The question isn’t whether we should be addressing employee engagement. The question is, “How?”

Here are some simple ways to improve employee engagement and motivation:

Get to know your staff – What interests do they have? What motivates one person is not likely to be the same for everyone. A genuine question about something that is important to your employee will make them feel that you value them as an individual.
Value employee’s ideas – your staff are on the front line, they know their role better than you so they may have solutions that could help your organisation to be more efficient and more profitable. Foster an environment where your staff feel comfortable to make suggestions.
Ensure that your employee’s know each other – In large companies people sometimes never get to know their colleagues or managers. They may speak on the phone or receive emails but never get to meet the person face to face. Throwing fun events such as parties, fun days or having a fun team building event can help people to mix; in an environment where everyone is treated as an equal.
Ensure employee’s understand their role and responsibilities – It’s simple, a member of staff can’t fully engage in something that they don’t understand. Ensure that they know what is expected of them and how this ties in with the bigger picture.
Support employees who are struggling straight away – Firstly, you need to be vigilant and take time to look up from your desk to consider how engaged everyone else is. Identify those who’s engagement is lacking and take a personal approach to find out how you can support them. This support does not have to be provided by you but a supported employee will feel valued and their motivation is likely to get back on track quickly.
Criticise constructively – When a job is substandard address this straight away. Do this in a tactful and caring manner and in a private place, not in front of co-workers. Focus on performance not on the person. Allow for your employee to give their views for consideration.
Rewards made clear – Whether it’s a pat on the back, well done email, bonus or salary increase make it clear why you are rewarding the employee.
Frequency of rewards – Reward too often and it becomes expected but don’t reward enough and this can have a negative effect on staff motivation and engagement.
Challenge and ensure career progression – An engaged employee wants to be challenged and this will show your confidence in their ability to rise to the challenge. Therefore, the employee will feel motivated. However, ensure that your employee feels supported and knows where to go for help should the challenge seem daunting at times. Review training regularly and meet with employee’s to discuss their training needs and career aspirations.
Consistency – Having a consistent approach is vital. This is where individual targets help. If more than one employee does the same job then their targets and rewards for meeting those targets needs to be the same and transparent to everyone.
Set a good example – Exemplify the standards that you expect from your employees.
Collaboration and working as a team – One of the best ways to improve collaboration is through team building challenges, where the task won’t work if the entire team is not working together effectively. Team building activities can be fun and also aimed at a particular focus for improvement i.e. Communication.
Consider the work environment – Is it well lit? Is the temperature right? Does the furniture function well? Do staff have a relaxing place to sit when on a break? Before you spend money on changes that you feel would enhance the working environment ask your staff for their input. What you feel they would like might not be true!
Hiring new employees – Obviously qualifications are important but whether the person will fit in with your team is essential. Obviously, you can’t be sure when interviewing so why not invite candidates to have a coffee with your team. Watch the interactions that happen and then get feedback from your staff.
Keep employee’s in the loop – Help your staff feel connected by sharing short and long term goals and changes that are being proposed.
Be flexible – There are times when things don’t go to plan. Allowing your staff to take half a day off in order to do something that is highly important to them will help them manage their busy life. If you don’t they are unlikely to be productive as they will be distracted. Just remember to ensure that they take this time as (agreed) unpaid leave or that they make the time up. It is important that all employees know that flexible working arrangements must be agreed and that sometimes these will not be agreed if it will have a negative impact on the business.
Meetings – keep meetings to a minimum and set an agenda with timings and try to keep to them. Change the environment of a meeting, where possible hold the meeting outside.
Learn from employee’s that are moving on – hold a frank discussion with them to find out why they are leaving. Also, in their opinion what could be improved?
Make work fun – work and fun sound like opposites but remember All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.