Every company values an employee who is flexible and puts the company needs first whenever possible. These types of employees are usually happy and this is because they are engaged in their roles and feel a part of the company. An engaged employee will prove to be a valuable asset. HR can play an important role in ensuring all employees are engaged by following these guidelines.
Know your employees and your company will have a lot to win
It is very important to get to know your employees and provide them with an opportunity to discuss any concerns – business or personal. A relationship with your employees will allow you to help them when they have any issues and this will show them that you care about them personally. If your employee feels cared for they will know they are important to the company and their productivity and loyalty will increase.
Provide training and development opportunities
Most companies offer their employees training to ensure they can fulfill their role in the company properly. However, if you then offer your employees additional training which will help them with their career they will become more valuable to the company. The increased knowledge will allow them to take on more and even make suggestions to improve productivity or quality. An additional benefit of training is the opportunity to offer personal development. This allows any employee the chance to obtain promotion. The tactic also permits other employees to see that the company looks after its employees and they will work harder to ensure they obtain their personal targets.
Offer “thanks you’s” every now and then for good work
This is one of the most important ways any employee can be made to feel engaged. Saying thank you to an employee, department or even the whole company allows everyone to know they are appreciated and this will ensure they maximize their efforts in the future. You don’t have to say it every day; at least once a month is enough to make workers feel appreciate for their efforts.
Teamwork
Whenever possible and appropriate you should arrange for the employees to work in teams. This will promote bonding. Employees who know each other better tend to be happier when coming to work and this will mean they are more productive at work. Team work also allows every employee the opportunity to contribute and feel involved with where the company is going.
Customer focus
Customer service is vital to any business and the best way to achieve good service is by communicating with your employees. The normal approach is to provide a list of guidelines or expectations which need to be adhered to when dealing with customers. It is far better to talk or survey your employees and involve them in the process of establishing these guidelines. Not only will they feel valued by the business they will also be more likely to adhere to them. Employees who have a say in how things work will remain with the company for much longer than those who feel they do not have a voice.
Coaching
Training and development will offer the knowledge your employees need but this will always need supplementing. A good manager will know when his employees are in need of encouragement or support and will coach or advise them as necessary. The company gets an employee working to his full potential whilst the employee sees that you are interested in them and will work correspondingly harder to justify your interest.
Offer feedback
Many companies offer staff surveys, however very few know how to compile an effective employee survey. These can be weekly, monthly or annually but are a waste of time unless the results are fed back to the employees. If no feedback is provided employees will see the surveys as a waste of time and will have no interest in completing them. Feedback will allow them to see their opinion counts and will create a positive atmosphere.
Every business should be focusing on employee engagement first, the rest will then follow. The more involved your people are the higher chances you have to boost company productivity. Give instructions for your HR department to focus more on your people’s needs, and you’ll have a lot to win in business.
