Business owners that regard employee engagement as an unimportant aspect of managing a business are sorely mistaken. There are few things more crucial to the success of a business than keeping employees happy and fulfilled. Yet, even if businesses have only the best intentions and want to improve employee engagement, few actually manage to do so.
Gallup has found that employee engagement in the workplace has remained stagnant for quite some time. In the United States, only 32 percent of employees can be considered “engaged” in their work. What’s identified as engaged does not include those who are content with their jobs - rather, it focuses on those who are “involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace.” They are the employees that all employers want, but the kind that they rarely get. The problem isn’t just United States employees, either; only 13 percent of the world’s workforce can be considered “engaged’ in their work. Clearly, this is a problem for the majority of the globe, and it’s holding back the potential of all kinds of businesses.
One key reason why employees remain disengaged and dissatisfied in the workplace is that companies often focus primarily on measuring engagement rather than doing something to improve it. Thanks to surveying tools becoming readily available, it’s simple for a company to implement an employee satisfaction survey. Yet, all this does is collect data, and it doesn’t do anything to actually improve the situation. This is like holding meetings to discuss a problem, without actually doing anything to resolve it.
Below are four ways that your business can improve employee engagement and increase satisfaction:
- Provide them with the tools to succeed: Employees can grow frustrated if they don’t have what they need to do their jobs properly. For example, how can an employee take their job seriously if your organization can’t provide something as simple as a functioning workstation?
- Understand your employees’ expectations: You hired your employees for a reason, but their reason for being hired by you may not be the same. It’s important to understand that all of your employees have lives outside of the office and have varying goals, many of which can lie outside of your organization’s interests. Help them see how your goals coincide with their own, and you’ll see improved engagement and satisfaction.
- Invest in the employee’s future: If an employee doesn’t see a future for themselves at your business, they will leave. It’s as simple as that. Therefore, if you can afford to do so, you should provide your employees with benefits like health insurance and a retirement plan, as well as opportunities for advancement and personal development. Doing so shows that you’re invested in their success, which can improve the quality of their work.
- Provide regular employee evaluations: Employees like to know what kind of a job they’re doing, as well as how they can improve themselves. By making time to provide genuine, constructive criticism, you can show your team that you’re interested in improving their workplace performance.
If your business has a problem keeping employees engaged, one great way to show them that you care is by ensuring that they have the proper technology solutions to perform their daily duties. This is easier said than done for most small businesses, but outsourced IT solutions from Evolve IT can help to keep your technology functioning and up-to-date. To learn more, give us a call at (518) 203-2110.
