Over the course of the last few years, employee engagement has become a buzzword. Every company wants employees that are intrinsically motivated, engaged, and productive; however, most companies are not sure how to go about creating the perfect environment for the same. Where does employee engagement come from and how does it truly benefit employees and companies alike? More importantly, how can companies create an engaged workforce, when most people are a part of a hybrid, or work from home employment models? The answer lies in speaking to an employee engagement strategist.
What is employee engagement?
At its core, employee engagement refers to keeping your employees motivated to meet organizational goals. Motivation comes in two forms, extrinsic and intrinsic. Employing methods that offer extrinsic motivation in the form of rewards and cash is certainly a potent way to go about engaging your employees, but you also have to make sure that intrinsic motivation is developed while you’re at it.
What are the approaches to drive motivation?
Intrinsic motivation is often harder to crack when compared with extrinsic motivation. Employees must feel a powerful urge to meet the organizational goals, irrespective of external factors such as cash and rewards. Behavioral psychology suggests that directly impacting an employee’s self-esteem for the better is the key to ensuring high levels of intrinsic motivation.
And how do you do this? Well, the answer is simple. You offer recognition.Recognition comes in many forms. It can be a simple pat on the back at a job well done, or a more formal approach with awards at company events, designed to celebrate employees and their skills. Each organization has its own way of offering recognition, and it is imperative to crack what works best for you.
Why is employee engagement important?
Countless studies indicate that employee engagement has a direct relationship with productivity. If an employee cares about his/her job, they are likely to care about the job performance itself and also the organization’s larger business objectives. As a result, employees are also more likely to give their all and be hyper-productive.
As a business functioning in a post-pandemic world, it is essential to offer engagement opportunities to keep the workforce motivated as it directly translates to generating more revenue for the company. It also means better PR on social media when employees boast about their jobs, perks, and how often they are celebrated by their managers.
As employees do not come to a physical workspace to work anymore, offering engagement opportunities can be much harder. However, the simple act of scheduling occasional online events and celebrating employees through chain emails can help boost your engagement manifold.
As stated earlier, each organization must use its own unique tactics to boost engagement. A great way to come up with an effective strategy is by getting in touch with a professional employee engagement agency that can offer solutions based on your business objectives.
