In the workplace, managers want to lead a team of engaged employees. Why? What are the benefits? In other words, they want a team of employees that are committed and connected to their work. When managers have engaged employees, it produces a number of benefits. These benefits include higher productivity and a happier workforce.
A lot of factors can make employees feel engaged. Things like how comfortable they are with their peers and boss, how often they are recognized for their work, and how satisfied they are at work are just some of the factors that come into play.
When employees are engaged, they will go from being one-dimensional to multi-dimensional. They will be challenged, motivated, and able to make a difference. Let’s explore this further.
You’re a manager, and you’re told that you need to work on employee engagement. But, what does that even mean? We’ve compiled a list of important benefits of engagement that might help you understand it a little better.
Benefits of employee engagement
Employee engagement is important because it comes with benefits. These include benefits for the individual, for their team, for their manager, and for the company as a whole.
#1 Noticeable improvement in team performance
Engaged employees are a team’s best player. What is good for the employee is good for the team. When a group of engaged employees works together, they produce more. This is because they work at a higher level and have a better attitude.
Employees are inspired by their peers. When employees are motivated, they often pass that motivation onto others, which then inspires even more people. This helps with morale and contributes to better individual performance. A team of highly motivated individuals will perform better than an unmotivated one.
#2 Employee productivity increases rapidly
Highly engaged employees are a win-win for your company. They’re more productive and produce higher-quality work because they take a personal interest in their work and their performance matters to them. That means you have a motivated, accountable worker on your team. This can increase productivity on your team.
Make sure you check up on your employee engagement in every 1-on-1 meeting. If you notice a degradation in performance, it may be an indication that the employee is disengaged.
#3 Retain employees for better performing team
You need to keep your employees around. Investing the time and energy into training new hires is tough when employees are cycling in and out regularly. When longstanding employees leave, they take valuable knowledge with them. Basically, you need to be sure your team can do their best work – which includes keeping them around.
When employees are committed to their objectives, they are less likely to leave. This makes the business stronger and more experienced, and gives them a better chance of achieving company goals.
Stay interviews are different than exit interviews. Stay interviews help to identify disengaged employees before they leave, which can be costly. Ask your team 3 months after their start date about what’s keeping them at the company. The answers you get will help in your future decisions.
#4 Team objectives and success
It’s hard to hit your goals if your team isn’t engaged. As a manager, you might focus on your team’s goals. But when you shift your focus on engaging employees, it has a direct, positive impact on your objectives. The good news?
You want team members with a sense of purpose. They’ll have the motivation to take you there when they’re excited about their work and aligned with your strategy.
#5 Employees will show up to work
Employees should be happy and engaged so they’ll show up to work.
The lack of motivation in an employee is a huge issue, and it does more than just affect their time off. It causes disengagement, which makes them less likely to attend work and less likely to be motivated when they are there.
If your team is showing up every day, not only to work but to work hard, it will be easier for you to innovate, achieve goals, and perform at the highest level.
When you see changes in your employees, reach out to them. You know them better than anyone. If they are taking more sick days or participating less in team meetings, don’t just assume it’s because they’re lazy. Reach out to them to find out if something is going on that you might have missed. You could even be able to help!
According to Poppulo, Low levels of employee engagement has been a persistent problem for organizations for decades, with as much as two thirds of employees consistently reported as not being engaged at work.
Learn how employee engagement software can help your organisation engage better with your employees.
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