Maximizing Employee Engagement - Week 1
Over the next 6 weeks - with the help of one of our clients Chris Elphick, Director of Learn.fast Pacific, we are going to outline six keys steps to ensure you are managing your staff to maximize employee engagement.
Employee engagement is one of the latest HR buzzwords. The theory behind it is that if your staff are engaged they will work harder, and help make your business more successful – and more profitable.
The old-fashioned term for “employee engagement” is job satisfaction, and there is no doubt that satisfied staff are an asset to any business. But employee engagement is about more than keeping your staff satisfied. It’s also about recognising that your staff are a valuable resource; they can contribute ideas and insights that will help make your business more successful.
The more engaged someone is, the more discretionary effort they will put in on the business’s behalf.
Tip 1 - Respect
The secret to employee engagement is simple – it is based on respect. If you respect your staff, they will respect you, and they’re much more likely to go the extra mile. Conversely, if you treat your staff badly, you are likely to pay the price for it.
Respect starts with the basics: greet your staff when they arrive at work, and thank them and say goodbye at the end of the day.
Respect is also about attitude – your attitude towards your staff. Most people want to do a good job; they’re not there to rip you off, or to do as little as they can get away with. If you assume that your staff come to work to do a good job, and that they want to end the week with a sense of satisfaction, the chances are they will.
A respected employee means a respected work environment, and this inevitably leads to more engagement from your staff. It is hard as an employer to make sure that everyone is content, but ultimately it takes less time than resolving conflict, employee productivity problems, and customer dissatisfaction. If you and your staff are on the same page, productivity and success is much more likely. To accomplish more, you need to set the tone in the workplace because at the end of the day you are the one they turn to for inspiration and guidance.
This week, why not try to think about one small change you can make to show your staff you respect them and make a conscious effort to action that change.
Be sure to check in for next week's tip, where we talk about the importance of consulting with your staff.
