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Employee engagement, we’ve all heard of this term but do we truly know why it’s so important. In today’s global market, competition is fierce. Employee engagement is one way to give your organization the competitive edge. A study by Accenture states “A workforce that is highly engaged is the engine driving the gain in profitability and productivity that are critical to business success in a competitive global environment”. So if you want to be the best in your field and to reap the benefits, employee engagement is critical to business success.

Below is a list of the top 10 employee engagement tip I have observed while working with organizations. Pick what resonates with you and start engaging with your employees or teams.

#1: Be a leader employees believe in – lead by example. Ensure you actual walk the talk and don’t give things lip service. Have conviction for what you believe and others will believe in it and you too. This is a powerful motivator for your employees.

#2: Create and communicate clear goals and vision for the organization. If you’re not clear on where your organization is going, how can your employees be engaged. They need to be inspired and understand the long term plan of the organization so they understand why they are doing what they are doing. A visual vision is a great tool for this.

#3: Empower employees to make decision for the company success. This relates to point #2. Once you’re clear on your long term vision, employees are able to make decisions for the overall company welfare without having to check every little thing by management. Empowerment is a key factor in engagement.

#4: Create a positive and welcoming work environment. Our environment does have impact on how we feel, act and behave. If you work in a place that is dark, dirty and dingy, you will feel that way. Create an environment that reflects beauty and is clean. The psyche picks up on this and impacts engagement accordingly.

#5: Give feedback to employees so they understand what they’re doing right. Giving feedback can be very nerve racking, especially when its focus is on the negative. Set up regular touch points with employees and let them know what they’re doing right and how they can replicate that behaviour in other areas that may need improvement. Doing this ensures the employee understand what’s expected from them and they become more engaged because of it.

#6: Encourage employees to improve.  We all have room for improvement. When you’re constantly striving to be better, you’re more engaged in your surroundings. Allow for employees to pick areas of improvement that help them and the organization. It’s a win-win situation.

#7: Listen to employees’ opinions and implement ideas. When we don’t feel listened to we disengage ourselves from the person or project we feel we’re not impacting in anyway. So start listening to those who have ideas. Go one step further and show them you’re listening by implementing their ideas. Doing this will bring about engagement and bring more great ideas into the organization.

#8: Recognize employee’s contribution. Take the time and praise improvement initiatives and show appreciation and gratitude to those who are contributing to the organization’s goals. A simple thank you can go a long way.

#9: Provide the needed resources to your employees. It’s hard for an employee to be engaged when they’re firefighting issues or are frustrated with equipment that isn’t working. Set your employees up for success by removing their productivity roadblocks. Give them time to do their work, and the right equipment to do the job.

#10: Show respect for employees and work-life balance. People will go the extra mile if they know their personal well being is valued. Flexibility and trust are cultivated and earned. Our personal and work lives are so intertwined. Show compassion, and engagement will increase.

This list could go on. I’m sure you may have a few more engagement ideas you’d add to this list. Building engaged employees is not a one shot deal. You need to cultivate the company culture to allow this to happen. It’s about continuously improving your culture and engagement. Take one of these ideas and see what happens. You’ll notice a positive shift in your organization and in your bottom line.

How do you engage your team or employees? Thanks for reading, don’t forget to share/tweet/like our blog just underneath this paragraph. And don’t forget, we’re always here to help with your business efficiency needs.

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