Employee Engagement & Employee Satisfaction
Billions of dollars are spent each year – across verticals – to boost employee engagement and overall employee satisfaction. We’re investing in recognition programs, treating employees to free sodas and snacks in the break room, throwing Foosball tables in the middle of the office and hosting happy hour after happy hour. So why are we still missing the mark when it comes to employee engagement, retention and advocacy?
At this point, we all understand the benefits of building an engaged workforce. When employees are invested in the success of the business, productivity, client/employee satisfaction and public perception increases the boosting of the business’s bottom line.
When employees are disengaged and disenfranchised, the impact will be felt across the entire organization:
- Productivity tanks.
- Employee satisfaction levels plummet.
- The public starts scrutinizing your ability to run a business.
- Your talent investment is wasted, and you have to start over again.
Over the years, businesses have tried to address this issue. Unfortunately, a majority of them have been throwing a considerable amount of time, money and resources at the employee engagement problem without fully understanding the “why” behind it.
Did you know?
Despite many efforts to improve employee engagement, it’s clear that organizations have a long way to go:
- Over 30% of new hires quit after 6 months (source).
- 1/3 of employees knew whether they would stay for the long term after the first week of employment (source).
- Businesses are losing $550 billion a year because of issues related to disengagement (source).
- 32% of employers expect employees to “job hop” (source).
When you break it down, current employee engagement efforts fail because:
- Employers are taking a reactive approach rather than a proactive one.
- There’s little to no meaningful communication between employers and employees.
Employers misinterpret or completely ignore what motivates their employees.
The time for change is now
The good thing is that employers recognize they’re missing the mark and are excited to start making a change. To help kick things off, we created a two-part plan to help get your business on track. It’s simple and very effective.
Part 1: Start early and connect often
Reach out to new hires on Day 0, and keep the line of meaningful communication open for the remainder of their career. Open communication can significantly boost engagement and while it nurtures strong advocates for the cause.
Part 2: Understand what motivates your employees & tie it back to the company’s mission
Focus on employee well-being. It helps foster pride, energy and enthusiasm in your team.
- Are they comfortable in their workspace?
- Are they too cold/hot/hungry to focus?
- Do they have all the tools they need and is their workload balanced?
- Do they feel safe enough to do their jobs and to speak up or provide feedback?
- Are you actively monitoring for – and preventing – burnout?
- Do you acknowledge employees when they get a win for the team?
- Are employees encouraged to build positive relationships with co-workers, management and clients?
- Do they feel like they belong and are a part of something bigger?
- Is their work impactful or meaningful? Are they recognized for doing that work well?
- Are employees trusted to make their own decisions and act autonomously?
The simplicity of employee engagement
When you meanfully connect with your new hires starting at Day 0, you’ve created a catalyst for driving long-term employee engagement. When you understand what motivates employees and work to ensure their needs are met, you’ll find employees that are more engaged, willing to stay and able to proudly vouch for the business and their role within it.
Getting there
No one said employee engagement was easy. But if you need help getting there, you can trust Click Boarding to deliver. Our mobile-first platform invigorates HR and new hires with blended form management, employee engagement, digital process flows and integrated data into flexible, efficient and compliant solutions. We’ll help you start your digital onboarding path to tomorrow!
