6 EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT TIPS FOR HR LEADERS

Employee engagement is the foundation of a thriving workplace. When employees are engaged, it impacts every area of their success and they’re contribution to the company.

The reality is, if they're not engaged, they're not committed. If they're not committed, they're sluggish. If they're sluggish, they're not productive. If they're not productive, they're bored. And if they're bored, they'll be more likely to quit (or quietly quit).

In fact according to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2023 Report almost 90% of UK employees are disengaged in their jobs.

So the responsibility falls on HR leaders to create a holistic approach to employee engagement. Here are 6 tips for employee engagement:

1. Prioritise feedback

2. Organise team socials

3. Actively value mental health

4. Revamp your onboarding process

5. Implement a performance management strategy

PRIORITISE FEEDBACK

Without finding out how employees are currently feeling, alongside getting them involved on how to improve, you'll have an impersonal, irrelevant approach to engagement.

Actively encourage employee opinions on their experiences, challenges, and ideas for improvement. But employees don’t reach out to you about anything? This is a sign to be present. Be present, be approachable, and foster an environment of trust. HR employees are known to stay quite distant, leading to a lack of trust. But getting involved and letting employees know you're there to support them, can encourage them to reach out to you about any feedback.

Not to mention conducting regular employee engagement surveys will provide structured insights into how employees feel about the company, as well as give you the chance to demonstrate your commitment to improving.

ORGANISE TEAM SOCIALS

Employees can bond and feel a sense of belonging in the office, but this is heightened by having regular team socials and events. And this doesn't have to be super glamorous every time, but it could simply be arranging a lunch, volunteering, or even some friendly sport.

This creates a sense of belonging and shared purpose. Employees who feel valued and part of a larger community are far more likely to be committed and engaged long-term.

ACTIVELY VALUE MENTAL HEALTH

Value employees as people, not just workers.

And a key aspect of this is prioritising mental health. Implement supportive measures like

• Mental health days

• Flexible working

• Access to wellbeing discounts (gym membership, counselling etc.)

• Workshops about wellbeing

Communicate that the well-being of each team member is a priority, fostering a culture of empathy and understanding.

REVAMP YOUR ONBOARDING PROCESS

Onboarding is more important than most people think. It sets the tone for long-term engagement… or not. There are two things you could consider.

1. Personalise the process by making them feel a part of the culture

2. Extend the onboarding process and conduct regular check-ins during the initial weeks

Onboarding isn't just for the first day where you just show them the fire exit, and the second day they’re in the deep end. Make sure you’re investing time into those vital first weeks to ensure the employee is settling in well. This also includes working closely with managers on how they plan to train them and support them with progression.

IMPLEMENT A STRONG PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

Performance management consists of 5 components:

1. Goals and expectations

2. Progress monitoring

3. Continuous feedback

4. Reward and recognition

5. Clear progression plans.

If an employee is getting intentional support from managers and HR, as well as seeing that the entire team is being supported, it’ll improve the overall culture of the company, leading to increased engagement. Increased happiness leads to retention.

Too many employees have no direction on how they can progress in the company or progress in their skills which naturally leads to disengagement.

A robust performance management strategy is multi-faceted, encompassing goal setting, progress

ENGAGE MANAGERS

Managers play a pivotal role in engagement so it’ll be impossible to improve if managers don’t have the same vision as you… and they probably won’t if they are also disengaged.

Take intentional time to talk to and support managers in their own careers and job satisfaction so you can all work towards a greater goal of improving employee engagement.

Managers are the ones spending the most time with employees, so you need them to make changes that are actually relevant to employees. Let them know:

• Their voices and opinions matter

• They can make a true impact on the company

This will lead them to have a greater sense of value in the company and with a greater sense of value, is a greater effort to support and engage employees.

- Written by Jack Lloyd

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