We all have challenges, some personal and some professional. Life doesn’t stop, neither do we. None of us know how the other person feels. Even though we ask them how they are, we don’t listen. Imagine how it feels when someone just hear you but don’t listen.
That’s how most of the employees feel at work and outside. Because at the end of the day we all have bills to pay, which means we have to work for a living. Putting us all in the same boat.
Employee engagement has been on the radar of most senior executives. It has become a top business priority, as well as a key concern. Depending on how you go about with it, the impact can be seen on the overall business and your workforce.
Team leaders, managers, or HR’s, read on and find out if you are doing everything to find out how your employees feel.
Staying at the top of your game is not easy. It takes much effort to be at 100%, and it is difficult at the least, if not impossible, which makes it your job to find out what is bothering them. Your employee’s mental health and happiness are crucial to your business as well as your company’s culture.
Basics that go wrong
Let’s start where most people fail—identifying the difference between how your employees are doing and how they are feeling. Let me elaborate on that, small talk, performance review, and daily interactions don’t give you the complete picture. At most, they tell you about your employee’s productivity, efficiency, and performance at work. However, what they don’t tell you is how they feel about their jobs, the work they are doing, whether they feel valued, do they know their contribution, etc. A valuable piece of information such as this can help you make your talent stay. By improving the things that affect them negatively, you are creating a positive environment and building trust.
Value adds to services
No, I don’t mean to say value-added services. Anything that adds value to your business or brand needs to know that. Employees need to know that the work they do adds value, that their efforts are noticed. Appreciation can have positive effects on your workforce when it comes to productivity and even loyalty. Knowing that you contributed and that your efforts are appreciated, helps them grow along with you. It is easy to feel replaceable and unappreciated, managers who know this, focus on highlighting their strengths. Most people don’t know their strengths, mistakes, on the other hand, is something that we are reminded of over and over.
Priorities: Go High and Low
It has been said over and over again, that employee experience impacts the customer experience. Neglecting one for the other, not a solution, it is a death trap. Organizations with leaders who understand the importance and impact of employee experience know that prioritizing their workforce is imperative for business success?
Perceive them
Understanding is vital in every relationship, particularly in a working relationship. No one likes to be vulnerable; we all want others to see us as a strong, confident, competent individual. Insecurity and miscommunication usually lead to the end of good things. Pay attention; we all have a dream; we all want to grow. Knowing that their efforts will pay off one day keeps them going. Growth is crucial; having a future to work towards is always a good goal to have, encourage them to innovate and explore. The next leader might just come out from within your team.
Anonymity & Confidentiality – Practice it
Anonymity is a good way to gain trust and boost confidence when asking for crucial feedback. Organizations are a collection or community of people working towards the same goal. So, when you ask them for honest opinions to give them a safe space, anonymous surveys are a great way to cross that bridge.
Gratitude culture
Saying please and thank you is not a big task, but when someone is having a bad day, it can mean a lot. Gratitude is underrated, but trust me, small gestures are the most effective ones. Thank you – simple, compelling, and always neglected. I like giving my colleagues a candy ( I make it a point to know which ones they like) every time they help me out. A written note of thanks or even a verbal message does it. The simplest form of acknowledgment and recognition.
Celebrate them
Work anniversary, personal goals, or birthdays, while most employers might not think twice about them if it matters to the employees, it should matter to you. These are special milestones in their life and their journey with your organizations. Employees devote their time and effort; it feels good to know that the organization cares about them.
Help them with their Goal
Support them throughout their journey, understand their career goals, help them with steps to get there, and make investments in their professional development to help them grow for their careers and organization.
Engage in an Eyeopener
Engagement drives performance. Engaged employees can understand the goals and purpose of their organization holistically and fit into it. When you have a happy workforce committed to your values and goals, the competition has no chance. Motivated employees make all the difference when it comes to growth and innovation. To better understand the needs of your organization, administering an employee pulse survey is key.
Connect the disconnect
Employees have two relations in their work-life that impact them most in their professional lives, with their manager and organization.
When it comes to the organization;
Confidence and trust in senior management, organizational leadership is a factor for the disconnect. When you are not treated with respect, or fairly or lack trust, it becomes hard to give in your hundred percent.
When it comes to the manager;
Managers are the first point of contact for an employee in an organization. Besides feeling valued, they must know they are being treated fairly. Playing favorites will do more harm than good. It is essential to have a strong working relationship between an employee and manager with a sense of mutual respect.
While HR can work on an effective employee experience strategy, it won’t work until the organization embraces it. Connecting the dots between the upper management and middle managers’ experience with their teams will streamline things. It takes each one of us to make sure that no one gets left behind.
