Employee engagement is a fundamental concept in the effort to understand the nature of the relationship between an organization and its employees. An “engaged employee” is defined as one who is fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work, and so takes positive action to further the organization’s reputation and interests. An engaged employee has a positive attitude towards the organization and its values. An organization with “high” employee engagement might therefore be expected to outperform the competition.

Ways To Encourage Employee Engagement

1. Onboarding and Training. If an employee doesn’t have a handle on their responsibilities, they won’t be engaged. Instead, they’ll be confused, frustrated, and rushed to catch up, which leads to disengagement. With a successful onboarding and training program, employees will learn how to effectively do their job. This is the time they can engage with you and ask questions, offer ideas, and voice concerns.

2. Set Goals and Promote Accountability. To engage employees, you need to involve them in understanding and reaching business goals. You should set annual, semi-annual, quarterly, and monthly goals so employees have something to work toward. Employees want to know how they contribute and how their work affects your business as a whole. Targeting and achieving goals supports a high-level of employee engagement.

3. Acknowledge Your Employees. Employees can quickly become disengaged if they feel like they’re invisible. Your employee engagement management should emphasize acknowledging employees for their hard work, but to truly engage employees you should provide a sense of comfortability and camaraderie with your business. It’s important to develop a relationship of mutual respect and friendship between employer and employee.

4. Focus On Employee Development. Surveys have shown that most employees view personal development as important in their jobs. They want to develop their skills and continue challenging themselves. They don’t want to do monotonous tasks that require minimal effort. Engaged employees constantly use their mind and enhance their skills. Allowing room for growth in the position, or offering educational assistance shows employees that you value their career growth.

5. Avoid Micromanagement. If employees are told exactly what to do and how to do it, they won’t have the time or motivation to engage with the work. Employees can’t be engaged if they don’t have freedom in how to do their jobs. Micromanaging can lead to a decrease in productivity, lost morale and actively disengaged workers. Encourage employees to work on their own, come up with their own ideas, and bring those ideas to the table.

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