Engaging and motivating employees

Introduction

The work that engaged employees do is personally important to them. They take pride in what they do and are committed to the long-term expansion and prosperity of the business. Employee engagement and enhanced key performance outcomes are correlated. These results include everything from higher productivity and customer satisfaction rates to lower employee turnover and absenteeism rates. As a leader, you have a big responsibility to make sure that your team members are engaged and motivated.

What Is employee engagement?

The level of commitment that employees have to the company and its success is known as employee engagement. It also includes how driven they are to finish their work, how much they identify with the company’s values, and how willing they are to cooperate and work as a team.

Why is employee engagement important?

Engagement among employees is crucial for a variety of reasons.

First, there is a direct correlation between employee satisfaction and engagement. If your team members are unhappy with their jobs, it will undoubtedly show in their work as they won’t feel motivated. Employee productivity is low when they aren’t performing well due to a lack of motivation.

Secondly, higher employee engagement is associated with higher profitability, lower turnover, better quality and customer service, higher work productivity, greater loyalty to the organisation, and even less employee sick time.

Thirdly, employee engagement has a very real impact on business success, and employee engagement (and ensuring you keep good employees happy) should be considered a part of a business strategy.

How do you keep employees engaged and motivated?

As a leader, you have a significant impact on motivating and energising employees. Check whether you are offering the conditions necessary for employees to feel engaged at work by considering the following:

• Does everyone understand how their work fits in with the broader organisational strategy, where they are in relation to the progress of that strategy, and what they must do to further progress?
• Do workers feel valued and competent in their positions? Do they receive sufficient training, and do you emphasise their strengths rather than their weaknesses?
• Do workers feel that their suggestions are welcomed, taken seriously, and encouraged?
• Is there a productive, wholesome, and positive work environment? Are there any concerns about punishment or judgement?
• Are there opportunities for employees to be challenged, learn new skills, or assume roles of authority?
• As a leader, do you behave honourably, with respect, and with goodwill? Do you exhibit strong emotional intelligence and transparency, and are your actions and words consistent?

Encourage your staff to be authentic. When managers demand that their team members behave in certain ways or be motivated by the same things, they run the risk of unintentionally inciting conflict and resentment. Reward staff members for being unique. Pay more attention to the activities that they are engaging in and less to those that they aren’t, as these activities may be a better fit with their personality and interests. Encourage employees to be true to who they are, and then use their natural talents to produce the results they want.

The key takeaways

As a leader, you have a big responsibility to make sure that your team members are engaged and motivated. Employee engagement and enhanced key performance outcomes are correlated. These include everything from higher productivity and customer satisfaction rates to lower employee turnover and absenteeism rates. Check whether you are offering the conditions necessary for employees to feel engaged at work.