Many companies would love to better engage with their employees. After all, we often read about how an engaged workforce can bring a host of benefits, including higher retention, increased productivity and reduced costs from absenteeism. But it's challenging to build an all-in team.
According to a 2018 Gallup survey of more than 30,000 workers, about a third (34%) reported feeling "engaged" at work; 13% reported being "actively disengaged" or having miserable work experiences, which is the lowest percentage since the polling organization started monitoring employee engagement in 2000. But more than half the workforce is neither actively engaged or disengaged with work. They're simply unengaged.
According to Gallup, those 53% go to work, do their jobs and go home. They are the ones ready to leave for a slightly better offer, or who could quit when the going gets rough. Yet they still have the potential to be truly impactful members of the team. When we talk about increasing employee engagement, it's this majority of workers who we want to win over so they can become actively engaged at work.
There's no magic bullet for this, of course. Employee engagement is affected by many factors, such as experiencing social harmony within the office, feeling supported by supervisors, having a common goal or vision and promoting communication and trust. But four things in particular work at my company to help our employees cross over from being unengaged workers to becoming dedicated, enthusiastic members of the team.
Build A Culture Of Communication
The first — and hardest — step to improving employee engagement in your company is to create and embrace a culture of open communication across ranks and departments. This doesn't always mean a CEO needs to have personal conversations with each individual employee, which can be impossible as your organization grows. But it could mean organizing low-pressure activities such as barbecues, movie nights or holiday parties to help bring employees together on equal footing. Do whatever makes sense for your company, and do it regularly — and with enthusiasm.
This helps you accomplish three things:
1. It provides a foundation for every other thing you do to build community and engagement.
2. It helps build trust between leaders and employees.
3. It sends the message that you as a leader are as excited and invested in your company and employees as you'd like them to be.
Your employees will never feel like you care if you don't show and tell them that what matters to them matters to you, too.
Integrate Your Company Mission Into Daily Work
To get employees engaged in your company's mission, make sure they completely understand it. Talking about your corporate mission during the hiring and training process is great, but it can quickly become an inconsequential slogan unless you bring it up again and again. Practice what you preach, too, and avoid anything that could be construed as smoke and mirrors. If you want to change behavior in your organization, you should do more than just change policies — you should change hearts. When you weave genuine purpose into every part of your work, you help create a movement and a mission that your employees can sincerely get behind.
Integrate the mission's language into routine company communications and meetings. Define what everyone is working toward — and once you've done that, make sure each employee knows their part in it. You wouldn't hire an employee if their role wasn't necessary for your operations, so take the time to remind them of their part in the bigger picture. Every engaged employee should know and understand how necessary their work is. Many people like to feel like they're part of something bigger than themselves rather than just working at a job for a paycheck. Provide that vision.
Keep Your Finger On The Pulse
Personal communication with direct reports is a good start and should lead them to be comfortable about being frank when they see where improvements can be made. But employees can feel unsure about approaching their leaders, even in the most comfortable and trusting circumstances, when the subject is difficult. For this reason, anonymous employee surveys can help facilitate honest feedback. The anonymity can be key to helping employees feel confident enough to give frank feedback without fear of repercussions. But be careful: An annual survey is no substitute for cultivating honest and ongoing engagement. Surveys should be one step, not the entirety of your engagement strategy.
Implement Changes When Necessary
Asking for feedback and building relationships are a crucial part of creating a more engaged workforce, but none of that will matter if you don't follow through on employee feedback. Honestly pause and listen to your employees if they point out inefficiencies or if they have ideas about how to further your company's mission through some overlooked facet. Implement the best ideas, and make sure to let your workforce know the improvements came about as a result of their feedback. When you show how you're putting their feedback to use, you can create positive change that will spur more feedback and more ideas, creating a virtuous cycle of improvement and trust with your employees. When you don't implement feedback, take the time to explain why so employees know their opinions still matter even if they don't directly lead to change.
And as you listen, listen patiently. In my experience, employees are more likely to talk if they don't feel their manager will react negatively. Choose leaders and managers who will listen seriously and respond empathetically. Feedback may not always be convenient, but your employees are the ones who see your operations on a much more granular level than you often can. They're an excellent resource.
There's no magic solution for building a more engaged workforce, but consistent and steady-handed leadership can help you decrease the number of actively disengaged or unengaged employees and increase the number of employees who are actively engaged in your company's mission.
