How to create an authentic employee engagement program
Behind every great company is a strong community of workers with a deep desire to help the organisation succeed. This all-in, passionate mentality doesn’t happen by accident - it’s the result of strong employee engagement.
Understanding employee engagement and why it matters
Employee engagement is a term that describes how committed or invested an employee is to his or her company.
Highly engaged employees usually feel fulfilled by their work, are able to focus, and are eager to contribute. Disengaged workers, on the other hand, may suffer from low morale, can’t stay on task, and are unable to make meaningful contributions in the workplace.
Employee engagement is more than just job satisfaction; it’s about how much workers care about their jobs and the place they work for.
With more people working remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic, employee engagement is becoming an increasingly important workplace issue for business leaders to focus on.
Staying engaged while working in person can be challenging, but with little opportunity for face-to-face contact, employers need to rethink their approaches to employee engagement.
However, it’s clear that many employers have failed in achieving employee engagement during the pandemic.
Millions of workers quit their jobs during the pandemic in what’s referred to as The Great Resignation. It was a clear indicator that employees weren’t getting what they needed from their companies, according to Forbes.
Here’s what impacts employee engagement
An article published in the Internal Journal of Management Reviews explored what workers say they need to feel engaged.
Here are the five things they say contribute to employee engagement:
Psychological state - How empowered, optimistic and confident workers feel.
Job design - Access to resources, support, feedback, and autonomy.
Leadership - How workers feel about company leaders and managers.
Organisational and team factors - How much support workers receive from the organization and team members.
Organisational interventions - Access to training, personal development programs, and career advancement opportunities.
Furthermore, researchers found that employee engagement is linked to morale, task performance, extra-role performance, and organisational performance.
That means engaged workers are more likely to perform better on the job and be open to new experiences that benefit the company.
Employee engagement plans keep teams connected
Although we spend about 40 hours each week interacting with colleagues, workers can still feel disconnected if they’re not properly engaged.
Programs that bring employees together, even virtually, can have a positive effect on overall employee engagement.
Here are 5 tips for developing an employee engagement program
Creating an employee engagement program is challenging, especially since there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Here’s how business leaders can get started:
Seek feedback
Ask your employees for some honest feedback about how they feel about their work and the company as a whole. What do they like about their job? What could improve?
Develop an employee engagement survey to get a broad look at the organisation’s strengths and weaknesses.
The survey can help leaders pinpoint areas that they should invest in to make the most impact.
Keep an open mind
Managers may already have ideas on how to improve employee engagement, but they should be willing to adjust their plans based on employee feedback. Listen and understand what each employee needs without taking the feedback personally.
If you want more direct feedback, consider taking a page from Hilton’s book.
The hotel company has an Executive Immersion Program to help executives understand the day-to-day needs of hotel-based workers. Hilton leaders take time to work alongside hotel staff to learn about their jobs and talk to them one-on-one.
Improve strategies and communicate as you go
Building employee engagement takes time and hard work. You may need to add or eliminate engagement strategies as you go.
Leaders should regularly check in with employees to talk about what’s going on and what the future holds. Immediately address any serious problems that are holding workers back from achieving their goals while offering positive, constructive feedback.
Don’t be afraid to let workers know what’s happening behind the scenes. Give meaningful updates about company initiatives and welcome their feedback. Keeping employees in the loop builds trust and opens up the door for better communication in the future.
Recognise team achievements
It’s important to make your employees feel appreciated in a way that’s meaningful to them.
Managers should regularly take time to reflect on the various contributions each employee brings to the company and why those contributions are important.
Award top performers with something valuable, like a cash prize or an extra PTO day.
However, don’t assume that everyone will be happy with the same type of recognition. Get to know how each employee wants to be recognised and be willing to accommodate their preferences.
Evaluate and measure success
Although it’s difficult to quantify employee engagement, you can still get a good idea of your program’s success by looking at a few key metrics.
First, re-distribute the employee engagement survey about a year or so after implementing the program. How are the results different?
The Society for Human Resource Management suggests tying employee engagement to overall company performance. Compare the company’s profitability, productivity, quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty.
How FUEL brought PayPal’s employee engagement initiative to (virtual) life
The coronavirus pandemic made employee engagement even more important - and challenging - than ever before.
When global fintech giant PayPal wanted to give back to its team of remote workers at the end of 2020, they reached out to FUEL for help.
The FUEL team made “The All Together Gathering” a reality.
In December 2020, PayPal workers were treated to an award-winning virtual concert and immersive experiences. The unique gathering featured more than 72 hours of programmed content with music, dancing, magic, and more.
For Ireland’s PayPal employees, FUEL adapted its live employee engagement events into virtual experiences. The popular PayPal Engage program provided virtual workshops, tutorials, and wellness events to the company’s Ireland workforce.
Sources
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ijmr.12077
https://www.aihr.com/blog/employee-engagement-plan/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/brief-history-corporate-culture-transformation-hilton-lambrano-1e/
About Fuel
FUEL is an award-winning creative production agency specialising in employee and brand experience through live, virtual and hybrid events.
FUEL works on strategic implementation across employee engagement, music festivals, brand activations, experiential marketing campaigns, and conferencing solutions.
Contact Fuel for your next activation via email at info@fuelhq.ie.
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