Keeping your employees engaged

With the great resignation currently underway, it has never been more vital for employers to keep their employees engaged and happy in the workplace. The key to any successful business is the team that is working tirelessly behind the scenes. No matter what business you are in, there are people in the workforce that are crucial in bringing in success and adding their own flair to the business. Employee engagement simply means that you want your employees to feel a part of the business and be proud to say that they work for you. Read on to find out how to keep your employees engaged in the workplace. 

Recognise and appreciate 

Before you undertake any sort of physical engagement with employees, you should always look at exactly what your employees have done for you and your business and publicly recognise them. There are many forms of thank you’s that you could offer to employees, whether it’s an employee of the month award, a thank you card or just a public congratulations that show your recognition for them. Try to be as transparent as possible and make sure that it doesn’t look as though you're favouring any employees. 

Organise team activities 

This is a fantastic way to encourage employee engagement. Offering regular days out and team outings shows employees that you aren’t always about just the business and that you do really care about their well-being. Activities for a team-building day could include anything from going out for dinner, festivals or even wellbeing retreats. If you can offer employees this, they will most likely come back to the office appreciative and refreshed. 

Personal development plans 

All companies should be advocating for their employees to improve their skill set, not only for the business but for them from a personal point of view. It is unlikely that employees will stay in your business for their full careers, however, by offering them the chance to upskill themselves, they will be able to provide you with everything that they’ve learned from their training and be able to build up their confidence within their field. 

Offer flexible schedules 

The days of being in the office doing a 9-5 are long gone. COVID-19 showed the world that this was an extremely unnecessary phase that we all followed. Instead, employees want the opportunity to work from home, have hybrid working, and if they want to take personal days if they feel they need to. Offering this as a company shows that you are forward-thinking and will guarantee that employees are appreciative and well-engaged. 

Job rotation can be key 

Employees can sometimes feel themselves becoming disengaged with the work that they're doing, this is through no fault of their own, as sometimes passions can just change. Rather than forcing them to do this job that they clearly have fallen out of love with, the best thing that you can do as an employer is offering them the chance to undertake another role within the business. Even if it’s for a day, this will give the employee the chance to see if this is something that they would want to do or if they actually already love the role that they’re in. 

Small gestures 

Surprising employees with small gestures can go a long way. Free fruit baskets, gas cards, gift cards or birthday presents etc, are just a few examples of some gestures that you can offer your employees. This can go a long way for an employee if they feel truly appreciated within the business and will ensure that they are sharing on their own social media and to their friends and family that the company they work for, actually go out of their way to make employees happy.