One of the most vital parts of a company's success is having a positive company culture. Not only does it make employees want to stay in the company but also results in a higher productivity and growth rate.
Traditional management practices like controlling and authoritative approaches do not work anymore. Leading a herd by rigidity is too exhausting and can only create friction among workers and leaders. It will result in employees being overwhelmed and disheartened towards their work and may lead to disengagement.
Employees who are highly engaged in their job tend to perform better and work beyond their job description. When an employee is committed to their company, it seems that the company's growth is equivalent to their own.
Although there are several tips on fostering positive company culture by improving employee engagement, we have summarized them in a few points.
1. Acknowledgement and recognition
Acknowledgement motivates employees to perform better. Once they know that their voices are heard, and their efforts are recognized, they feel valued and appreciated. More than a monetary bonus, acknowledgement and recognition make employees satisfied and happy; thus, making them want to stay longer with the company.
Recognition encourages employee retention. Knowing that their work is noteworthy reminds employees about how their effort matters and how it makes a difference in the bigger picture.
There are simple ways to recognize an employee's efforts, such as peer-to-peer recognition, wherein in a group meeting, each member will speak up and mention who they are grateful to in their team. Alternatively, team leaders may take their employees on a dine-out as a morale boosting gesture and even a simple well done or a ‘good job’ verbal remark can do wonders.
2. Good camaraderie
Having a good relationship with superiors and colleagues results in smooth operations. It fosters closeness and trust among co-workers and makes them enjoy working together. Teamwork is promoted and absenteeism is decreased. As a result, productivity increases and leads to the creation of high-quality products.
For onsite, hybrid, and remote workers, there are many tools for employee engagement that a company can implement to look after the performance of their workforce. Credits to the digital age, boosting employee engagement has become effortless. Employee engagement tools such as pulse surveys are a great way to gather feedback and build transparency among colleagues.
3. Understand your team
This is where the personality test comes in handy. Knowing an employee's personality helps foresee how well they do their job. This allows recruiters and employers to evaluate the employee's working behavior and how it can impact the workplace.
Personality tests help determine how a candidate collaborates with their colleagues, their attitude towards problem-solving, and how they manage their emotions while going through hurdles.
In a 2016 study by Frank L. Schmidt, it was found that the validity of job experience for predicting future job performance is only 16%. Whereas an analytic and logical ability plus an individual's personality is up to 78% valid in predicting an employee's future performance.
Personality tests enable team leaders and executives to have a more profound knowledge of employees and how they behave. Leaders can identify where to appoint employees based on their strengths.
Leaders may also team up with employees who possess the same personality type and match their skills. This will help create a better synergy between them, knowing that their team members have the same drive.
4. Maintain work-life balance
Burnout and stress are two of the most common workplace ailments. When an employee goes through continuous pressure, it leads to many stress-related illnesses. These include obesity, heart problems, anxiety and depression, asthma, and gastrointestinal diseases.
In workplaces, immediate managers usually matter more to employees than their C-suite leaders. Managers can help their top talent avoid burnout in the following ways:
- Check in on the employee’s well-being during their one-on-one meetings.
- Help employees foster a good mindset by letting them set their own boundaries and limits.
- Encourage social connections for employees.
- Connect employees to their goals and the company’s vision and mission.
Improve employee engagement by having a balance between work and personal life. Companies that value this aspect are more likely to retain quality employees knowing that their physical and mental health is cared for.
5. Career growth opportunities and learning
As a leader, how can you determine an employee's ability to perform when there is no opportunity to step up the game? Assign a challenging task to an employee and make them feel that you trust them and have confidence in their ability to produce positive results.
Invest in the employee's career growth by providing training that will enhance their skills. This will be an advantage to the company later on. Align training arrangements that can improve the employee’s skills and are relevant to their role in the company. Training and development programs for managerial and leadership skills, soft skills, and technical skills are only a few of the coaching initiatives a company can provide to its staff.
Employees will feel appreciated knowing that the company values their development. In return, employees will become more loyal and likely to refer more people to join the company.
6. Provide feedback
As the saying goes, it takes sun and rain for a flower to grow. The same goes for employees. Equally important with recognition, they also need constructive feedback to flourish. It is one of the best things an employer can give its employees. It can strengthen an upbeat demeanor and amend an unsatisfactory performance.
The modern approach to giving assessment is through 360-degree feedback which means getting a holistic view of the employee from the point of view of their teammates, colleagues, superiors, reports, and even customers. It helps employers see the whole picture of how an employee performs and not only through the perception of their manager.
Feedback helps in comprehending oneself and distinguishing strengths from weaknesses. It also helps discern our behavior and how it impacts other people. With constructive feedback, workers can evaluate their performance and gauge their growth throughout their tenure.
7. Use collaboration tools
While working in diverse locations, digital tools for employee management help with collaboration despite the distance and time differences. These tools encourage seamless communication within the team, thereby, increasing productivity.
Tools like collaboration software makes delegation of tasks easy and accessible to everyone. They guarantee that everyone is on the same page and that the team achieves its goals based on its given timeline.
The best employee engagement tools come with team collaboration software. They ensure uninterrupted employee engagement through communication when it comes to task delegation and organization.
Round table discussions or virtual group meetings for remote workers establish a deeper working relationship by having brainstorming and discussions. It invigorates the members to think more strategically, which is beneficial to building a positive culture in the company.
Contingent to the level of commitment of an individual, employee engagement can be categorized into different types: engaged, disengaged, actively disengaged or unhappy.
The immediate superior also significantly impacts the engagement of their team members. Based on the article written by lorman.com, 63% of employees are satisfied with their job, knowing that their superior treats them with respect.
The Importance of Employee Engagement in a Company
There comes a time when employees feel disengaged from their job, resulting in less productivity. For some, insufficient compensation does not always make them dislike their job. Perhaps it's what they feel in the organization, their colleagues, or their superior that makes them feel detached.
When employees have a sense of purpose, it drives them to push harder towards their goals and keep doing their best work—knowing that they are valued and that their work matters positively impacts their attitude and reflects on their performance.
