5 Things You Should Include In Your Employee Engagement Strategy

We all (hopefully) know by now that employee engagement should be a high priority for companies. It keeps employees happy and creates wins in retention, productivity and quality of work, and company performance. And yet a recent study by Altimeter Group indicates that 59% of companies don’t have a solid employee engagement strategy. Yikes.

If your organization is one of this majority, then it’s time to take action and start building a strategy. Set yourself up for success by including these five must-have objectives.

1. Value your company values: Your employees can’t buy in to your mission if they don’t know what it is and how you want to get there. Values are necessary to building a company culture that makes people excited to come to work and contribute to the organization’s purpose.

And communicating those values means more than just putting up a poster or two with a list. Make sure they live and breathe: Use them to guide company decisions. Discuss them with your employees. And, of course, lead by example.

2. Create camaraderie: When employees like and support each other, it pretty much makes everything better. You’ll have workers who are more engaged, encouraged, and inspired. Whether it’s group activities at work, happy hour outings, or company-sponsored volunteer work, invest in your employees’ relationships. You’ll reap the rewards.

3. Show them where they’re going: A dead-end job won’t motivate an employee to go the extra mile for their company. Create career development plans for the members of your organization, and make sure they understand the process for promotions. If they can see a future with the company, they’ll be more likely to stick with you for the long haul.

4. Say thank you: Do your employees feel strongly valued? Take time to put the spotlight on great work. Material rewards like gifts or treats are good, but don’t forget simpler options that just take some time or energy. Give out awards, write a personal note, grant extra time off ... The possibilities are endless. Encourage your employees by letting them know their hard work and passion are appreciated.

5. Find out what they think: Gather feedback to make sure your strategy is actually working. Do it regularly, and give your employees the option to submit anonymously so they’ll be candid. And don’t forget to come back and share what you’ve done in response to the feedback. If your employees know they’re being listened to and can influence the organization, they’ll be more invested.

It isn’t necessarily easy to meet all these goals, but the benefits of high employee engagement are worth the effort. A company is only as strong as the contributions of its members.

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