4 things to know about keeping employees engaged

For businesses of all sizes, employee engagement is a key part of success. When workers are willing to go above and beyond the job description to complete a project or otherwise help their employers get ahead, it provides a big boost for any company.

However, engagement isn't always easy to obtain in the first place, let alone uphold, especially if small-business owners, in particular, aren't sure where to start with their efforts to boost it. With that in mind, the following are four things every entrepreneur or executive should know about what engagement is – and what it isn't:

1) Engagement doesn't have a one-size-fits-all answer

Companies of all sizes are devoted to boosting employee engagement because it makes them more efficient and improves the bottom line, according to HR Dive. However, what works to help keep one employee engaged might not necessarily work for the person at the next desk. For that reason, companies may need to develop a number of different strategies to meet workers where they are, and give them the tools they need to succeed on an ongoing basis.

Regardless of industry, employee engagement is critical to business success.

2) Engagement is different from job satisfaction

It's perfectly reasonable for an employee to be satisfied with their jobs – pleased with their workload, their professional relationships, etc. – but not actually engaged, according to Quantum Workplace. Engagement means going the extra mile, and if people aren't doing that, it may be worthwhile to figure out why, and what can be done to change that fact. Think of satisfaction as a single step on the path to being more engaged, and not on the same level as the ultimate destination.

3) Engagement has more benefits than you think

Many people see the primary benefit of engagement as being one of greater productivity, as workers put in more effort per hour, every hour they're on the job, Quantum Workplace added. But there are other perks as well, including reducing turnover – which costs companies a lot of money in terms of both "brain drain" and the cost of a new candidate search – and absenteeism. Moreover, employees are more likely to engage in a positive way with customers or clients, as well as other professionals they know in the industry.

4) Engagement doesn't have to cost much, or anything

Many companies spend large amounts of money on boosting employee engagement in a number of ways, but it doesn't have to be that way, according to the Society for Human Resources Management. But the cost can actually be quite low, and would therefore pay for itself quickly. For instance, giving workers a little more training for their jobs might be seen as a big positive, but so too could something as simple as a little more one-on-one time between employees and supervisors.

Because there are so many paths to worker engagement, and every employee is different, it might be wise to come up with a multi-faceted strategy that will allow you to more effectively improve your workplace on an ongoing basis.

Categorised in: Business Law

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