener pastures. Older employees may appreciate tech training that helps them remain current on the job. Younger ones may be interested in tuition reimbursement to further their career. If you don’t have a huge budget, consider asking employee volunteers to run in-house training on industry topics. You can engage employees when you promote available opportunities for growth — and when you congratulate them for completing any courses, certifications, or trainings.

Create Plenty of Chances to Receive Rewards

Implementing a well-thought-out employee rewards program should be on your list of to-dos, too, if you want to boost employee engagement. Rewards enable your team to show appreciation to team members so they feel valued. A formalized rewards program also helps your management team prioritize recognition for their employees. Here are some ways you can use rewards to improve engagement:

• Send an e-gift card to employees who meet or exceed performance goals or complete a large initiative, like a big client deliverable or year-end project.
• Tell employees they can choose a digital reward at the end of the quarter as an appreciation gift.
• Empower managers to recognize high-performing employees by sending rewards publicly at team meetings or via online channels like Microsoft Teams.

Commit to Improving Over Time

No matter where your company is on the employee engagement spectrum, it’s important to take the time to tweak your efforts so your organization is reaping as many benefits as possible. Sending regular surveys — and offering a reward for completing them — can help ensure you’re on the right track. When evaluating your engagement efforts, ask employees:

• What motivates you at work?
• What is your current level of job satisfaction?
• Do you have a sense of purpose in your role?
• Do you have a passion for the organization’s mission?
• What is your experience or perception around career development opportunities?
• How would you describe a good fit within the organizational culture?
• Do you feel you and your peers are being recognized for your efforts?

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