Gamification in the Workplace: Introduction, Benefits, Tips, and Examples

The saying “work hard, play harder” may be familiar to you, but is this really what gamification in the workplace is all about? Not quite. Although gamification in the office might take inspiration from games, its primary goal is to engage and encourage workers during tasks that are not games. Alternately, add a bit of pleasure to specific required duties.

If your staff knew they would earn points and receive incentives for completing crucial training on workplace safety, wouldn’t they be more motivated to do so? Or, wouldn’t a worker be pleased to find they excelled in their company’s cybersecurity test?

Scores, gamification, and badges are ideas we’re accustomed to seeing in video games, but they might also be employed in the workplace. But first, let’s look at how they might be used in the workplace. Let’s define gamification in the workplace in more depth.

What Is Gamification?

Gamification is integrating the game into eLearning and staff training programs. This approach lets a company include engaging, game-like elements that help employees engage in the training while effectively delivering the lessons, such as narrative, problem-solving, and incentives.

Steve Jobs reportedly said, “The one and only way to accomplish outstanding work is to enjoy what you do. Contrarily, gamification makes work more appealing and less stressful for employees. Employees are encouraged to work harder when they receive prompt incentives, regular feedback, and appropriate recognition.

Gamification at Work Is Trending 

Managers and workers may both benefit from gamification strategies, which increase engagement. As a consequence, gamification in the workplace market is anticipated to be valued at $30.7 billion by 2025.

A company’s productivity is increased via gamification, which combines tasks, corporate objectives, and rewards and recognition. Due to this, more than 400 major corporations, including Google, Formaposte, and Domino’s, have started to make significant investments in gamification.

It’s critical to realize that gamification does not aim to transform employment into a game. Instead, the goal is to combine gaming principles with work-related tasks to increase efficiency and make the work more fun. Encouragement of employee involvement also motivates workers to concentrate on the company’s success as a whole.

Workplace gamification benefits for employees include motivation and encouragement, a fun educational atmosphere, and a more inviting workplace. In this essay, we examine the advantages of this strategy and the reasons it is becoming increasingly popular.

There are several instances of organizations implementing gamification in their operations. Starbucks launched “My Starbucks Rewards” by gamifying its customer rewards program. Depending on how many purchases they make, clients can raise their degree of loyalty under this system.

Google encouraged its staff to keep a record of their corporate travel expenditures by gamifying the process for submitting travel reimbursements. The funds formally designated for their work vacation serve as an incentive for the employees to save. Employee savings are either given back to them as extra compensation or contributed to their chosen charity.

Benefits of Gamification in the Workplace

Gamification is an appealing technique to support your staff’s learning and development of new abilities they may use to improve your business. But is it worthwhile to spend simply because one of your rivals is doing so? Here, we highlight three commercial advantages of gamification adoption that demonstrate it is worthwhile for your organization to invest time, money, and resources in:

Enhanced Security: 

Since 40% of IT security breaches result from human error, investing in your staff’s cybersecurity education will always pay off. Because security training that incorporates gamification has proven to be up to 77 percent more successful than conventional educational training tactics, integrating the benefits of gamification in the workplace could be beneficial. Due to its growing popularity, you may use various gamification training tactics. Spend time conducting market research, choosing one affordable for your business, and then watch how quickly your staff picks up new techniques for protecting your data and thwarting any threats.

Reduced Employee Stress: 

According to a comprehensive review of prior research, people who played the SuperBetter app for 10 minutes each day for a month reported much fewer melancholy and anxiety symptoms than the review’s control group. In addition, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center reports that recent research indicated that, compared to various other smartphone apps, SuperBetter had the highest impact on lowering anxiety symptoms. By providing your staff with subscriptions to gamification-based applications like SuperBetter, and Calm, all of which encourage the user to relieve stress through exciting and engaging activities, you can help your employees avoid burnout and experience the advantages of gamification in the workplace.

Draw Talent from Generation Z and Millennials:

It will be vital for your company to draw and keep this new generation of talent after Gen Z and millennials make up the majority of the working population in the nation. What will it take to entice these young professionals? Via the adoption of gamification in the workplace. Both generations love technology and spent their formative years engaging in video games that served as the basis for gamification. Both like a challenge and could be more interested and engaged in more traditional forms of education. With gamified training, they get what they want and prefer ingestible, inspiring, and engaging visual information.

Why and Where to Use Gamification at the Workplace?

Workplace Gamification has the potential to boost employee engagement and motivation, but it requires a systematic approach to be effective. The business transaction or tasks you would want to adopt gamification must also be carefully chosen, and the gamification mechanics must be developed with the same level of attention.

The following is a list of some business goals you may use gamification for:

Makes learning enjoyable and exciting.

Making learning more entertaining and engaging is the most typical application of gamification. Gamification inspires students to become involved in the education process as active participants. Ninety-nine percent of students said that the point-based system makes them more engaged, and 82% said that they appreciated the gamified experience’s numerous degrees of difficulty.

Strengthens your connections.

Hiring people who share the organization’s culture is crucial for engagement and retention. By making its training games accessible to the general public, the US Army has successfully expanded the usage of gamified events in its recruitment process. This gamified activity gave people an enjoyable, educational, and engaging virtual army experience.

Promotes an excellent work-life balance.

Given the prevalence of work-from-home (WFH), many businesses are using gamification in their wellness initiatives to motivate staff to maintain a balance between their professional and personal lives. Employees that are content are more engaged, productive, and upbeat.

Companies are using gamification in a variety of use cases to boost worker engagement and enhance process results. However, corporate learning continues to be the most popular area for gamification adoption in the workplace. Employees prefer gamification at work when it comes to communication and training, according to research on gamification at work.

Focus on areas where Gamification can be used:

Gamification for employee engagement examples can help an organization in a variety of ways.

  • Development and Learning

Games can help both new and experienced employees learn new skills. Gamification of learning platforms has the potential to improve retention and results.

  • Customer Service

Gamification achievements and rewards can motivate employees to provide better service to customers. They also encourage employees to share new solutions and ideas with their colleagues.

  • Increasing Sales

Gamification can improve salespeople’s collaboration. It rewards not only the final sale but also all of the steps that lead up to it.

  • Teamwork

Even in different offices worldwide, teams can use games to share information and learn from one another.

  • Corporate Culture 

Gamification can help spread the company’s culture through various projects and programs. It can aid employees in spotting changes to engage in molding the culture of the company.

Five Ways You Can Deploy Gamification in the Workplace

  1. Make your objectives clear and transparent

Establish clear objectives before you, and your employees get carried away with all the fun and games. Determine why Gamification is important and what you hope to gain from it. You can then decide what game to use to achieve your objectives. Of course, once you’ve established your goals, you must communicate them to your employees. Remind them that these games are for more than just entertainment. Maintain alignment between your activities and the goals of your company. Also, ensure these objectives are communicated to the rest of your team. Setting milestones is another effective way to motivate your employees. It gives them a sense of accomplishment, which makes the games more rewarding and relevant.

  1. Describe the game’s rules and procedures

Every game has its own set of rules that players must follow. As a result, knowing the game’s rules is critical so your employees can fully participate in your activities. Aside from your objectives, it would help if you also communicated the game’s rules and processes to everyone eligible to participate. This includes the criteria for determining whether or not they have won, the rewards at the end, the guidelines for qualification and disqualification, the duration of the activity, and what they must do to win. This ensures that everyone understands how it works. Similarly, they have a reference to refer to throughout the activity. Everyone will be competing fairly this way.

  1. Begin with the basics

Sometimes, less is more, especially when you’re just getting started. And, with Gamification, you should keep things simple at first. This means simple mechanics and short activities with corresponding payoffs. This allows you to test which ones work and which don’t without wasting too much time, money, and energy on inefficient processes. Starting with straightforward challenges like vying for the “top weekly customer satisfaction score,” “most resolved incidents in a week,” “flawless attendance for the month,” or “highest monthly quota achieved” can be a great way to begin. It is easily quantifiable, and your employees can immediately get their rewards. Similarly, all of these are attainable and align with your company’s objectives. Taking things slowly allows your employees to adjust and gain confidence.

  1. Offer tempting rewards and incentives

Gamification in business is also associated with a rewards and incentives system for your employee experience. These can take the form of acknowledgment, tokens, or both. This would give your employees the push and motivation required to participate in your activities. A recent study found that 83% of employees are motivated to perform better and work harder when they know there will be rewards at the end. Not to mention that creating a friendly and competitive environment gives them a reason to keep improving rather than becoming complacent in the long run. You must, however, ensure that your rewards appeal to your employees. For example, competing for the title of “top employee of the year” would necessitate more than a badge and a quick pat on the back. To entice your employees to work hard for the title, there may need to be more than a simple gesture in recognition of exceptional achievement.

  1. Make use of data

Businesses are becoming more data-driven than ever before. You can easily mine and analyze data from various aspects of your business using the tools and software available. And, yes, Gamification can provide valuable information. You can learn about your employees’ strengths and weaknesses by incorporating Gamification into your workplace. Similarly, this allows you to identify areas where you need to improve employees and how to address such issues. This data can assist you in developing more effective business strategies and plans. More than that, it can help you in developing a strong culture for your organization to become future-ready. For example, using Gamification in HR can provide you with a wealth of knowledge regarding managing your employees. You can learn about the best gamification methods for increasing employee engagement, the most effective communication methods, the common skills you should train your employees in, and much more.

Gamification Examples

Some of the examples of gamification in the workplace known for making the workplace fun, intriguing, and easy are as follows:

  • Gamification in the Workplace at Salesforce

Silicon Valley’s top gamification vendor, Bunchball, provided a solution that integrates seamlessly with the Salesforce.com UI. The straightforward program has a customizable featured challenge, a progress indicator, and a team leaderboard. The application functionality and team standings use points and progression bars to show where various teams stand concerning one another. Employees can choose between physical or virtual items on the incentive tabs. The gamified experience motivates sales teams since they receive real-time feedback that encourages them to meet short-term and long-term objectives.

  • Workplace Gamification on the SAP Community Network (SCN)

SAP Community Network (SCN) has effectively used game elements to boost member engagement. Users may earn points on the gamified network by blogging, participating in forums, updating wiki pages, or delivering white papers. The user’s awards and points are totaled across all locations and displayed on a scoreboard that is accessible to everybody. SAP has added extra incentives to make these points more valuable to the staff. The community network points amassed qualify as a KPI for employee performance appraisals. 

  • AstraZeneca Gamifies the Launch of New Medicine

To educate freshly hired sales staff on novel medical treatments, AstraZeneca introduced a new training program in 2015 dubbed “Go To Jupiter.” The following gamified components were employed in this training to entice learners: mini-games, rewards for noteworthy accomplishments, leaderboards, and team contests. As a consequence, student engagement levels reached 97%, and the learner completion percentage rose to 95%. 

  • Gamification Is Used By Deloitte To Develop Senior Leadership

To aid learners in the development of their soft skills, Deloitte included gamification components in its senior leader training through the usage of their leadership school. Learners choose personal learning objectives and investigate numerous training subjects during the course. After completing each assignment, students are awarded badges to commemorate their accomplishments. They may also view leaderboards that show the top 10 users across various activities.

  • Gamification in the Workplace at PwC to Find Talent 

PwC uses gamification to find fresh talent using the game “Multiply.” Candidates can play the game to determine whether they fit the company’s ethos and can work there. The game also brings players together to solve difficulties related to actual business issues.

Gamification in Training

Employees would want to see gamification in the workplace, technical skill development, service and product training, and corporate compliance training. With 83% of staff feeling driven by gamified learning, there is a significant positive association between gamification training and staff engagement. Employee motivation results in increased productivity and much-reduced boredom.

Research indicates that 70% of L&D specialists will include gamification in corporate training initiatives. The top three favored game aspects that incorporate learning are ranked matches, badges, awards, and visually represented dashboards and progress indicators.

  • Dashboards and progress bars: The dashboards and progress bars display the activity’s current state of completion in terms of a percentage or other metrics. Users are encouraged to finish the task and come to a logical conclusion by the progress gauges.
  • Trophies and badges: These are awards and recognitions for learners’ successes, displaying their mastery of a particular subject.
  • Leaderboards: Leaderboards show how students compare to one another and foster a culture of competition that will help them succeed in their chosen industries.

How Does Game-Based Learning Affect Employees?

In today’s fast-paced corporate environment, when it takes less time to reply to customer inquiries and launch products, self-learning is an integral approach.

Team members are encouraged to be independent and involved in their learning using game-based learning strategies. This kind of problem-solving is also made possible by the knowledge of engaging in a game alone, which is just as crucial as working with others. Inspiring our innate love of games, game-based learning solutions deliberately teach us new abilities and expand our knowledge. By doing this, employers can measure the experience while also giving learners a meaningful one.

Puzzles, games that require players to solve problems and strategize challenge-based games, and situational judgment situations are all examples of teaching tools. The objective is to stimulate creativity, foster teamwork, and spark a fresh solution to problem-solving.

Also read: The Ultimate Guide to 360-Degree Feedback in the Workplace

Wrapping Up

You will get an idea about how to arrange and carry out gamification tactics at your organization with the aid of these ideas and insights regarding gamification for business.

Workplace gamification has the capability of making work more enjoyable. Employee engagement, happiness, and motivation may all increase as a result. They say that life is a game; therefore, let’s strive to make work seem more like a game. 

The use of gamification in the workplace will advance along with technological advancement. Reach out to Engagedly if you’re seeking a technological partner to help you adopt gamification.

 

6 Tips on How to Upskill Employees Successfully

Today, upward career mobility is a top priority for modern employees, and upskilling is an excellent way to make it happen. Having a thorough and deliberate upskilling program in your workplace that empowers your employees and elevates their professional worth is crucial in any growing organization.

An ideal upskilling program should be in-depth, objective, and customizable to suit different employees. It should cut across the skill spectrum, focusing on everyday office skills such as communication skills and more niche skills like data interpretation.

Below are 6 steps to create a successful upskilling program for your team.

1. Assess Skill Gaps and Priority Areas

Identifying specific skills your company needs now and in the future should be your first course of action. First, conduct a detailed skill gap analysis to angle your upskilling program toward satisfying those individual skill requirements. To complete a skill assessment effectively, you should assess both your current and future needs.

To identify your employees’ current skill gaps, do the following:

  • Review your key performance indicators (KPIs): KPIs help you track your company’s progress and performance in priority areas. Assessing individual KPIs is an indicator of how well employees are performing in their assigned roles, helping you identify skills that might be lacking.
  • Organize skill-mapping workshops: You can hold these workshops in-house (and have your department managers lead them) or partner with learning institutions, talent recruiters, and other relevant associates.
  • Leverage 360-degree reviews: Collect feedback on employee performance from managers, peers, clients, and responsive vendors. Typically, you create employee surveys and request these stakeholders to participate.

To identify the future skills your workforce will need, follow these techniques:

  • Analyze workforce data: Pull industry-specific data from professional recruitment networks and analyze the new skills they’re searching for. Job boards are a good source of unique workforce data because they draw from multiple employers worldwide.
  • Observe industry trends: By observing and predicting disruptive trends in your industry, you can foretell what new skills will be required to run operations in the future.
  • Source insights from industry leaders: Consult your industry’s opinion leaders about future trends and insights.

Conducting a skill gap analysis enables your upskilling program to better cater to your current and future skill needs. A skills gap analysis also helps you pinpoint which areas to channel more training resources into.

2. Create Employee Personal Development Plans

As a manager or business owner, you should know your employees’ short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. Find out what skills each employee is most interested in learning and how they envision their career progression within your company.

The best way of gathering this information is by creating employee development plans. As the manager, one of your biggest roles is ensuring your employees’ professional goals align with your company’s goals.

Employee development plans give you insight into an employee’s career expectations. This way, you can allocate the right training resources to the right employees. Also, you can give your employees better feedback and empower them to set professional goals with a higher chance of success within your company.

3. Set Aside Time for Learning

You should approach your upskilling program with a collaborative win-win mindset. With this approach, you should allot sufficient learning time to your employees within work hours.
Creating dedicated learning time allows your employees to fully immerse themselves in upskilling and advance their skills without sacrificing too much of their personal time.

Besides allocating time for upskilling, leverage mobile learning techniques to make upskilling easier and more engaging for your employees. Your business will directly benefit from upskilling once an employee masters a gainful skill and puts it into practice.

Also Read: A Complete Overview of Talent Management in a Changing Global Workplace

4. Connect Employees to a Mentor

Ultimately, learned skills can only be perfected through real-life experiences. Including workplace coaching and mentoring in your upskilling program ensures employees apply their newfound skills successfully.

All too often, learning new skills and applying them to real-world situations comes with a steep learning curve, and employees might make mistakes. In this case, more experienced employees can offer guidance and help newly-trained employees avoid costly mistakes.

Mentored employees have more opportunities to polish their skills, grow their networks, and bring more value to the company. Better yet, you can supplement your in-house mentoring program by leveraging mentoring platforms such as ADPList and Mentoring Complete.

5. Create a Post-Training Plan

When one team member attends an upskilling program your company has sponsored, the skills acquired should benefit the entire team. As a result, it’s a good idea to set up a post-training engagement where the trained employee shares their newfound knowledge with the rest of the group.

A post-training program ensures you get a good long-term return on investment because it establishes a clear path of knowledge transfer within your company. This way, even if the trained employee gets better job offers and leaves your company, you’ll still benefit from the upskilling investment.

Additionally, a post-training program helps newly-trained employee better comprehend their acquired skills. For instance, if the employee attends a coding boot camp, sharing what they’ve learned with other team members will allow them to practice their coding skills, making them much better coders.

To make knowledge transfer more effective, let the employees attending training know that they’ll be teaching their peers after the training is complete. Encourage them to take notes too. It makes them extra focused and stimulates them to approach the training program with a learner’s and mentor’s mindset.

6. Match Your Employees to Real-Life Opportunities

You might lose your investment in your employees if you don’t support their career advancement. An employee who’s learned new skills but doesn’t have use for them in their current job could be easily poached by your competitors. That’s why you should ensure that upskilled employees receive assignments that allow them to practice and develop their new skills.

For instance, if an IT staffer completed Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software training, you can have your CRM manager assign them roles befitting their new skills. The employee could collaborate with your customer service team to help them navigate the technical aspects of CRM tools, like pooling and analyzing customer data while retaining their duties in IT.

Also Read: Why Your Business Needs This Talent Management Framework

Make Your Upskilling Program Mutually Beneficial

You and your employees are after the same thing — progress. You want to grow your business while your employees want career progression.

Because an upskilling program directly benefits you and your workforce, it pays to put extra effort into getting it right. Thankfully, these six tips will help you make the right investment.

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Here Are 6 Simple Tools To Measure Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is a common topic of discussion for all organizations globally. In the post-pandemic era where employees are still working remotely or working from home, the topic of employee engagement has gained center stage. Employees who are engaged tend to work harder and stay with the same company for a long time. Research by Gallup highlights that companies with highly engaged employees make 21% higher profits and 17% more productive when compared to others.

Employee engagement is not simply the happiness level or the quantity of work done by an employee; there is more to that. It is a workplace concept that relates to the level of commitment, connection, and motivation that employees have in their job roles, work, and the organization.

However, employees do not have the same level of engagement throughout; it fluctuates from time to time. To ensure that employee engagement is nurtured and measured, here are some tools:

  1. Reward and Recognition
  2. Employee Surveys
  3. One-on-Ones
  4. Exit and Stay Interviews
  5. Focus Group
  6. Measure Productivity Metrics and Retention Rate

Employee Reward And Recognition Programs

According to a recent study, 69% of employees would work harder if they felt their efforts were better appreciated.

Employee recognition and rewards activities are a good way to identify engaged employees. It is already known that recognition and rewards have a direct impact on employee engagement. The reverse also stands true, identifying the number of employees receiving rewards and recognition helps managers and HRs to identify employee engagement in their organization.

Also Read: Employee Rewards And Recognition For An Engaged Workforce

Frequent Employee Surveys

If you want quick and effective methods to measure employee engagement, then your go-to option should be to conduct surveys. It not only helps in measuring engagement, but it also helps in employee motivation, and getting ideas from employees. This two-way communication is very important in having an engaged workforce. HRs and managers should frequently send simple, small, and actionable surveys to the employees of the organization asking them about work. It will help HRs, managers, and the organization to know how engaged their employees are and also help them understand the temperament of the organization. Be sure to focus your survey questionnaire on three basic metrics: Satisfaction, Alignment, and Future orientation.

Engagedly’s built-in survey feature helps you create and assign surveys without a hitch.

free e10 Survey

Have Frequent One-On-Ones

From time to time, HR and managers should have one-to-one meetings with their employees. As one-to-one meetings are in person with the manager or the HR, the employee feels free to share information and express themselves. This should be done regularly, probably weekly once or every fortnight is advisable.

Also Read: Download the ultimate guide to employee engagement survey and templates

Conduct Exit And Stay Interviews

Employees leave the organization at different points in time, but as a manager or an HR, you need to know the actual cause behind it. Often employees cite that they didn’t feel engaged or excited with the work they do, as the reason behind leaving the organization. Conducting exit interviews and stay interviews helps the managers and the HRs to know which areas they should work on to improve employee engagement.

Exit interviews help in understanding what you could have done differently to improve engagement, whereas stay interviews let you know what you are already excelling at and what not.

Some common questions for both exit and stay interviews are:

  • What do you like most about your job?
  • What makes for a great day of work to you?
  • What do you look forward to everyday at your work?
  • What’s your relationship with your manager like?
  • What do you dislike most about your job?
  • If you could, what’s one thing you would change with your role?
  • What makes you want to stay with this organization?
  • What makes you want to leave this organization?

This helps prevent another employee from leaving the organization for the same reason.

Also Read: 7 Successful Strategies To Conduct A Stay Interview

Make Small Focus Groups

When organizations are very large it might be difficult for you to conduct a one-to-one meeting with your employees. In this case, focus groups could be formed. Often members of the same team or different teams can be grouped for this. As a manager, you should be prepared with a set of 5 to 8 questions, based on asking the employees whether they feel that their work is important or whether they have all the tools to do their work. This will help organizations to know what they can do to improve employee engagement and productivity.

Measure Productivity Metrics And Retention Rate

Retention rate and productivity metrics of employees will help determine how engaged the employees are in the organization. Employee engagement will have a direct effect on the retention rate and productivity metrics.

Thus it cannot be stressed enough how important employee engagement is and why it should be measured from time to time to keep your employees motivated and retain them in your organization. So if you have not been doing so, now is the time you should incorporate employee engagement measurement strategies and tools.

Employee Engagement

How to Create a Positive Organizational Culture for Your Employees?

Years of research conducted by renowned psychologists and organizational leaders reveal that a positive workplace culture is one of the most important driving factors of business success. It leads to higher productivity, better employee engagement, and higher returns. Therefore, it is imperative to create a culture that supports employees’ growth and values them for their efforts.

Continue reading “How to Create a Positive Organizational Culture for Your Employees?”

360 Degree Feedback: Definition | Benefits | Process

What is 360-Degree Feedback?

360-degree feedback is a performance evaluation method that gathers feedback from various sources surrounding an individual, providing a comprehensive view of their abilities and performance. It typically involves input from peers, subordinates, supervisors, and sometimes even external stakeholders.

This holistic approach aims to offer a well-rounded perspective on an individual’s strengths, weaknesses, and overall contributions within an organization. The feedback gathered from multiple angles helps in fostering personal and professional development, enhancing self-awareness, and promoting a more comprehensive understanding of one’s impact on the work environment.

Also Read: Importance of 360-Degree Feedback for Hybrid and Remote Employees

360-Degree Feedback System Process

Before you start, there are many things to think about when creating a 360-degree feedback process. The key steps to get you started on your planning, from defining the purpose to piloting the process, are listed below.

360 degree feedback system process

1. Clearly state your goal and plan

Nowadays, the use of 360-degree feedback is so widespread that it may feel as though your business is missing out if it isn’t already using one. However, you won’t know if your investment was worthwhile if you don’t make a strategic choice about what you hope to achieve with 360-degree feedback.

Therefore, before you get started, think about how a 360 feedback initiative ties into both your business and talent strategies.

Be sure to respond to these inquiries:

  • Do you need this? What business problem are you trying to resolve, and how can a 360-degree assessment help?
  • Why at this time? Why is this a top priority?
  • It is for whom? Who will get 360-degree feedback? Why is including this specific group essential to providing the best solution to your business problem?
  • What results do you hope your organizational 360-degree feedback initiative will produce?

2. Organize yourself

A 360-degree feedback implementation can be difficult. Despite improvements in data collection and reporting technology, many people still need to follow the rules for this to function properly.

When organizing the launch of a 360-degree feedback initiative, pay close attention to the ‘when’ and the ‘who’.

When: Create a calendar that details the deadlines, milestones, and ways that participants can keep track of their rater return rates as the process progresses.
Who: Think about who will perform the necessary duties, such as serving as your point of contact with the 360 vendors, your internal process administrator, and your participant point of contact.

3. Develop trust

People feel more comfortable giving frank and genuine 360-degree feedback in an environment that is psychologically safe and characterized by trust and openness.

It’s crucial to establish clarity right away. The confidentiality of the data and the anonymity of the rater responses need to be addressed. An organization does not own the results of an individual’s assessment, but it can view a group profile.

4. Obtain help

Keep in mind that a solid communication strategy is necessary for the implementation of the organizational 360 processes as you prepare to launch it. Ensure that administrative roles and procedures are clear in order to have a positive, long-lasting impact. Make a timetable that is reasonable and communicate it.

It is ineffective to simply send terse emails to every employee announcing the launch of a new program. Engage employees by announcing your organization’s new 360-degree feedback initiative in a compelling and distinctive way that goes beyond merely informing them about it.

5. Make a link to the growth

Assessment entails obtaining, analyzing, and discussing a 360-degree feedback report. However, development follows, and for organizations, development is the most important factor.
For the organization and the individual to maximize the effectiveness of implementing a 360 initiative, a process for developing a development plan, as well as support and follow-through, are required.

Also Read: 10 Employee Feedback Tools In 2023| Features| Pricing| Usage

Develop a productive organizational 360-degree process by:

  • Outline the objectives for the 360-degree feedback initiative
  • Discuss corporate and individual readiness
  • Create the procedure
  • Choose or create the tool
  • Identify and prepare participants
  • Organize the company
  • Conduct the evaluation
  • Analyze the findings and broaden your knowledge

The Benefits of 360-Degree Feedback System

A lot of people successfully use this feedback process. Here are some of the main benefits that businesses all over the world have experienced as a result of this strategy:.

benefits of 360-degree feedback

1. Improves Self-Awareness

This strategy aids in raising people’s awareness. When others offer feedback, a person receives a complete picture of themselves that is unbiased.

2. Offers a Complete Perspective of Strengths and Weaknesses

A 360-degree review is a fantastic tool for identifying a leader’s assets and liabilities. Employees typically receive feedback only from their supervisor, which results in a limited viewpoint.

The safe disclosure of those ’blind spots’ is one of the main purposes of 360-degree feedback. When they become weaknesses, these blind spots can hurt both the company and the leader.

Finding previously unidentified strengths can be very advantageous for the leader and the business. The key issue is that they need to be constructively brought to light because the leader is unaware of them.

Most growth happens when a person’s strength is revealed, and then efforts are made to strengthen it. Concurrent work on improvement areas can keep them from becoming a barrier.

3. Elevates Morale and Increases Confidence

Your leaders’ confidence can be raised significantly through this process. Positive criticism frequently helps leaders feel more confident about their abilities.

Even the company’s leaders might start to feel better. In the workplace, this raises morale. The important thing in this condition is that the criticism is given constructively.

4. Promotes an Open Culture

The procedure will be more transparent if leaders receive the necessary training before beginning. Individuals, teams, and environments that are more open can be more effective.

5. Gives Employees and Leaders More Power

It’s critical that managers and staff members feel heard. People quickly feel less empowered and disengage when they believe they have no voice in a situation.

Employees eventually start to believe that they don’t matter to the organization as a result of this. They will become disengaged and eventually leave if they are not given a voice and empowerment. Making sure that your employees are heard improves their motivation and sense of empowerment.

6. Lowers Employee and Leader Turnover

Open and constructive communication makes hidden problems more visible. Additionally, it gives your leaders and employees more voice and a sense of empowerment.

Plans for long-term development can focus on the issues that need to be solved. Because they feel valued and validated, your leaders and employees stay with the company.

7. Improves Accountability

The increased accountability provided by 360-degree feedback is one notable advantage. Through this procedure, leaders can effectively and constructively hold others accountable.

8. Serves as a Springboard for Efficient, Professional Growth

Individual leaders should begin with 360-degree evaluation feedback. Problems frequently fester and escalate in the absence of such a program. These systems, on the other hand, help identify areas for improvement.

9. Encourages Constant Improvement

The fundamental concept of continuous improvement is that it is an ongoing process. Despite the fact that both can contribute to growth, it prioritizes gradual change over revolutionary change.

This training is ideal for continuous improvement because it identifies areas for improvement. It does, however, provide a method for addressing them gradually.

10. It’s a Way to Alter the Culture of Your Business

Every individual must evolve, or they will become static. The same is true for businesses. They must adapt, or they will stay the same and be stuck in the past.
Corporate change is challenging to implement because it requires everyone to shift their paradigms.

This kind of transformation needs to occur internally. Before you notice a significant change in the organization, you must help your employees grow. 360-degree feedback is built on the idea that personal change leads to professional change.

Also Read: Want to Know Why Your 360-Degree Feedback Failed?

What can you use 360-Degree Feedback System for?

1. Using 360-degree feedback as a development tool to help staff members identify their ‘strengths’ and ‘weaknesses’, and improve

When used correctly, 360 is a powerful tool for development. People have the chance to give anonymous feedback to a coworker that they might otherwise feel uncomfortable doing so through the feedback process. Recipients of feedback learn how others see them and have the chance to change their behavior and get the skills that will aid them in excelling at their jobs.

2. Using 360-degree feedback as a tool for performance evaluation to assess employee performance

Although it’s a common practice, using a 360-degree feedback system for performance appraisals isn’t always a good idea. When using 360 evaluations to assess performance, it can be challenging to design a 360 feedback process that fosters a culture of trust. Furthermore, rather than emphasizing fundamental abilities, functional requirements, and performance goals, 360-degree feedback emphasizes behaviors and competencies. The employee and manager should discuss these issues as part of the annual review and performance appraisal process. Unambiguous communication about how 360 feedback will be used is necessary for the integration of 360 feedback into a larger performance management process to be successful.

360-degree Feedback


 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What are the pros of 360-degree feedback System at work?

Ans. Some of the advantages of using 360-degree feedback at work include:

  • Enhances organizational culture by providing an opportunity for discernment
  • Encourages improved communication
  • Increases employee retention

Q2. What is the effectiveness of the 360-degree feedback appraisal review system?

Ans. If used correctly, a 360-degree feedback appraisal review system can be very effective. People who fill out these forms must understand what type of information they require in order to provide it accurately.

Over time, it has been demonstrated that this type of evaluation process has a significant impact on employee engagement and performance. Employees are more likely to stay engaged with their jobs when they believe their work matters and that they are valued members of the team, which leads to higher levels of productivity and profitability for the company!

Q3. How do you implement a 360-degree feedback System?

Ans. Here are some suggestions for conducting 360-degree feedback:

  • Keep it private so that your employees are more likely, to tell the truth
  • Ascertain the managers are involved and committed to acting on the findings
  • Provide clear instructions to ensure that comments remain constructive
  • Remember to follow up once the results are in
  • Make a plan for following up on the follow-up to avoid this becoming a one-time event

7 Essential Features of a 360 Degree Feedback Tool

Is your organization considering the implementation of a 360-degree feedback process? This transformative approach offers a shift from traditional one-on-one feedback, providing a holistic view of employee performance. However, selecting the right tool is paramount to ensure the process’s success.

Continue reading “7 Essential Features of a 360 Degree Feedback Tool”

Guide to Employee Engagement and Retention in Financial Services Industry

Employee engagement is a workplace strategy to strengthen a worker’s commitment and emotional ties to the organization. It includes many initiatives regarding employees’ job roles, placement within the company, interpersonal relationships with fellow employees, and company culture. One of the most important roles of Human Resource professionals is to use employee engagement methods to boost well-being and productivity across all company levels.

Employee engagement programs aim to foster a culture wherein employees are motivated to put their best foot forward daily. The program also aims to inspire employees to contribute to the company’s overall performance by ensuring they are dedicated to its purpose, goals, and values. A highly engaged workforce is directly proportional to lower turnover, higher employee morale, and stronger business outcomes.

Employee Engagement in Finance Industry

The financial service industry forms an important part of a country’s economy and is always evolving and growing. Banks, in particular, have witnessed explosive growth and expansion over the last decade. Rising incomes have further propelled the need for financial services resulting in a great boom in advanced technology and prompt communication systems.

What fuels the finance service industry’s growth is a team of committed employees enhancing the customer experience and making the brand credible. However, the banking industry faces significant challenges in managing its talent. A survey by Gallup concludes that only 23% of employees feel engaged at work. Although the percentage has increased remarkably, not even 1 in every 4 workers is engaged, so there is definite room for improvement.

The banking sector has traditionally struggled with employee engagement. The outcome is a high staff turnover rate and absenteeism in the sector. The banking sector has been facing the highest turnover rates, at 18.6%, according to a Compdata survey.

Also read: How to Recognize the Warning Signs of Employee Disengagement

Importance of Employee Engagement in the Finance Industry

Importance of Employee Engagement in the Finance Industry

Developing and sustaining employee engagement is pivotal to every industry, especially as “the great resignation” has triggered a high competition for talent in organizations across the globe. Implementing employee engagement initiatives in the finance sector can enable employees to influence decisions, perform at their best, and drive business outcomes.

Engaging with their job, company, and colleagues makes employees feel more energized and efficient, and they go beyond what’s expected. Naturally, this nurtures their mental health at work and can positively influence colleagues and customers around them.

At the company level, employee engagement increases overall profitability. According to a Gallup analysis, highly engaged organizations observe 20% higher sales than disengaged ones.

Here are a few more benefits of an effective employee engagement program at the workplace:

  • Engaged employees are likelier to stick with their employer. They feel emotionally connected to the company and commit themselves to the development and success of the company’s bottom line.
  • Engaged employees are emotionally and professionally competent to accept new and challenging tasks.
  • Engaged workers feel responsible and do not hesitate to discuss company-wide issues with their peers and management.
  • An effective employee engagement program transforms the workplace into a vibrant and exciting workplace. 
  • Prioritizing employee engagement helps staff create and deliver enhanced customer experiences that improve the company’s competitive position and increase brand equity.
  • Engaged employees are productive brand ambassadors, allowing banks to attract more talent in today’s competitive labor market.
  • A report on employee retention trends in financial services by PWC states that 53% of finance professionals consider changing jobs within a year of joining. A strong employee engagement program can aid employee retention strategies with the financial service industry facing a great reshuffle.

Key Employee Retention Strategies for Employee engagement in finance industry

key retention strategy

With high turnover and high levels of absenteeism dominating the finance industry, an effective employee engagement strategy can strengthen the relationship between the employer and the employee. Here are the top 4 drivers of employee engagement to keep in mind for optimal results:

Leverage Employee’s Strengths

Employees want a job they find interesting and enjoy. Making the job role challenging can help interest employees. Job roles should be devised to leverage an employee’s strengths. Additionally, a well-drafted job description can help employees understand their organizational roles and responsibilities well. This, in turn, eliminates any ambiguity regarding the workflow.

How to achieve this:

  • The job description and necessary professional qualifications should be explicit throughout the application and interview.
  • Obtain regular feedback from the employee to understand their perceptions.
  • Provide opportunities for employees to put their strengths to use. Have an open communication about career advancement and progression opportunities.
  • Invest in training and development programs. One of the most important components of employee engagement is the opportunity for personal and professional development. In one study, 92% of the employees feel that access to learning and development opportunities would increase their job engagement. Data demonstrates that a more engaged staff provides superior customer service.

Run a Reward and Recognition Program

An effective staff reward and recognition program is a fantastic approach to giving constructive criticism and encouraging both small-scale and large-scale progress. A study found a significant link between appreciating employees’ efforts and happy workers. 83% of workers employed by a firm with a recognition program expressed satisfaction with their positions. A valuable tool for attracting and keeping the top personnel, a reward and recognition program promotes a respectful work atmosphere.

There is a very subtle difference between employee recognition and reward. Acknowledging your team’s efforts and accomplishments is known as employee recognition. However, rewards (monetary or non-monetary) may be utilized as a motivator to increase performance.

What components to choose when recognizing and rewarding employees:

  • Private and public recognition
  • A raise or promotion
  • A company-wide awards function
  • Monetary rewards or coupons
  • A company or team-wide email appreciating the individual
  • Extra time-offs
  • Paid vacation days for the employee’s family
  • Recognizing both team and individual efforts
Also read: 10 Ways to make your Employee Recognition Program a Success

Listen to Your Employees

Active listening

One way to make employees feel valued is to hear their concerns, opinions, and grievances. Leaders should welcome employees’ input. Active listening helps organizations cultivate a culture where employees do not fear voicing their opinions and are open to receiving and giving feedback.

How to facilitate active listening:

  • Implement an open-door policy and take continuous feedback from employees.
  • Surveys and feedback systems are great tools for facilitating active listening. These forms can communicate collective concerns, issues, and feedback accurately and anonymously. It allows employers to be more informed about their team’s sentiments.
  • Avoid taking feedback personally.
  • Draft a plan or strategy to act on the feedback received.
  • Follow up and inform your employees about your plan of action.
  • Encourage employee feedback and communicate your appreciation.

Ensure Transparent Communication

A study reveals that organizations that readily share information with employees and encourage them to participate in company processes manage to develop a favorable reputation among employees and beyond. Transparent communication is one of the prime factors contributing to employee happiness.

Transparent communication also helps employees better cope with change. A study found that building trust based on transparent communication allows employees to better accept and cope with organizational changes. For instance, a change in the company’s management due to mergers and acquisitions might substantially affect an employee’s daily work life. Providing employees with real-time updates can help them prepare for changes to occur in the future.

How to promote transparent communication in the workplace:

  • Maintain a balance between expressing empathy and respecting privacy.
  • Use different channels of communication depending on their effectiveness and applicability.
  • Be clear about your values.
  • Avoid jargon; use words everyone can understand.
  • Share real-time updates.
  • Explain why certain information cannot be shared.
Also read: Why Does Workplace Communication Matter?

While the financial service sector has been navigating high turnover rates, prioritizing and improving employee engagement can help. Implement an employee retention strategy guide that supports employees and creates a top-performing workforce. 

Wrapping Up

When done with good intent, employee engagement can cultivate a positive work culture, resulting in more devoted employees and growth for the organization. Since absenteeism and turnover are major concerns in the industry, an effective employee engagement strategy is what the finance industry needs right now.

A robust employee engagement platform can help streamline your initiatives to build trust, facilitate communication, and introduce recognition programs. Engagedly is a multi-faceted platform that aims at improving the employee experience. Our cloud-based performance management software focuses on increasing employee engagement and helps HR professionals manage employee productivity and progress efficiently. Visit our website today!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How can a business identify actively engaged employees?

Ans. Actively engaged employees are invested in their job roles and the company. They take initiative, possess good leadership and interpersonal skills, and have a positive outlook on the company’s future and strong work ethics.

Q2. What are some of the HR metrics to measure employee engagement?

Ans. The following HR metrics can be used to measure employee engagement:

Q3. What is the relation between employee engagement and KPIs?

Ans. KPIs or key performance indicators help increase employee engagement by providing accurate and insightful data to measure employee engagement levels. Additionally, it helps identify the causes of high turnover and absenteeism rates.

 


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5 Employee Engagement Statistics You Should Be Aware of in 2024

An organization becomes successful as a result of a productive workforce. If your employees do not enjoy their jobs, they will not be able to give their 100%, ultimately making your business suffer. 

An engaged employee always does everything possible to make their workplace better. They are committed to their job and understand that organizational success will ultimately lead to their success. 

All in all, employee engagement is a dynamic assurance that the employee gives to the organization. 

What makes employee engagement a crucial part of an organization’s success?

Engaged employees always go the extra mile in delivering for the success of an organization. Here are some reasons that make employee engagement the number one priority for businesses.

Employee engagement results in productivity enhancement in the organization

Employees who are engaged with their work will try to outclass their peers. It has been found that higher employee engagement results in higher productivity.

Employee engagement enhances the self-esteem of the workforce

When an employee is engaged with an organization, they take fewer leaves. According to a Gallup study, highly engaged workforces saw 41% less absenteeism. 

Employee engagement results in better customer service

Importance of Employee Engagement

Remember that low employee engagement is one of the organization’s gravest problems. In fact, it has been estimated that businesses spend $4,700 on average to hire new talent and approximately $986 to onboard the new hire. 

If you lose out on an employee, you end up losing $6,000! And the cost of an experienced employee leaving cannot be estimated!

It has got to be said that engaged employees are a blessing to an organization. They are far more efficient and productive. 

But, today, we are seeing several engaged employees in an organization; hence, it becomes imperative to understand the statistics behind employee engagement so that you can develop a proper employee engagement plan.

In the next section, we have provided some vital employee engagement statistics you should be aware of. 

Also Read: Boost Your Employee Experience for a Better Customer Experience

Five employee engagement statistics you should be aware of in 2023

85% of employees are not engaged in the workspace

Employee Disengagement

According to a State of the Global Workspace survey by Gallop, 15% of employees are engaged in the organization. This means that most of the workforce globally is either considering their work negatively or just doing enough to make it through the day with little to zero emotional connection.

The study further suggests a stark contrast when comparing the USA to other countries across the globe. 33% of US employees are engaged in their work, approximately two times the global average. 

Whereas, in Western Europe, 10% of employees are motivated and engaged in work. The situation is even more bleak in the UK, where the number of engaged employees is only 8%! This number has steadily declined with every passing year.

Also Read: Best Employee Engagement Strategies for Better Workplace

The global percentage of employees considering leaving their jobs is 73%

As per a study conducted in 2021, 73% of employees would contemplate upon leaving their current job if they get a better opportunity. 

And it is not all about money. In fact, 74% of younger employees will take a pay cut to work in their dream organization. 

At the same time, 23% of those looking for a better opportunity will not consider a pay rise to get a new position.  

Hence, organizations must build healthy relationships with their employees. Also, there needs to be a proper work-life balance so that employees can enjoy their personal life after work. 

It has also been observed that employees who see their peers doing well will look for better opportunities because of the domino effect.

Also Read: 10 Best Employee Retention Strategies to Keep Your Best Talents

Lower employee engagement costs organizations $450-500 Billion every year

As per a study conducted in the USA on workplace engagement, employees who are not engaged with their workplace cost organizations approximately $450-500 Billion yearly! Employees who are not engaged do not take complete responsibility for their work. 

They are also not self-motivated, adversely affecting the organization’s overall productivity.

According to the study, companies need to concentrate on using different tools to monitor and maintain personal engagement among employees. 

Ensuring that the employees sink in well with the organization’s goal is equally important, which can result in recognition and encourage teamwork. 

69% of employees suggest that they would be inclined to work more if they were appreciated a little more

Employee recognition is one of the most vital components to ensure your work staff gives 100% to their job. It also enhances overall job satisfaction and helps HR retain top talent

According to research when employees are appreciated frequently at work, they are more inclined to stay in the organization longer. 

And when we are discussing appreciation, it goes beyond notable achievements. It can be as simple as thanking employees for their good behavior, identifying ways they have improved so far, etc. 

Expressing gratitude is one of the biggest factors that can make an employee stay in an organization longer. Regular check-ins where managers praise their employees can boost their morale and encourage them to work even harder.

Also Read: Engagedly + Meta Workplace: Elevate Rewards and Recognition to New Heights

A strong organizational culture enhances revenue by four times

Strong Organizational Culture-EmployeeEngagementStatistics

According to a study conducted for more than eleven years, it was found that organizations with great corporate cultures grew 682% in revenue, while those that did not have great corporate cultures grew by only 166% in revenue. 

A strong corporate culture cultivates the feeling of belongingness amongst employees, customers, and owners. It also challenges the employees to do their best. 

Employees having a strong sense of belongingness are more proactive in solving problems, expressing their opinions, and finding opportunities for collaboration. Thus, a positive work culture is a must for any organization.

Final Words

Employee engagement is key to the success of an organization. From the statistics we mentioned in this blog, you now know that building an emotional connection with employees is vital. 

Hence, it is recommended that every organization globally cares for its employees and gives them the right work environment to flourish. Ultimately, it is your workforce that will take your business ahead. So, take care of this small fact and embark on the journey to grow with your employees!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why employee engagement is important in 2023?

Ans. Employee engagement is important in 2023 because it directly impacts a company’s profitability. Engaged employees are more productive, innovative, and committed, leading to improved business outcomes and a competitive advantage in the market.

Q2. How to increase employee engagement in 2023?

Ans. In 2023, increasing employee engagement can be achieved through purpose-driven leadership. This involves creating a clear and inspiring vision for the organization and effectively communicating it to employees. Leaders need to emphasize the meaningful impact of employees’ work, align their goals with the company’s purpose, and foster a supportive and inclusive work environment. By connecting employees’ roles to a larger purpose and providing them with autonomy, development opportunities, and recognition, organizations can cultivate higher levels of engagement and motivation among their workforce.


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How To Interpret Your Employee Engagement Survey Results

Your employee engagement survey results have just arrived but now what? Gone are the days when you could conduct a poll just to tick a to-do box and ignore the results or skim over the negative parts.

Whether positive or negative, employee engagement surveys offer a treasure trove of information that HR departments and management can use to better engage and motivate employees at all levels. To do so, you need to first correctly interpret the survey findings, of course.

The employee survey data gives you an identifying of the main areas to focus on, which is the first step in creating a successful employee engagement action plan. No company can be expected to respond with every bit of feedback. Instead, People Insight suggests utilizing the findings of your employee survey to highlight a few areas to improve – the things that are most important to your staff.

In this article, we will discuss exactly how to do this, and the various assumptions and biases one must be aware of when analyzing employee engagement survey results. 

Why Analyze Employee Engagement Survey Results?

Employee surveys are a direct approach to learning what your employees think of your company, the issues they experience, and the changes your company can make. The effectiveness of these enhancements is determined by your ability to read and analyze employee survey findings.

Unfortunately, the majority of organizational initiatives are ineffective. In reality, according to the data, just 25% of employees believe that their company takes highly efficient responses to the feedback they offer.

Taking the wrong action or disregarding (even unintentionally) employee input can have serious ramifications for your company. When their firm does not act on their input, for example, approximately 1 in 5 staff becomes disengaged. Employee disengagement may have a detrimental influence on your workplace culture as well as productivity and profitability. Do not fall victim to this. Make data-driven modifications based on the input you get and share the outcomes with your staff. You maintain open channels of contact with your staff by looping back thereafter.

Also Read: How To Create A Good Employee Engagement Survey?

Types of Employee Engagement Survey Results

Staff opinions concerning issues impacting your organization such as bad attitudes, employee attrition, and lower productivity, are captured in several employee engagement surveys. Here are a few types of employee engagement survey results:

  Employee Satisfaction Survey

Employee Satisfaction Surveys are useful for determining overall happiness as well as staff satisfaction following a specific change like a layoff, merger, or business relocation.

employee engagement surveyBusiness Improvement Survey

Business Improvement Surveys might reveal difficulties you didn’t realize you had, such as managerial or training concerns. Such surveys can also raise staff morale by demonstrating that you respect their input.

360 Degree Feedback Survey

360 Degree Feedback statistics tell you and the employees how others see him and how he perceives himself, as well as offer ideas for growth. The survey also shows the employee that you value his previous work and acknowledge his talents and achievements.

Exit Interview Survey

employee exit survey

This sort of survey helps in figuring out why workers depart and how to minimize future attrition by making operational changes. This survey can also assist you in reversing a valuable employee’s choice to quit by revealing that the staff is inclined to remain provided you make certain modifications to his work demands, training, promotion possibilities, salary, or general working circumstances.

Also Read: All You Need to Know About Employee Engagement Surveys

Key Metrics and Indicators in Employee Engagement Survey Results

In employee engagement survey results, several key metrics and indicators provide insights into the overall health and satisfaction of the workforce. Some of the essential metrics include:

  1. Overall Employee Engagement Score: A composite score that reflects the overall level of engagement across the organization. It is often calculated based on responses to key survey questions.
  2. Job Satisfaction: Measures employees’ contentment with their roles, responsibilities, and the work environment. It can be an indicator of overall morale and happiness at work.
  3. Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS): Assesses employees’ likelihood to recommend their organization as a good place to work. It provides an indication of employee loyalty and advocacy.
  4. Communication Effectiveness: Evaluates how well information is communicated within the organization. It assesses the clarity, transparency, and accessibility of communication channels.
  5. Leadership Effectiveness: Measures employees’ perceptions of leadership, including trust in leadership, communication from leaders, and confidence in leadership decisions.
  6. Recognition and Rewards: Assesses whether employees feel adequately recognized for their contributions and if the rewards system is perceived as fair and motivating.
  7. Career Development Opportunities: Indicates employees’ satisfaction with opportunities for professional growth, skill development, and career advancement within the organization.
  8. Work-Life Balance: Measures how well employees feel their work and personal lives are balanced. It reflects the organization’s commitment to employee well-being.
  9. Team Collaboration: Assesses the effectiveness of teamwork and collaboration within the organization. It provides insights into team dynamics and cooperation.
  10. Employee Feedback and Performance Reviews: Gauges employees’ satisfaction with the feedback and performance evaluation processes, including the frequency and quality of feedback received.
  11. Employee Inclusion and Diversity: Assesses perceptions of inclusivity and diversity within the workplace, reflecting the organization’s commitment to creating an inclusive environment.
  12. Intent to Stay/Retention: Measures employees’ likelihood to stay with the organization. It can be an early indicator of potential turnover issues.

Analyzing these key metrics in employee engagement survey results helps organizations identify areas of strength and areas that require improvement, guiding strategic initiatives to enhance overall employee satisfaction and engagement.

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How to Analyse Employee Engagement Survey Results? 

It’s critical you act quickly when your staff survey has ended. This demonstrates that people’s voices have been heard and valued. Employee engagement survey results must be shared and implemented across the firm and among team members for maximum impact.

1. Quantify the information

Results that are quantified (numeric scores) are a clear and meaningful approach to conveying them. Everyone can recall numbers. This also facilitates data comparison. 

For example, displaying the percentages of various respondents’ responses to a survey item might help us better grasp the general trend.

2. Dissecting the data

Everyone’s employment experience is different. By fragmenting your data by staff groups and demographics, you may gain a better understanding of the issues that various workgroups face. This will help to compare the performance of different teams and take some action where it is really needed.

3. Look for trends and patterns

Look for patterns in your survey data. What is significant to one individual may be meaningless to another. It’s striking when 80 percent of respondents indicate they’re unhappy with the overtime pay-off policy. Maybe not so much when a few employees want an additional short break during the day.

  • Are the replies uniform throughout the company? 
  • Are there any distinctions between FTEs and hourly employees? 
  • What about experienced employees versus new hires? 

These questions will assist you in identifying changes that will have the greatest impact.

4. Pay attention to qualitative replies as well

Don’t only focus on the figures. Make sure you pay equal attention to both quantitative and qualitative comments. These reactions are significant because they go deeper than quantitative (numerical) data. It’s what makes the narrative come alive.

Numeric responses without context can be inaccurate since they don’t account for other aspects. Motivations, cognitive processes, and attitudes may all be captured using a qualitative technique.

5. Trust your intuition

Don’t overlook your first-hand experience and instincts when conducting data analysis. You are also an important element of your company.

Consider whether the data makes sense in light of the company’s culture and conditions. While objective analysis is important, don’t disregard your instincts.

Look into any differences between your personal observation and the results. To learn more about the statistics, think about sending an open-ended follow-up survey or hosting a small focus group. This will assist you in grasping the larger picture.

6. Compare and contrast your survey findings

Benchmarking your performance can help you gain a better understanding of how your company is performing and discover opportunities for improvement.

There are three sorts of benchmarks to utilize when reviewing survey data: national, industrial, and internal benchmarks.

7. Set priorities for the changes you wish to make

It’s time to prioritize your results after you’ve reviewed your survey data. To begin, go over each item in the questionnaire and assign it to one of three categories: 

  • “Strong,” 
  • “Neutral,” or 
  • “Needs Work.”

Having a solid mix of improvements is also a good idea. Concentrate on both short-term successes (1 to 3 months) and long-term gains. This will demonstrate to your personnel that you are going to act and will enable you to take on greater tasks.

8. Visualize your information

Data visualization aids in capturing the attention of your staff and stakeholders. Our brains comprehend visual information more quickly and are less prone to mistake it. There are various sorts of graphics that may be used to represent survey data, such as pie charts, bar graphs, etc.

It’s time to address back once you’ve ‘digested’ the facts. Taking action is the most critical component of assessing your survey data. Your employees will become accustomed to the procedure and appreciate your candor if you report your survey answers on a regular basis. Even if you’re not happy with the outcomes, communicate them. Consider it a chance to encourage openness and staff participation in the solutions.

What methods of communication are most effective in your workplace? Does everyone use the same platform? If not, use different communication methods to spread the message.

Consider going through the adjustments and improvements you made in answer to the survey. Make a note of whether or not scores are growing over time. This demonstrates the company’s dedication to employee input.

Conclusion

Are you ready to start driving effective employee engagement at your organization? We’ve created a comprehensive white paper on exactly how you can do that. Download now.

Terrific numbers equal great employees. Numbers are entirely objective and will protect us from partiality and nepotism. A good score is crucial, especially for people in the service industry. Top scores can be used to create a survey. The findings of an employee engagement survey are one of several tools available to small company owners to help them improve interactions with their staff and develop their enterprises.

Employee Engagement Survey


Do you want to know how Engagedly can help improve engagement at your organization with these best practices? Book a live demo with us.

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5 Companies Embracing Diversity and Inclusion Through Initiatives

Today’s business landscape has organizations purposely strengthening their commitment to diversity and inclusion, demonstrating solidarity with and support for marginalized employees. Many businesses now understand that fostering an inclusive environment benefits society and positively builds the company’s image.

Modern-day businesses are promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) as HR professionals get more aware of these aspects in hiring. Such an approach impacts a company’s culture and financial performance as they create a disability-inclusive workplace, promote equal pay across genders, and hire people from different backgrounds. A few companies drive DEI by taking impactful initiatives to help businesses grow.

Some stats on how DEI can boost business:

  • Embracing Diversity and InclusionBCG highlights that businesses with solid commitments to DEI may witness up to a 19% increase in revenue. 
  • Gartner’s research suggests that team members in diverse and inclusive environments experience a 12% boost in productivity. 
  • Moreover, Josh Bersin’s research suggests that the innovation level in companies that promote inclusivity can rise 1.7 times.

Here, let us look at some trailblazing companies actively driving diversity and inclusion initiatives. They are focusing on their innovative strategies, inspiring stories, and making a tangible impact with their hiring strategies.

5 companies driving diversity and inclusion

The fast-growing global business environment demands an inclusive workplace. It is no longer a luxury but necessary for companies seeking long-term success. Creating an inclusive culture pushes many organizations to take key steps to offer a friendly environment to workers from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. 

Comcast and NBCUniversal

comcast-vector-logo-smallThese telecommunications and media conglomerates have an internal advisory council comprising senior leaders to maintain diversity and inclusion. It currently has a workforce where 62% are women and people of color, and now they aim to have 50% women and 33% people of color at every level of its workforce.

The organization also boasts a Comcast NBCUniversal Joint Diversity Advisory Council (JDAC) consisting of national leaders from various communities representing different backgrounds. It includes Asian Pacific Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, women, and people with disabilities. The JDAC helps shape the company’s policies and practices to ensure that diversity and inclusion are integral to the business.

On the community work front, they have helped struggling businesses during the pandemic by offering free webinars on reworking their goals and using new technology. It also offered two months of free Internet to low-income households. Also, they collaborated with Goodwill Industries International to help thousands of low-income persons learn digital skills and advance their careers via Goodwill’s network of nonprofits in the United States.

Also Read: The Go To Guide To Perfecting The Employee Engagement Survey

General Motors

General Motors (GM) brew thoughts around the need for a world and their organization to progress toward a fairer future. They comprehend that their brand represents more than just the vehicles they manufacture and market. Therefore, GM is taking initiatives to champion human dignity, fairness, acceptance, and inclusivity.

Recently, they have taken a stand against law enforcement violence, racial prejudice, bias, discrimination, and harassment. General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra united with nine other prominent leaders from various sectors at Detroit City Hall to express unwavering support for justice and equality for all Americans.

Moreover, GM has committed $10 million to aid organizations working towards racial equality and inclusion. Of this amount, $1 million has been designated for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. The remaining $9 million will be distributed to organizations GM’s Employee Resource Groups recommends.

The company also houses an Inclusion Advisory Board with internal and external leaders collaborating to tackle the systemic obstacles that impede inclusivity. This board is responsible for determining which resources and financial contributions the company will make to combat social injustices until they are fully eradicated from society.

General Motors observed a moment of silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds on June 19, 2020, Juneteenth, in honor of George Floyd and all African Americans who had been killed because of their race.

Also Read: 6 Reasons in Favor of Fostering a People-Centric Workplace

Johnson & Johnson

johnson-and-johnsonJohnson & Johnson allocates substantial resources to ensure every staff member contributes to cultivating an inclusive atmosphere. The company nurtures a worldwide vision of ‘be yourself, change the world’ to motivate individuals to collaboratively harness their distinctive experiences, skills, and backgrounds. The aim is to ignite solutions that foster a healthier and more improved global community.

Johnson & Johnson boasts 12 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that connect and engage employees, help build relationship capital, embrace their potential, and create an inclusive environment and culture. The company aims to achieve a 50% representation of women in management positions worldwide by 2025. The organization aims to achieve a 35% representation of diverse races in its management positions while operating in the United States. The company has been featured on the Working Mother 100 Best Companies list for 28 consecutive years.

Also Read: Tips on Communicating better in a Hybrid Work Environment

Accenture

Accenture logoAccenture is ranked one by Refinitiv’s Diversity and Inclusion Index since it demonstrates robust dedication to fostering a sense of belonging and equality. This company strongly supports flexible work arrangements and employee growth, allocating $1.1 billion to learning and development initiatives for its workforce.

Moreover, Accenture is working towards achieving a gender-balanced employee base, with females currently comprising 47% of the organization’s staff. The company also actively champions the LGBTQ+ community, boasting 120,000 Pride allies worldwide across its areas of operation.

They are known for providing fair opportunities to people with disabilities as well. Accenture maintains 32 international centers for individuals with disabilities to access resources, technology, and assistance to excel in their respective roles.

Dedicated to cultivating an inclusive and varied work setting, Accenture emphasizes its Inclusion & Diversity initiatives. They have introduced the Advocates for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) program, which emphasizes recruiting, educating, and assisting those with disabilities. Furthermore, they provide a range of employee support groups and training programs centered on diversity to promote an inclusive workplace culture.

Also Read: The Growing Trend of Gamification in HR

Microsoft

Microsoft_logoMicrosoft earns substantial positive feedback regarding its efforts to empower female employees in the tech industry. Some of Microsoft’s data on inclusion and diversity is worth noting.

  • Women now represent 29.7% of the global workforce at Microsoft, an increase of 1.1 percentage points from 2020 to 2021. 
  • Since 2020, the proportion of Hispanic and Latinx workers in the United States has increased by 0.5 percentage points to 7.0%. In the last five reporting periods, this is the highest annual growth we’ve seen.
  • By the end of the fiscal year 2021, 7.1% of Microsoft’s core workforce in the United States had chosen to disclose a disability. Compared to June of 2020, this is an increase of 1%.

Microsoft has been actively working to promote diversity and inclusion within the company and the tech industry with some of the following impactful initiatives:

  • Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): Microsoft supports more than 40 ERGs that cater to various communities within the company, such as women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and ethnic minorities. These groups provide a platform for employees to network, support one another, and drive positive change within the organization.
  • Microsoft is committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce by implementing inclusive hiring practices. This includes offering internships and job-shadowing programs for students from diverse backgrounds; partnering with organizations that support underrepresented groups in the tech industry.
  • Beyond Microsoft program to close the gender gap, cultivate young talent, and study sociology, psychology, behavioral science, and neuroscience to better understand what causes exclusion. This helps develop strategies for altering their patterns of thought and behavior which serves as input for future hiring. 
  • The company is dedicated to creating accessible technology for people with disabilities. Microsoft has an internal accessibility team developing new technologies and features. It ensures that their products and services are accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities.

Also Read: 5 Lessons from Remote and Hybrid Work That Last

Conclusion

The journey towards diversity and inclusion in the workplace is an ongoing process that requires commitment, investment, and genuine intent from organizations. The top five companies highlighted in this blog have demonstrated their dedication to fostering a people-centric workplace with inclusive work environments. And then, initiatives range from targeted hiring practices and leveraging employee resource groups to running community engagement programs.

These companies inspire others to follow, showing that embracing diversity and inclusion is a moral standpoint that collectively works as a strategic business decision to drive innovation, boost employee satisfaction, and increase overall performance.



Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why is diversity and inclusion important?

Ans. Diversity and inclusion are crucial because they foster innovation, enhance creativity, and promote equal opportunities, leading to better problem-solving and more sustainable and fair societies.

Q2. How to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

Ans. To promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, it is important to create a culture of respect and acceptance. This can be achieved by implementing inclusive hiring practices, providing diversity training, fostering open and transparent communication, establishing employee resource groups, promoting diverse leadership, and continuously evaluating and addressing biases.

Q3. What is the difference between diversity and inclusion?

Ans. Diversity refers to the presence of a wide range of individuals with different backgrounds, perspectives, and identities. Inclusion, on the other hand, is the act of creating an environment where all individuals feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives. While diversity focuses on representation, inclusion emphasizes creating a sense of belonging and ensuring that diverse voices are heard and valued.


Author: Aanya Rachel

Aanya Rachel is the Content Manager at The Address, a coworking space in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. She’s passionate about sharing her knowledge, experience, and extensive research in this field. She writes on various topics related to coworking, the growth of remote workers, digital marketing, startups, and real estate.


How to Manage Grapevine Communication in an Organization

People talk. Some people talk more than others, and that’s okay. But in the workplace, the way they talk can have an impact on the company as a whole. 

In this article, we’re going to look at grapevine communication. We’ll explore what it is and how you can make sure it works for your organization rather than against it.

What is grapevine communication in the workplace?

Grapevine communication is the informal, word-of-mouth way that news, gossip, and even rumors spread in the workplace. It’s what happens when employees exchange information casually—whether in hallways, during coffee breaks, in the lunchroom, or even in online chats—rather than relying on official memos or meetings. This type of communication can flow in all directions, from peers to higher-ups, or even across departments that don’t typically interact.

grapevine communication

No matter how sophisticated your company’s communication systems are, they will never fully replace the casual, off-the-cuff conversations that happen naturally.

Email and messaging apps are great for work-related tasks, but small talk by the coffee machine or during lunch is never going out of style. We’re social creatures, after all, and these moments of casual chatter are where grapevine communication thrives.

Think about it: someone overhears a snippet of conversation or notices something unusual, and soon that information spreads across the company. Maybe you hear over lunch that Matt is in line for a big promotion to Head of Sales. Before long, hundreds—or even thousands—of employees are buzzing about it.

And before any formal announcement, people are already reacting: some are excited, and others may feel resentment, thinking they were more deserving of the role. This is how grapevine communication moves—fast and often without all the facts.

It’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, the grapevine can spread accurate, timely information faster than formal channels. But on the other hand, it can carry half-truths, misinterpretations, or outright rumors that lead to confusion or tension. Its unchecked nature means that it can have a powerful influence on workplace morale and culture, for better or for worse.

And while it can be tricky for managers to handle, grapevine communication is a natural part of any organization. It’s not something that can—or should—be shut down completely.

In fact, a study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 70% of workplace communication happens through the grapevine. That shows just how much influence these informal conversations hold, often more than official announcements.

Rather than trying to eliminate it, the key is to recognize its upsides and manage its downsides. Grapevine communication fosters social connections and can boost morale, but it’s essential to monitor how it’s impacting the workplace environment to prevent misinformation from spreading too far.

What is grapevine communication

Also read: How to Improve Internal Communication in the Workplace

Advantages and drawbacks of grapevine communication

It’s a tricky business, the grapevine. On the one hand, it can be an incredibly valuable way of getting information across fast. On the other, it can get out of control pretty quickly. 

Let’s now take a closer look at the pros and cons.

Advantage 1: Generates new connections

Even in large organizations, it’s often the case that people work with the same small set of colleagues every day. This is a double-edged sword. It can be easier to foster a positive team spirit among a smaller number of people who feel more socially connected. But without broader social interaction across your organization, everyone could be missing out on some excellent collaboration opportunities.

The more chances your teams have to mingle and interact on an informal basis, the more likely they’ll find new partners for peer-to-peer learning or cross-team cooperation. This benefits everyone in the long run.

Advantage 2: Team bonding

There’s no getting away from it: your organization will be much more successful if everyone in it gets along. Now, it’s unrealistic to expect all team members to be the best of friends. There’s bound to be the occasional personality clash—that’s par for the course in any community.

Nevertheless, it’s more likely that people will be happy and productive if they can chat freely. And the inevitable side effect of being able to do that is grapevine communication. 

Let’s face it—the sharing of knowledge is an integral part of human interaction. Learning information and passing it on to others encourages an atmosphere of mutual trust.

Advantage 3: Efficient information sharing

Efficient information sharing

The speed of light may be faster than anything else, but the rate rumors spread is close behind. That’s down to powerful network effects. It doesn’t matter whether a piece of information is passed one-to-one down a chain or through multiple people at once. If it’s being communicated informally, it’s reaching many ears quickly. 

This can be particularly useful for senior managers. Generally speaking, the higher up the career ladder you go, the more isolated you are from opinions on the ground. Many organizations use feedback procedures to try to address this issue. 

However the grapevine can cut out the intermediary and help leadership identify potential problems. In some circumstances, it can be as effective as 360-degree feedback.

Also read: How Internal Communications can Align Your Employees with Organisational Goals?

It’s not all good news, of course. Grapevine communication can cause some genuine headaches. In particular, watch out for:

Drawback 1: Misinformation 

This is a big one. A major downside of this kind of communication is that the information shared is unverified. In fact, the process can function a bit like a social media misinformation bubble. When the message being shared is untrue, you have a real problem on your hands.

Trouble is, this can lead to serious conflict, particularly if the misinformation is something negative about an individual’s behavior. Reputations are difficult to restore once trust has gone. And it doesn’t do much to foster team spirit if people are at loggerheads. In some cases, you may even be looking at an expensive lawsuit.

Drawback 2: Sensitive information can reach the wrong people

Every organization has sensitive data it needs to keep confidential. This could be anything from client details that can only be shared with a core team to upcoming hybrid integration plans that will transform the current workflow. It’s a fact of workplace life.

Unfortunately, the grapevine can sometimes stretch a little too far. Imagine your organization is in the difficult position of considering laying people off. If employees get to hear about it in advance, that’s not good for team morale. Even if layoffs are eventually avoided, trust between management and employees will have taken a permanent hit.

Drawback 3: Reinforces inequality in the workplace

Workplace inequality

The flip side of the team bonding benefit is that some people will be excluded. By its very nature, grapevine communication tends to pass through chains of more extroverted and sociable individuals. Anyone who’s naturally inclined toward keeping themselves to themselves will miss out on the bonding.

This can become a problem if you rely too heavily on the grapevine as a communication channel. Let’s say it becomes normal for internal job opportunities to be discussed on the grapevine before they’re made official. This could give an edge to those who are prime influencers in the grapevine chain—and actively work against anyone who isn’t. 

Ultimately, this can be bad for employee engagement, and reinforce many other kinds of inequality as well. So, while senior managers can sometimes harness this kind of informal channel and use it to their advantage, it’s important to keep it in check. 

However, if organizations prioritize transparency in the workplace, many of these drawbacks can be addressed. By providing open channels of communication and regular updates on company policies and changes, employees are less likely to rely on the grapevine for information. In turn, this can help reduce misinformation, reinforce trust between employees and management, and promote a more inclusive and equitable work environment. Here’s how.

Also read: Why Does Workplace Communication Matter?

How to manage grapevine communication in an organization

There are several ways to manage grapevine communication. All of them are aimed at benefiting from the upsides while limiting the potential damage from the downsides.

1. Regular communication with staff

First, foster a culture of transparency. Regular official communication about recent developments will ensure employees are kept fully informed. That means there’ll be fewer gaps in the narrative that can be filled by misinformation.

This isn’t just a technical issue, like how to integrate Slack and Gmail for more efficient messaging. It’s a human one. Managers at all levels should encourage their direct reports to come to them with any issues. Make it clear that there’ll be no penalties for doing so.

2. Know where and how informal communications are happening

Informal communication

Actively monitor your grapevine; don’t let it function under the radar. This doesn’t mean spying on staff or invading their privacy—it’s just about keeping your ear to the ground and noticing what’s going on around you. Figuring out who the most enthusiastic participants in the chatter vine are shouldn’t be too tricky.

Occasionally, you may find an individual is actively spreading untrue rumors or gossip. In this case, it’s best to step in with a one-to-one meeting to warn them off. 

Try to keep it low-key though. The worst thing you can do in this situation is send an all-staff email demanding an end to rumor-mongering. All that will do is supercharge the rumor mill while everyone tries to figure out who the guilty party is.

3. Make sure your corporate policies are fit for purpose

Finally, you need to ensure your workplace policies are functioning as they should. You may well have formal procedures around harassment or grievance, but how accessible are they?

When considering this, try to see it from another point of view. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who’s the victim of malicious gossip. How realistic is it that they’ll use these policies rather than just leave your organization? 

If a commitment to equality and diversity is to be more than just a nice-looking mirage, you need to dig down into the details of how this situation will be experienced by the people living it. It’s crucial to make sure your policies are watertight and work as intended.

Also read: 10 Ways To Improve Communication At Workplace

4. Foster open-door leadership

Encourage leaders at all levels to adopt an open-door policy, where employees feel comfortable sharing concerns and feedback directly. When employees see that leadership is approachable, they are less likely to rely on the grapevine for information.

This openness reduces the appeal of informal channels and promotes a culture of trust. Leaders should regularly engage with staff, host Q&A sessions, and provide updates, creating an environment where employees know they can get accurate information from the source.

5. Leverage the grapevine positively

Rather than viewing the grapevine purely as a source of potential issues, use it strategically. Recognize that employees will naturally talk among themselves, and sometimes this can be beneficial. If you have exciting news or a positive message, allow it to travel through informal channels first.

People are often more receptive to information when it comes from peers rather than official announcements. By feeding positive stories into the grapevine, you can help shape the narrative in a constructive way.

6. Provide training on responsible communication

Equip your employees with the skills to manage and filter the information they hear. Offer workshops or sessions on responsible communication, where employees learn how to handle gossip, avoid spreading rumors, and support colleagues who may be impacted by it.

This proactive approach not only minimizes the potential harm caused by the grapevine but also builds a workplace culture where employees are conscious of the impact their words can have on others.

You heard it through the grapevine

In the end, grapevine communication can be a net positive—if it’s handled well. The benefits in terms of increased collaboration and team cohesion can give organizations a massive boost. 

Just be sure to encourage a culture of openness too, while also making certain your policies and procedures are clear and effective. This way, everyone will be free to chat happily and make new connections. That’s a win for everyone.

People Strategy Leaders Podcast

 



Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the importance of grapevine communication?

Ans. Grapevine communication plays a vital role in organizations as it serves as a natural and informal information network. It allows for the rapid spread of news, ideas, and rumors among employees, often reaching areas untouched by formal channels.

This informal communication enhances employee engagement, fosters a sense of belonging, and facilitates the exchange of tacit knowledge.

Additionally, grapevine communication can provide valuable insights into employee sentiments and concerns, enabling proactive management strategies. Embracing the grapevine can empower organizations to tap into their collective intelligence and adapt swiftly to ever-evolving challenges.

Q2. What are the grapevine communication examples?

Ans. Grapevine communication examples encompass various scenarios that demonstrate its prevalence in organizations. For instance, when employees gather around the water cooler or during lunch breaks to discuss recent company developments, share rumors, or exchange unofficial information, that’s grapevine communication in action.

It can also manifest through casual conversations in hallways, social events, or even virtual platforms where employees freely exchange thoughts and opinions about work-related matters.

These informal channels often facilitate the spread of news faster than official announcements, making grapevine communication an integral part of the organizational communication fabric.


Author: Jenna Bunnell – Senior Manager, Content Marketing, Dialpad

Jenna Bunnell is the Senior Manager for Content Marketing at Dialpad, an AI-incorporated cloud-hosted unified communications system that provides valuable call details for business owners and sales representatives with the virtual PBX by Dialpad. She is driven and passionate about communicating a brand’s design sensibility and visualizing how content can be presented in creative and comprehensive ways. Jenna has written for other domains such as Price2Spy and DivvyHQ. Here is her LinkedIn.

Why Frequently Recognizing Employee Contributions Is Essential

What is employee recognition and why is it Important?

Employee recognition is defined as the act of managers and other leaders publicly recognizing and appreciating the accomplishments of their team members. The success of a firm depends heavily on recognizing employee contributions, which can come in many different forms. The type of employee recognition program that a firm chooses is crucial in fostering workplace engagement, increasing productivity, and retaining talent.

A carefully planned and executed employee recognition programme can do wonders for a company. It can have a favourable effect on motivation, purpose, morale, performance, and production. Employee engagement levels increase even further when their contributions are acknowledged.

Key is to recognise employees. They won’t give it their all if the company doesn’t value their efforts and treats its personnel with respect. Thus, rewarding employees is essential to success. These are some reasons why it’s crucial to recognise your workers.

Five benefits of recognizing employee contributions

Promotes excellence

Employee appreciation and empowerment are encouraged by employee recognition, which improves relationships and gives people in the workplace a sense of direction and purpose. All of this leads to developing an excellent culture where team members constantly strive to improve and advance the business.

Increases engagement

Employee engagement is influenced favorably by employee recognition. Giving credit to employees who are already engaged has a greater impact. Recognizing employee contributions can go a long way toward making workers feel valued for their accomplishments.

Creates a sense of shared purpose

Employees feel more grateful and committed to the company when their efforts and contributions are acknowledged, and this fosters a feeling of purpose among the workforce as a whole. Their shared sense of purpose, beliefs, and ideals, which they share with one another and the entire firm, become profoundly ingrained in their behaviour and perspective, leading the organization toward success.

Profitability and trust are interdependent

Trust follows dedication. Profitability will come after there is trust in the company. It follows that trust in the organization and profitability are closely related because employees who have confidence in management and its leaders are more likely to love their work and be engaged. In showing their appreciation for their employees, employers can foster a culture of trust that encourages job satisfaction and improved performance.

Provides objective performance information

An employee recognition programme provides management with unbiased, real-world performance data that may be used to pinpoint top performers and get insight into the team dynamics and corporate culture.

Benefits of Employee recognition (1)

Also Read: 10 Ideas For Employee Recognition Programs For Remote Teams

What is the best way to recognize employees?

Employee awards and recognition will differ depending on the organization. Depending on the organization’s needs, different employees receive different awards and recognition. Depending on its particular requirements as well as the requirements of its employees, the business must determine the most meaningful approach to show its appreciation for its staff.

Written gratitude

Writing a thank you note may seem elementary, but it may go a long way toward expressing gratitude for an employee’s effort. Receiving a thank-you note, whether it’s written by hand or delivered by email, is incredibly encouraging. It serves as evidence of the worker’s contributions.

Applauding in words

Verbal praise is a peer-to-peer type of appreciation for a team member’s efforts at work, delivered by coworkers. It is still a part of an employee recognition program even though it is informal and unwritten and has great potential.

Spot rewards

The name “spot bonuses” refers to bonuses that are awarded immediately. These are usually tiny bonuses offered in appreciation for contributions. Spot bonuses have a significant impact since they are provided right away, as soon as the contribution is made; “now” is the greatest time to express gratitude or appreciation.

Applaud employees for good workAlso Read: Tips for Employee Recognition and Rewards

Few employee recognition ideas that can work in your business:

10 effective suggestions for rewarding employees –

There are several options for rewarding employees. Some of them can appear to be extremely simple. They can, however, be exceedingly powerful. Companies must carefully craft their concepts and make sure their employees find value in them. Here are a few noteworthy suggestions:

  • A system of awards based on points
  • Employee feedback surveys on recognition
  • Recognizing employee efforts in public
  • Celebrate achievements
  • Honor individual accomplishments.
  • Integrate employee appreciation into the corporate culture.
  • Write a thank-you note
  • Motivate managers to recognize others
  • Encourage peer-to-peer praise
  • Reward career advancement

Celebrate milestones

Celebrate significant career milestones for employees. An employee’s dedication to the organization, for instance, can be shown by celebrating a work anniversary. Unquestionably something to be honoured for and compensated for as a thank-you gift. Give the worker the chance to choose the gift they desire. Add a note from coworkers, managers, or the CEO to make it more special and significant. This will help to create a milestone that will be remembered.

Celebrate personal achievements

Remember that employees are more than just workers at all times. Since they are unique people, acknowledge them for both professional and personal accomplishments. Examples include:

  • Gaining fresh knowledge
  • Working together with a teammate
  • Fulfilling a target
  • Achieving a goal for health and wellness

Integrate employee appreciation into the corporate culture

A strong corporate culture is built on the foundation of employee recognition. It has a favorable effect on the company’s success. When a company promotes a positive workplace culture, it not only wins over its workers and has higher employee retention, but it also wins over job searchers. It consequently becomes a highly sought-after workplace and draws top talent. The actions listed below are some that a company can do to begin establishing a culture of recognizing employee contributions:

3 ideas to promote employee appreciation in your company

  • Make team, leadership, management, and peer-to-peer appreciation a regular occurrence.
  • Decide on a few positive qualities that align with the values of the firm, and then link recognition to those particular traits. When employees are praised for their good work, it inspires them to continue acting in that way, which in turn affects the culture of the organization.
  • Social recognition involves expressing gratitude to staff members verbally or in writing. This is yet another method of incorporating employee recognition into organizational culture. For social recognition to be effective, it must be provided immediately after an employee performs something deserving of it, rather than waiting until the next internal meeting to bring it up. When it is done at the moment, it is more memorable and effective, and it is also more likely to be repeated.

https://engagedly.com/pillars-of-a-high-engagement-culture-2/

Also Read: Is Employee Recognition Only About Employee Perks?

Compliment the person

A straightforward thank-you message can convey a lot. It has a personal touch and the potential to be quite profound. It may be typewritten or computerized. It’s a technique of communicating to the employees that they are valued and that the management and company appreciate what they have done. While composing the note, keep the following in mind:

  • Be thorough when describing the work or contribution.
  • Describe the impact the work had on the organization.
  • Truly thank them for their efforts.

Motivate leaders to recognize employee contributions

It has a good effect on their morale and productivity when top management acknowledges their employees’ efforts. The recommendations that are given below are for commendation:

  • By frequently praising staff, leaders can serve as examples for their group.
  • Organize gatherings to thank the best performances in front of the public.
  • Encourage and promote a recognition culture across the entire firm in meetings with top management.
  • Find out whether financial or social rewards are the most effective method of employee recognition.
  • Provide leaders with simple ways to recognize team members, such as one-click recognitions, so they can choose that choice if they are too busy to go through more involved recognition procedures.

Promote peer-to-peer recognition

Recognition from peers is equally as vital as acknowledgment from leadership. They work with these people, and thus being acknowledged by them fosters feelings of comradery, trust, belonging, and well-being. It aids in fostering a positive work atmosphere and can improve employee performance. These are some suggestions for implementing peer recognition in the workplace:

  • Ensure that all employees, whether on-site, traveling, or working remotely, can participate in the employee recognition program.
  • Ensure that all employees have the opportunity to comment on and be a part of employee recognition celebrations, whether it’s an anniversary or a personal achievement. This can also be done digitally, with all team members signing and personalizing the digital card with a special message of thanks.
  • Make it simple for colleagues to recognize team members, such as one-click recognition.

Recognize and reward professional development

Excellence in performance must be recognized. It is a way for the organization to show their employees that their contributions and exemplary work are appreciated. It encourages employees to stay with the company in the long run, resulting in higher retention. Rewarding employees do not always have to take the form of a promotion; there are other options. More autonomy, for example, or more responsibilities. It’s a way of putting faith in the employee.

If the employee earns a new certification, give them new business cards that display their new certification credentials and a gift to show them how delighted the company is with them. Give an employee the chance to attend a conference or training if they have reached or exceeded the target.

Make sure to publicly recognize them across the entire organization; this encourages others to adopt similarly admirable traits and demonstrates to them the company’s commitment to employee success.

Top Employee Recognition Statistics 2023

  • Surprisingly, 65% of Americans were not recognized in any way last year.
  • Only 31.5% of US workers report feeling engaged.
  • The most typical form of appreciation is for years of service.
  • Employee engagement is higher in the first six months of employment.
  • If they received at least one recognition per month, 75% of workers would be happy with their jobs.
  • Productivity is boosted by happiness by 13%.
  • According to some estimates, peer-to-peer recognition has a 35.7% greater effect on financial outcomes.
  • If recognized, 63% of workers would remain in their current position.

https://engagedly.com/research-study-engagedlys-impact-on-employee-experience-productivity-in-hybrid-work-environment-by-jennifer-dole/

Also Read: Why Do Employee Recognition Programs Fail?

Demographics-Related Statistics on Employee Recognition

  • According to Canadian studies, just 12% of workers switch jobs in search of a higher salary-

Businesses assume that individuals leave their jobs in order to make more money elsewhere, but 88% of Canadians identified 11 additional reasons, including poor management, a lack of professional advancement, poor cooperation and communication, a lack of training, a ton of work, and inadequate tools and resources. The fifth-place finisher was a lack of recognition at work.

  • According to the most recent employee recognition statistics for the United Kingdom, engaging employees outside of the workplace has a significant impact on performance –

This does not mean engaging your employees outside of work; rather, it means caring for and catering to employees outside of the business aspect. For example, Specsavers, a British company, wants to provide optometric services to its employees and is collaborating with Reward Gateway, a company that offers its engagement platform in the form of eVouchers. Employees can use the vouchers to get the necessary eye care.

  • The Australian HR Institute strongly recommends customising employee benefits –

Ben Thompson, the CEO of the HR platform Employment Hero, asserts that giving younger employees access to a gym membership, a fancy gadget like Bluetooth headphones or a tablet, or even a cheap mobile phone plan will increase their productivity.

Employee recognition statistics for Australia show that as employees enter their late twenties and thirties, health and life insurance, credit cards, and restaurant discounts become increasingly important, whereas older employees will be looking for more leisure time, such as vacations, which is why different types of benefits should be available within the company.

Also Read: Best Employee Recognition Ideas For 2023

Conclusion 

As previously stated, there are numerous methods for implementing employee recognition in the workplace. But, at the most fundamental level, what matters is the company culture; a company culture that believes in its employees and recognizes the value of recognizing employee contributions. This is the foundation of any successful organization.

Furthermore, employee recognition statistics show that, while monetary compensation is appealing, it is not the only option. Other alternatives to employee recognition in the workplace can do just as much for your company while costing less and making your team happy and satisfied at work.

https://engagedly.com/leading-with-love-as-a-people-first-approach-with-amaris-mccomas-ep-6/



Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why do employees need both recognition and appreciation?

Ans. Employees need both recognition and appreciation for several reasons:

  • Motivation and Engagement: Recognizing and appreciating employees’ efforts boosts their motivation and engagement with their work.
  • Job Satisfaction: Acknowledgment and appreciation contribute to employees’ overall job satisfaction.
  • Psychological Well-being: Recognition and appreciation positively impact employees’ psychological well-being, reducing stress and enhancing mental health.
  • Building a Positive Culture: A culture of recognition and appreciation fosters a positive work environment, teamwork, and morale.
  • Retention and Loyalty: Recognized and appreciated employees are more likely to stay loyal to the organization.
  • Performance and Productivity: Recognition and appreciation directly influence performance and productivity.

Providing verbal praise, rewards, career development opportunities, and meaningful feedback helps create a positive work environment, enhancing engagement, satisfaction, and business outcomes.

Q2. Recognizing employee contributions examples: 

Ans. Some examples of recognizing employee contributions include:

  1. Verbal praise and acknowledgment in team meetings or one-on-one conversations.
  2. Employee appreciation events or celebrations.
  3. Employee of the Month or other recognition programs.
  4. Awards, certificates, or plaques honoring achievements.
  5. Publicly recognizing employees through newsletters, internal communications, or social media.
  6. Providing opportunities for professional development or advancement.
  7. Monetary rewards, such as bonuses or performance-based incentives.
  8. Offering flexible work arrangements or additional time off as a token of appreciation.
  9. Giving personalized thank-you notes or messages.
  10. Providing opportunities for employees to share their expertise or lead projects.

These examples demonstrate various ways to recognize and appreciate employees’ contributions, fostering a positive work environment and motivating them to excel.


What Is an Employee Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Why Does It Matter?

It is challenging yet crucial for your company to measure employee engagement. Because the idea is so ethereal, you need to go beyond quantifiers and numbers. Here, the usage of employee net promoter score (eNPS) is relevant.

Employee happiness, satisfaction, and loyalty are measured using the eNPS system, which is based on surveys.

eNPS is one of the best measures for learning about the thoughts and sentiments of your employees. It helps you to evaluate the effect of your existing business operations on the levels of employee engagement and satisfaction.

What Is An Employee Net Promoter Score (NPS)?

NPS-Engagedly

One approach to gauge employee loyalty is called Net Promoter Score (NPS). It gauges how likely your employees are to suggest their place of employment to relatives or friends.

Just think about having staff who are dedicated and loyal to your company. To keep your clients happy and raise customer satisfaction, picture a team of employees going above and beyond to deliver great, fantastic service. 

Employee Net Promoter Score is praised for being concise, eliminating survey fatigue, being straightforward in calculating the findings, and being able to be benchmarked and repeated frequently enough. Many of these characteristics undoubtedly make eNPS more effective.

Also Read: 6 Reasons in Favor of Fostering a People-Centric Workplace

Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) in Survey Question 

The foundation of eNPS is the same as that of the original Net Promoter Score (NPS), which was created in the 1990s by Fred Reichheld, Bain & Co., and Satmetrix. Customer loyalty is measured using NPS, but staff loyalty is measured using eNPS.

How likely are you, on a scale of 0 to 10, to tell your family or friends about our product or service?

Based on the answers to a comparable employee survey question, eNPS is computed. eNPS questions enable firms to gauge employee loyalty in place of goods and services:

NPS-Survey Questions

The eNPS responses are separated into three categories, much like the NPS:

0–6: Detractors: workers that are extremely dissatisfied with the company and propagate unfavorable rumors.
7-8: Passives are personnel who are neither emotionally immersed in nor disengaged.

9–10: Advocates are exceptionally devoted staff members who spread the good news about the company.

NPS-Promoters

  • Promoters – If a respondent scores 9 or 10, that person is a promoter. If most answers are a 9 or a 10, employers shouldn’t let their guard down. It’s simple to assume that the workers who gave your company great marks are already content and that you don’t need to concentrate on them. Yet, companies should remain focused and use the promoters’ comments to determine why they enjoy the organization and the precise reason they suggested recommending your organization to their friends and family.
  • Passive – Passive or neutral responses are those with scores between 7 and 8. As it is expected that they won’t speak poorly of the organization or support it, they are seen as passive. While they are typically content, individuals receive less attention because their sentiments are not immediately affected by those of the company. Yet, does this imply that they should be disregarded because they do not hurt an organization? 

A company must quickly alter its mindset if it shares this one. Don’t discount their comments even if their score is not considered while determining eNPS. Strive to make them promoters regularly. Turning them into promoters should be your ultimate objective.

As an alternative, you might simply ask them, “What is that one thing stopping you from promoting your family/friends to this organization?

  • Detractors – When a responder gives a rating between 0 and 6, they are a detractor. 

How does this score translate? It denotes a very negative attitude towards the company on the part of the worker. They have certain concerns, therefore as an organization, you need to find the underlying causes and pinpoint the problems. Discovering the source of their unhappiness and the cause of any negative feedback is the first step. You need to figure out what’s troubling them because it’s important. Ascertain their thoughts, reassure them that they shouldn’t be afraid, and ask them what they think. 

Every time an employee gives you bad feedback, you should put in place a system where the employee is instantly sent an email asking what went wrong or why they don’t like the company. By adopting the adjustments they want, you will demonstrate to the whole business that you care about their opinion and find value in it. Excessive staff turnover is both inconvenient and costly. Organizations may avoid developing a poor reputation and low employee net promoter scores by taking one step accurately.

Also Read: Why Your Business Needs This Foolproof “Talent Retention Strategy”

Benefits of Calculating Employee Net Promoter Score

It helps you gauge overall employee loyalty: Employee Net Promoter Score is a simple technique to assess the health of the firm and employee engagement. The nicest part about this is that it easily outperforms the customary lengthy, boring questionnaires. As a result, by asking only one survey question, you may aid in determining the levels of employee loyalty.

Reduce employee attrition: Organizations may reduce high attrition rates by tracking eNPS and other HR KPIs while also developing a backup plan. The feedback a business receives after launching the eNPS survey will assist in determining whether or not workers are content there. As a result, prompt corrective action may be implemented.

Gives a chance to convert negatives to positives: eNPS surveys can assist businesses in converting their critics into supporters. That can be done by putting particular system modifications into place. An automated system sends you an email inquiring about the issues your employees are having in the company whenever you get a negative reaction from them. Gather criticism and make sure you respond to it.

Benefits - Employee Net Promoter Score (NPS)- Engagedly

Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) Benchmark and Tips

Employees are less inclined to offer a high employee net promoter score due to cultural variations, which can also cause ratings to differ between areas or nations. Depending on the circumstances, eNPS doesn’t always offer information.

Several experts advise against using other businesses or sectors as eNPS standards because of these problems. Instead, they should begin with a score and aim to raise it, according to experts. According to Harvard Business Review, the eNPS encourages businesses to provide exceptional customer service since doing so will keep consumers coming back and help the company grow. This highlights how crucial it is to move a successful business ahead.

Since that workers have higher expectations of a company than do consumers, there is a potential that the eNPS will be lower than the NPS. Organizations may understand employee Net Promoter Score with the use of this awareness. Forbes’s publication stresses the significance of effectively using your eNPS and how it may help you advance your business.

How to use the eNPS effectively to get better results:

  • Your company’s management should be aware of the purpose behind the employee survey. The means for following up once the replies are gathered should be planned ahead of time.
  • Employees will be able to respond more quickly and easily to the survey if it is responsive and accessible even from hand-held devices like tablets or mobile phones.
  • The survey should be completely anonymous at all times. It should be assured employees that their identities remain safe. If you as a company fail to provide them with this confidence, the outcomes will be compromised. Your staff won’t provide you with objective feedback.
  • Employee engagement is a long-term endeavor. The moment is now to ask your employee if they are satisfied at work if you can’t recall the last time you did so. Employers should be able to periodically check employee engagement and happiness since they are the two cornerstones of every firm. According to experts, these surveys should be distributed every three months, which is a sufficient frequency to prevent employee resentment.

Also Read: Harnessing the Power of Employee Advocacy for Maximum Impact

How to develop an employee net promoter score (eNPS)?

Sending out yearly or quarterly surveys without consulting your staff may result in responses that are slanted or unfinished. The right frequency should be chosen when planning and scheduling Employee NPS surveys to monitor development. Progress is visible.

  • Customizable eNPS survey: To obtain employee feedback, businesses can use a flexible eNPS survey template. The survey can be modified to include inquiries and branding components unique to a business.
  • Automated data collection: Employers can send eNPS surveys to their staff members via email and instantly gather their feedback using an online platform. As a result, gathering data is efficient, time-saving, and reliable.
  • Data Analysis and Reporting: Businesses can view and analyze eNPS data in real-time using dashboards.
  • Integration with HR Systems: Organizations can combine eNPS data with other employee information by integrating with a variety of HR systems. This enables businesses to obtain a complete picture of worker satisfaction and can assist in informing HR choices.

By providing a customizable survey template, automating the data collection process, providing real-time data analysis, and integrating with HR systems.

If you want to gauge employee satisfaction and engagement, the Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) is a useful tool to have in your toolbox. You can easily implement an eNPS survey and it will give you the information you need to make wise decisions about your workforce.



Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is Employee NPS (eNPS)?

Ans. Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) is a metric used by organizations to measure the level of employee loyalty and engagement. It is based on the simple question, “How likely are you to recommend this organization as a great place to work?” Employees respond on a scale of 0-10, and are classified as detractors (0-6), passive (7-8), or promoters (9-10). The eNPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters, resulting in a score ranging from -100 to +100. The higher the eNPS, the more engaged and loyal the employees are likely to be.

Q2. What is a good NPS for employees?

Ans. A good Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) is generally considered to be above 0, although the ideal score may vary depending on the industry and organization. In general, a score above 50 is considered excellent, while a score between 0 and 30 is considered average. However, it’s important to note that eNPS is just one metric among many that should be used to measure employee engagement and satisfaction, and should not be relied upon as the sole indicator of a healthy workplace culture.


9 Mistakes to Avoid When Delivering 360-Degree Feedback

360-degree feedback provides individuals (in-house employees and freelancers) with constructive feedback that helps their professional development. It supports your workforce in identifying their strengths and take initiative to work on their weaknesses.

Whether the nature of their job is freelancing, part-time, or working full-time, your employees can leverage this constructive feedback provided by their direct managers, peers, clients, and other subordinates to introspect their performance at work. Did you know that 80% of employees wish to have regular feedback rather than aggregated feedback for the annual review?

No wonder a 360-degree feedback program plays a significant role in the development of a solid company culture that focuses on continuous feedback, development, and improvement. 

However, a poorly implemented 360 feedback program can lead to negative outcomes and cause your entire feedback program to fail. In this post, we shall have a look at the top 9 mistakes that every team must avoid when conducting a 360-degree feedback program for their workforce.

Also Read: 360 Degree Feedback: How to Understand and Implement it Effectively

9 Most Common 360-Degree Feedback Mistakes

360 feedback Mistakes

Lack of a Clear Purpose

One of the major mistakes that most companies make is not having a clear purpose. The absence of a goal or purpose surely leads to undesirable outcomes. Remember, implementing your feedback program without knowing how it can benefit the company will serve no good. Hence, it is wise to understand your company’s needs and devise a program that addresses those needs. 

Be clear about why you are introducing a 360-degree feedback program in your company. Your purpose could be any of these – performance management, career development, team management, and more.

Not Involving Key Stakeholders

The support and encouragement of your company’s key stakeholders are crucial for the success of the 360-degree feedback initiative. Being the senior leaders of the company, they will provide intelligent ideas and suggestions for the implementation of the feedback program. 

Identify the right stakeholders, such as senior managers and team leaders, and get them involved in the planning phase of the program. Ask for their ideas for gathering feedback and choose the right tool for the same. This involvement of senior management will provide the right direction and guidance in creating a fair and constructive feedback process.

Also Read: 4 Competencies That You Must Include In A 360 Degree Feedback Form

Not Conducting a Pilot Test

Introducing any organizational changes in a company involves thorough planning and test implementation. This is because your team needs time to accept the change and adjust their mindset accordingly. There is always a potential risk that the team might turn down a major change which could affect their productivity at work.

Start the feedback collection process for one team of your company and determine its effectiveness. Monitor its performance at various checkpoints and note down your observations. Modify the program based on your findings to make it foolproof before introducing it to the entire organization.

Using the Feedback Process as a Substitute to Manage Poor Performers

360 feedback Mistakes photo 2

360-degree programs are usually introduced in companies as a medium to track poor performers and motivate them to improve their performance at work. They fail to understand that  360-degree feedback is not just a performance improvement tool. It offers many other benefits such as team building, open company culture, career development,  reduction in workplace bias, and more. 

Delivering 360-degree feedback must be an ongoing process aimed at improving employee performance, managerial tasks, and overall organizational activities. It helps in creating a feedback-rich environment that is essential for building high-performing teams in your company.

Also Read: Your Comprehansive Guide to 360 Degree Feedback in the modern Workplace

Having Insufficient Communication

Proper communication is vital for an efficient feedback process as poor communication can lead to misunderstandings and mishaps among the team members. A good communication strategy ensures that the feedback will be captured, processed, and shared with the team members. 

Communicate and discuss all aspects of the feedback management program with the stakeholders before its implementation. Share the crucial details about the program with your entire team and how it would benefit them in their respective job roles and careers. This will help them become more comfortable with your 360-degree feedback initiative. 

Compromising the Confidentiality

Confidentiality and anonymity are the two factors that play a significant role in ensuring your team members feel safe while providing feedback. Safeguarding confidentiality is important to ensure the team members do not have feelings of betrayal or misconceptions about the feedback provider. 

Make sure to decide which data will stay confidential and which is anonymous and convey the same to your entire team. By informing the team about the information that will stay anonymous, you are encouraging them to share genuine feedback. 

Also Read: Pros and Cons of 360 Degree Feedback In The Workplace

Having Unrealistic Scoring Criteria

Wrong scoring criteria - 360 feedback

Capturing 360-degree feedback is a complex process that includes a set of procedures, such as creating questionnaires, setting scoring criteria, selecting feedback providers, and more. Having an intuitive questionnaire that focuses on the right questions and scoring criteria is essential for the success of the feedback program. 

Include easy-to-understand questions that measure the competency of the team members. Do not forget to include open-ended questions as well. Ensure that the time taken to complete the feedback survey is between 10-15 minutes. Further, keep the survey simple and user-friendly to encourage more participation.

Absence of a Developmental Plan and Resources

Having a developmental plan is as important as having a clear purpose for your feedback program. The insights generated from these programs need to be leveraged to introduce improvisations in workplaces, team management, and more. Hence, devise a thorough development plan and pair it up with the right resources, such as training materials, individual coaching, courses, and more based on the feedback provided by your team members.

Not Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Feedback Process

Monitoring the performance of your 360-degree feedback program is important as it helps you understand whether or not your efforts are yielding expected results. 

Evaluate the survey results to make efforts for increasing individual and team performance, improve the effectiveness of management activities, foster better work relationships, and more. Invest in the right resources to translate the feedback into actionable to-do lists to improve your organizational performance.

Also Read: Why 360-Degree Feedback is Essential: 10 Benefits You Need to Know

Wrapping Up

The 360-degree feedback initiatives offer you a chance to provide an honest review to your team members. It helps you understand how your team members perceive your organization and its culture. 

If implemented in the right way, a 360-degree feedback program can boost your entire team’s performance by improving accountability, encouraging personal development, and increasing self-awareness. All you need to do is avoid the common mistakes we mentioned in this post when conducting 360-degree feedback in your workplace.



Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What precautions should one take when giving feedback in the 360 degree system?

Ans. When giving feedback in a 360 degree system, be specific, respectful, and constructive. Focus on behaviors, balance positive and negative feedback, provide actionable suggestions, and ensure confidentiality.

Q2. What are the key problems with 360 degree evaluations?

Ans. Some of the key problems with 360 degree evaluations include the potential for biased feedback, lack of anonymity, and a focus on personality traits rather than specific behaviors. Additionally, the feedback may not always be actionable or helpful in promoting meaningful improvements.

Q3. What are the 4 components of 360 degree appraisal?

Ans. The four components of 360-degree appraisal include self-evaluation, peer evaluation, supervisor evaluation, and subordinates or team member evaluation.


Author: Hazel Raoult

Hazel Raoult is a freelance marketing writer and works with PRmention. She has 6+ years of experience in writing about online business, employee productivity, HR tech tools and entrepreneurship. Hazel loves to split her time between writing, editing, and hanging out with her family.You can connect with her on Linkedin.


Group Dynamics That Let You Build A Cohesive Work Environment

Building a cohesive work environment is crucial for achieving high levels of productivity, employee satisfaction, and overall success.

According to a study by Gallup, teams with high employee engagement have 21% higher productivity than teams with low engagement. A cohesive work environment is one in which employees trust each other, communicate openly, share a vision and goals, collaborate effectively, and feel recognized and appreciated for their contributions.

However, creating such an environment requires careful attention to group dynamics—the complex interactions and relationships between team members that shape their behaviour, attitudes, and performance. In this post, we will explore key elements of a cohesive work environment and discuss how various group dynamics can be leveraged to create and sustain such an environment.

Key Elements of Cohesive Work Environment

Key Elements of Cohesive Work Environment

Before delving into group dynamics, it’s important to understand the key elements of a cohesive work environment. These elements are essential for creating a sense of unity and purpose among team members, that include:

Trust: Trust is the foundation of any successful team. When team members trust each other, they are more likely to collaborate effectively, communicate openly, and take risks without fear of judgement or retaliation.

Open Communication:

Effective communication is crucial for ensuring that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. According to a survey by Harvard Business Review, 69% of respondents said that work-related conflicts negatively affected their work. When team members communicate openly, they can share ideas, provide feedback, and resolve conflicts more effectively.

Also Read: How to Improve Internal Communication in the Workplace

Shared Vision and Goals:

A cohesive team is one that shares a common vision and set of goals. When team members understand and share the organization’s mission and objectives, they are more likely to work towards them with enthusiasm and dedication.

Collaboration:

Collaboration involves working together to achieve shared goals. When team members collaborate effectively, they can leverage each other’s strengths, share responsibilities, and achieve more than they could individually.

Recognition and Appreciation:

A study by Deloitte found that 71% of employees who feel their managers recognize their contributions and value their work say they are happy with their job. Feeling recognized, appreciated, and offering employee compensation programs for their contributions is essential for employees to feel valued and motivated. A cohesive team celebrates individual achievements and recognizes the importance of each member’s role in achieving the team’s goals.

Also Read: Best Employee Recognition Ideas For 2023

Group Dynamics That Support a Cohesive Work Environment

Group Dynamics That Support a Cohesive Work Environment

Now that we’ve identified the key elements of a cohesive work environment, let’s explore the group dynamics that can help create and sustain such an environment.

Leadership:

It is a critical component of group dynamics. A strong leader can set the tone for the team, establish clear expectations, and provide direction and support. Leaders should strive to create an environment where all team members feel heard and valued, and where everyone is encouraged to contribute their unique perspectives and ideas.

Diversity and Inclusion:

These are key drivers of innovation and creativity. When team members come from different backgrounds and have diverse perspectives, they can bring unique insights to problem-solving and decision-making. It’s important for leaders to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and valued, regardless of their background or identity.

Also Read: A Step By Step Guide to Advancing DEIB in Organizations

Psychological Safety:

It is the belief that one can speak up without fear of negative consequences. When team members feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to share their ideas, ask questions, and admit mistakes. Leaders can foster psychological safety by encouraging open communication, welcoming diverse perspectives, and responding constructively to feedback and criticism.

Conflict Resolution:

Conflict is inevitable in any team environment. However, when conflicts are not resolved effectively, they can harm team morale and productivity. Leaders should encourage open communication, active listening, and empathy to help team members resolve conflicts in a constructive and respectful manner.

Team Building Activities:

These can help strengthen relationships, build trust, and improve communication among team members, and can be as simple as social events, such as team lunches or happy hours, or more structured exercises, such as problem-solving challenges or trust-building exercises. Leaders should make team building activities a regular part of their team’s culture to help create and sustain a cohesive work environment.

Now that we’ve discussed the group dynamics that can support a cohesive work environment, let’s explore how to implement them effectively. Here are some practical tips for building a cohesive work environment through group dynamics:

  1. Assess your team’s needs: Every team is unique, and what works for one team may not work for another. It’s essential to understand your team’s strengths, weaknesses, and communication styles to identify areas for improvement.
  2. Set goals and expectations: Clearly defining goals and expectations can help align your team’s efforts towards a common vision. Be sure to communicate expectations and goals clearly, and provide regular updates on progress.
  3. Encourage participation and feedback: Create an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking up and contributing their ideas. Encourage team members to provide feedback and suggestions, and be receptive to their input.
  4. Provide resources and support: Give your team the tools and resources they need to succeed, whether it’s training, technology, or other resources. Be supportive of their needs and challenges, and provide guidance when needed.
  5. Monitor progress and adjust as needed: Regularly check in with your team to track progress, identify challenges, and make adjustments as needed. Be open to feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Also Read: Team-building Activities for Your Team in 2023

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating a cohesive work environment requires careful attention to group dynamics. Key elements of a cohesive work environment include trust, open communication, shared vision and goals, collaboration, and recognition and appreciation. Group dynamics that can support a cohesive work environment include leadership, diversity and inclusion, psychological safety, conflict resolution, and team-building activities. To implement these group dynamics effectively, assess your team’s needs, set goals and expectations, encourage participation and feedback, provide resources and support, and monitor progress and adjust as needed. By leveraging these group dynamics, you can create a work environment where your team members feel valued, motivated, and empowered to achieve their best work.



Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is group dynamics?

Ans. Group dynamics refers to the ways in which individuals interact and relate with each other within a group or team setting. It encompasses the psychological and social processes that occur when people come together to accomplish a common goal or task. Group dynamics can affect how individuals behave, how they perceive each other, and how they work together to achieve objectives. Understanding group dynamics is important for creating a positive and productive work environment, as it enables team members to communicate effectively, build trust, and work collaboratively towards shared goals.

Q2. What is a cohesive work environment?

Ans. A cohesive work environment is one in which employees work together effectively towards a common goal. It is characterized by a sense of unity, collaboration, and mutual respect among team members. In a cohesive work environment, employees are motivated and engaged, and they feel a sense of belonging and connection to their team and the company. A cohesive work environment is important for productivity, as it fosters open communication, trust, and cooperation, which can lead to better problem-solving, innovation, and overall performance. Creating a cohesive work environment requires effective leadership, clear communication, and a focus on building positive relationships among team members.

Q3. What are the characteristics of a cohesive team?

Ans. Here are some characteristics of a cohesive team:

  • Clear and shared goals
  • Open communication and active listening
  • Trust and mutual respect
  • Collaboration and teamwork
  • Positive relationships among team members
  • Supportive and inclusive work culture
  • Accountability and responsibility for outcomes
  • Recognition and appreciation of individual contributions
  • Flexibility and adaptability to change
  • Continuous learning and improvement.

Mastering the SBI Feedback Model: Definition and Examples

What is SBI Feedback Model?

The SBI feedback model is a framework used to provide constructive feedback to employees, colleagues, or team members.

SBI feedback is structured into three parts: the Situation (time and place), the Behavior (actions being addressed), and the Impact (how the behavior affects us, the team, or the organization). The SBI model is designed to provide clear and actionable feedback that can help individuals improve their performance, enhance their skills, and achieve their goals.

By using the SBI model, feedback providers can provide specific examples and objective observations, avoiding generalizations and judgments that can lead to defensiveness or misunderstandings. The SBI model is widely used in the workplace, in coaching, and in personal relationships to facilitate effective communication, build trust, and promote growth.

SBI Feedback Model Explained 

Explore effective communication and growth with the SBI Feedback Model, breaking down feedback into Situation, Behavior, and Impact for a comprehensive understanding.

The S of SBI: Situation

This involves describing a situation an employee was involved in. When you give feedback to a person, it is important that you let them know the situation in which the incident happened.

Ineffective “Situation” Feedback Example

“Colin. I really liked your presentation. Good job!”

This feedback makes sense only if the person giving it says it right after  the presentation has happened. But if that’s not the case, then this comment comes out of left field. And while it is a positive comment, it is rather vague. It gives the person receiving the feedback no context. Which presentation was being referred too? When was this presentation held?

The more you give feedback, the more you will realize that feedback needs context. Without context, feedback is just another generic statement, shorn of value.

SBI Feedback Example 

“Colin, I really liked your presentation on the new sales plan last week. Good job!”

As you can see, context gives feedback heft. Also, the recipient knew what exactly the giver was talking about. Scheduling regular one-on-one meetings can help ensure timely feedback and contextual discussions.

Also Read: Ten One-on-One Meeting Questions You Should Ask Your Team

The B in SBI Stands for: Behaviour

This involves stating the way a person behaved in a certain situation that you want to give feedback upon. A person’s behavior informs feedback and allows you to judge whether the behavior helped the situation in a good way or a bad way.

Ineffective “Behavior” Feedback Example

“Colin, I really disliked that presentation about the new sales plan. It was bad.”

While this feedback comment mentions the situation, it does not give the recipient Colin an idea about what went wrong. It is evident that the presentation was disliked. Was it the way Colin conducted the presentation? Was it something that Colin did during the presentation? The feedback provides no clue! As a result, feedback like this tend to be demoralizing because while it implies a bad job, it does not tell the recipient what  was it they did not do.

Employee Career Development

SBI Feedback Example 

“Colin, I really disliked the presentation about the new sales plan. You fumbled a lot, with your notes and figures and I thought that reflected poorly on your manager. I am disappointed because I know you are usually good at presentations.”

In this feedback comment, the giver is blunt about his dislike but he  also explains why exactly he disliked the presentation and why he thought Colin did a bad job. This feedback comment lets the recipient where he went wrong.

Also Read: Performance Management Software:A Buyer’s Guide

Lastly, the I of SBI: Impact

The most important part of the SBI feedback model. This involves describing the impact that the person’s behavior had on the feedback giver or other people. Stating what impact a situation or behavior had closes the feedback process and allows both the recipient and the giver to propose a solution or rectify their mistakes.

Ineffective “Impact” Feedback Example

“Colin, you were unprepared for the presentation about the sales plan. This is not done.”

When you do not state how a person’s behavior affects you, then what is the point of giving feedback at all? Instead of feedback, the above statement becomes a comment about a bad job, which, while relevant, is not helpful. What you need to impress is how a person’s behavior impacts you and others.

SBI Feedback Examples

  1.  Situation: During the virtual team meeting, you interrupted your colleague several times. Behavior: You spoke over them and didn’t allow them to finish their thoughts. Impact: It disrupted the flow of the meeting and made your colleague feel disrespected. In virtual meetings, it’s important to practice active listening and avoid interrupting others.
  2. Situation: I noticed that you missed the deadline for the project deliverables. Behavior: Your delay caused a ripple effect in the project timeline. Impact: It affected the team’s ability to meet other deadlines and caused frustration. With remote work becoming more prevalent, it’s crucial to prioritize time management and meet deadlines.
  3. Situation: During the customer service call, you sounded frustrated and impatient with the customer. Behavior: Your tone of voice and language were dismissive. Impact: It could harm our company’s reputation and customer loyalty. In today’s competitive business environment, excellent customer service is critical, and it’s important to communicate respectfully and empathetically with customers.
Also Read: How To Create A Feedback Culture In Your Workplace?

The SBI framework incorporates all these three factors – Situation, Behaviour and Impact. How you choose to utilize these three elements is up to you, and you can include them in whatever order you like in your feedback. Use the SBI feedback examples discussed in this article to include better structure and clarity in your feedback.

360-degree Feedback

The Go To Guide To Perfecting The Employee Engagement Survey

Employee disengagement is a global problem. Gallup’s study on workforce engagement found that, globally, 85% of employees are disengaged at work. It means they are not working at their full potential and do not add much value to the business.

The changing business landscape and the economic downturn, which have struck hard on employees and businesses alike has compounded the effect of disengagement. 

How do organizations then plan to stay productive and throttle at their full potential?

Enters employee engagement surveys, which help measure employees’ involvement and commitment to their jobs and provide insights into the various aspects of workplace engagement.

Interested in knowing how to effectively use engagement surveys to increase the productivity, efficiency, satisfaction, and commitment of employees? Then read on to the end to find out how to fix employee disengagement.

In this article, we will discuss the intricacies of employee engagement and discuss the following:

What is Employee Engagement?

Employee engagement is a measure of the level of dedication, enthusiasm, and passion that employees have for their work and the organization. It is the zeal and desire that employees have to go above and beyond their job roles.

Engaged employees are invested in their jobs and contribute more to the success of the company than their disengaged counterparts. They are more productive, more likely to stay with the company, and deliver high-quality work.

Employee engagement is often considered the cornerstone of business success. Engaged employees show more commitment towards business goals and values and help organizations succeed. They are ready to go the extra mile when needed, and they believe in making a difference through their efforts.” Srikant Chellappa, Founder & President, Engagedly.

What causes engagement among employees

It is the responsibility of the leaders to engage their employees to be successful in a dynamic marketplace. They can enhance engagement by establishing proper communication channels, making employees feel a part of the organizational journey, providing regular feedback, and offering rewards for excellent performance. 

The following key drivers of employee engagement must be monitored frequently by HR leaders to improve workforce engagement:

  • A positive and supportive company culture
  • Clear and effective communication
  • Opportunities for professional development
  • Recognition and rewards for good work
  • A sense of purpose and meaning in the work
  • A sense of belonging and inclusion in the workplace

By promoting employee engagement, organizations can foster a positive and productive work environment, which ultimately leads to better business outcomes.

Also Read: Best Employee Engagement Strategies for Better Workplace

What is an Employee Engagement Survey?

employee engagement survey: what it means?

An employee engagement survey is a tool used to measure the engagement level, commitment, and satisfaction of employees within an organization. 

The survey typically includes a set of standardized questions that employees are asked to answer anonymously. The various aspects that surveys focus on are employee experience, communication, work-life balance, recognition, and career development opportunities. 

The data collected through surveys is analyzed to identify the current engagement levels of employees, initiatives that are working well, and bottlenecks that need to be removed. Furthermore, the feedback provided by employees can help take actionable steps to improve overall employee engagement, satisfaction, performance, and experience.

It is important for organizations to regularly measure and monitor employee engagement to enhance the employee experience and help them stay productive. Implementing engagement initiatives such as employee recognition programs, professional development opportunities, and open communication channels can help boost engagement at different levels of the organization.

Also Read: 6 Smart Tools to Measure Employee Engagement

Employee Career Development

Importance of Employe Engagement: Global Data on Employee Engagement

​​The following facts and figures demonstrate the clear link between employee engagement and business outcomes and highlight the importance of investing in employee engagement for organizations.

  • Engaged employees are 21% more productive than their disengaged counterparts. (Source: Gallup)
  • Companies with engaged employees experience 2.5 times less turnover. (Source: Aon)
  • Engaged employees are 87% less likely to leave their company. (Source: Gallup)
  • Companies with high levels of employee engagement have a 41% lower absenteeism rate. (Source: Aon)
  • Engaged employees are more likely to drive innovation, as they are more willing to share new ideas and take initiative. (Source: Harvard Business Review)
  • Companies with engaged employees experience a 20% increase in sales. (Source: Dale Carnegie)
  • Engaged employees are more likely to be customers’ advocates, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. (Source: Gallup)
  • Engaged employees are more likely to stay with the company long-term and are less likely to seek new opportunities. (Source: SHRM)
Also Read: How To Set Employee Engagement OKRs To Make A Real Difference

What is the Purpose of Employee Engagement Surveys?

To remain competitive in a dynamic and ever-changing business environment, organizations need a dedicated, engaged, and productive workforce. This has led to a surge in the use of employee engagement surveys to collect qualitative and quantitative data to make consistent improvements in employee engagement and experience.

Studies have shown that employees who actively participate in employee engagement surveys tend to be more invested in their jobs and actively contribute to the growth of the organization. 

On the other hand, disengaged employees show decreased productivity and can even lead to negative customer experiences.

“Engaged employees are the driving force behind any successful organization, they are the ones who bring passion and purpose to their work, and ultimately drive the growth and success of the company. Investing in employee engagement not only improves morale and productivity, but also leads to higher retention rates and a stronger bottom line.” Jayashankar Balaraman – Founder CEO 

There could be various reasons for disengagement, such as dissatisfaction with the job role, a lack of trust in the survey process, distrust in management, a lack of communication skills, or a fear of giving honest feedback.

Disengagement is costly, and to combat it, organizations conduct employee engagement surveys that serve multiple purposes, such as:

  • Understanding the drivers of employee engagement and dissatisfaction
  • Identifying opportunities to improve communication and collaboration
  • Measuring the success of engagement initiatives
  • Identifying opportunities to improve the employee experience
  • Understand the drivers of employee retention
  • Identifying the initiatives that are working well
  • Driving behavioral changes in employees
  • Keeping a pulse on employee sentiment
  • Predictor of employee behavior

What are the Benefits of Employee Engagement Surveys?

Employee engagement is critical to the success of an organization. It helps businesses improve their overall performance by creating an engaged, dynamic, and committed workforce. Much research has shown that engagement is an indicator of progress, and companies with higher engagement indices do well, even in unprecedented situations. 

An employee engagement survey touches upon all aspects of a business and is known to benefit the following:

  • Identifying areas of improvement: They help identify specific areas where employees feel disengaged or where the company can improve.
  • Measuring engagement levels: Surveys can provide a quantitative measure of engagement levels, allowing organizations to track progress over time.
  • Understanding employee needs and expectations: They help understand the needs and expectations of their employees, which can inform decision making and improve employee satisfaction.
  • Improving communication and transparency: Surveys can help improve communication between management and employees, and increase transparency in the organization.
  • Boosting employee morale and retention: Engaged employees are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs and stay with the company longer, which can help boost morale and reduce turnover.
  • Avoiding Catastrophic Mistakes: Disengaged employees are more likely to make errors that can cause revenue loss. Conducting engagement surveys can help avoid such scenarios.
Also Read: 21 Best Employee Engagement Activities Your Team Will Actually Love

Best Practices to Create Employee Engagement Surveys

When creating employee engagement surveys, it is important to consider the following best practices:

  • Keep it short and focused: Use a limited number of questions that are directly related to the objectives of the survey.
  • Use open-ended and closed-ended questions: Use a mix of open-ended questions to gain qualitative insights and closed-ended questions to gain quantitative data.
  • Use clear and simple language: Avoid using jargon or complex language that might be difficult for some employees to understand.
  • Ensure anonymity: Make sure that employees feel comfortable providing honest and candid feedback by maintaining their anonymity.
  • Use a validated survey instrument: Use a survey instrument that has been validated and tested for reliability and validity.
  • Use a consistent format: Use a consistent format throughout the survey to make it easy for employees to understand and complete.
  • Allow for free-form feedback: Allow employees to provide free-form feedback, as it can provide valuable insights and context.
  • Provide context and background: Provide employees with context and background information about the survey and how the data will be used.
  • Consider the timing of the survey: The timing of the survey is of great importance to get a higher response rate and data accuracy.
  • Consider the frequency of the survey: Some organizations conduct surveys annually and then wait for a year to collect input from their employees. Much has already happened in the gap, and if their surveys are not accompanied by action, then it might result in disgruntled employees. Therefore, human resource managers must conduct engagement surveys regularly to send a message that employees’ input is valued.
  • Be responsive: Take action based on the survey results and communicate the actions taken to employees.
  • Use employee engagement software: Use a specialized tool or software to facilitate survey creation, distribution, and analysis.
Also Read: HR Leaders Strategies to Running Engagement Surveys

How to Create and Conduct Employee Engagement Survey

Creating an employee engagement survey is a tedious task. It requires months of planning to address the areas that the survey should touch upon and the involvement of employees from every level of the organization. 

To yield actionable results from surveys, HR managers should consider forming a cross-functional team of experts to look into different aspects of survey creation. 

The following points highlight the extensive process of creating employee engagement surveys:

Employee engagement infographic

Also Read: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating Engagement Survey

Smart Employee Engagement Survey Questions

Asking the right questions in employee engagement surveys is crucial, as it ensures that the survey addresses pressing issues, provides valuable insights, and solicits employee feedback.

Clear, relevant, and unbiased questions help to gather accurate data, identify patterns and trends, and inform actions for improvement. 

Additionally, it also helps to establish trust and confidence among employees that their feedback is valued and taken into account. You can refer to the below questions while drafting the survey:

  1. On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with your job?
  2. How well do you feel your job aligns with your personal values and goals?
  3. How well do you feel your immediate supervisor supports and encourages your professional development?
  4. How well do you feel your ideas and suggestions are heard and considered within the company?
  5. On a scale of 1 to 5, how strongly do you identify with the company’s mission and values?
  6. How well do you feel your contributions are recognized and valued within the company?
  7. How well do you feel you are able to balance your work and personal life?
  8. How well do you feel your workload is managed and that you have the necessary resources to complete your tasks?
  9. How well do you feel you are able to communicate with your coworkers and other departments within the company?
  10. How well do you feel the company promotes a positive and inclusive work environment?
  11. How well do you feel your job security and benefits meet your needs and expectations?
  12. How well do you feel your job provides opportunities for growth and advancement?
  13. How well do you feel the company’s management team responds to and addresses employee concerns?
  14. How well do you feel the company’s training and development opportunities meet your needs?
  15. How likely are you to recommend this company as a good place to work to others?

Employee Engagement

Employee Engagement Template

An employee engagement template is a tool that organizations can use to measure and track employee engagement levels. It typically includes a set of questions and/or surveys that employees are asked to complete, as well as a framework for analyzing the data collected and identifying areas for improvement.

Here is an example of an employee engagement template’s components:

  • Introduction: Provide an overview of the employee engagement survey and its purpose.
  • Demographics: Collect basic information about the employees taking the survey, such as job title, department, and length of time with the organization.
  • Engagement Factors: Ask questions related to the key factors that influence employee engagement, such as internal communication, leadership, recognition, and work-life balance.
  • Open-ended questions: Provide employees with an opportunity to share additional feedback and suggestions.
  • Action Plan: Use the data collected to identify areas for improvement and develop an action plan to address them.
  • Follow-up: Schedule a follow-up survey or meeting to check in on progress and measure the impact of the action plan.

It’s important to note that employee engagement surveys are not a one-time solution; they are an ongoing process. It’s important to track progress over time and make adjustments as needed.

Additionally, it’s also important to use a comprehensive employee engagement survey that is validated and benchmarked. With a validated survey, you can be sure that the results are reliable and meaningful.

Download the Engagedly Employee Engagement Survey Template

What to do with Employee Engagement Survey Results

The employee engagement survey forms the baseline for creating an action plan and implementing it across the organization. The real job starts after collecting the responses of employees in various key focus areas. 

Response data has to be thoroughly analyzed and subjected to various tests to check for validity and accuracy. To get the most out of the survey results, management must follow the following steps to create a strategic action plan:

Employee engagement survey results InfographicEmployee Engagement Survey with Engagedly

Employee engagement is a crucial metric for any organization, impacting productivity, retention, and overall success. However, accurately gauging employee sentiment and identifying key drivers of engagement can be challenging. Engagedly’s employee engagement survey offers a comprehensive and objective approach, empowering organizations to:

Gaining a Nuanced Understanding of Employee Sentiment:

  • Customized Surveys: Engagedly’s platform allows tailoring questionnaires to your specific organizational context and needs. This ensures the data collected is relevant and reflects your unique culture and challenges.
  • Multi-level Perspectives: Gather feedback from various levels of the organization, from senior management to individual contributors and across different departments. This holistic approach provides a richer understanding of employee sentiment and reveals potential blind spots.
  • Confidentiality and Trust: Engagedly prioritizes anonymity and data security, encouraging honest and unbiased feedback. This fosters trust and open communication, ensuring the data accurately reflects employee sentiments.

Identifying Key Drivers and Areas for Improvement:

  • Data-Driven Insights: Engagedly’s platform analyzes survey data using sophisticated algorithms to identify key drivers of engagement, satisfaction, and dissatisfaction. This reveals areas where your organization excels and pinpoints potential areas for improvement.
  • Benchmarking and Comparison: Compare your engagement metrics against industry benchmarks and best practices to understand your relative strengths and weaknesses. This allows you to prioritize improvement efforts effectively and focus on areas with the most significant impact.
  • Actionable Reporting and Visualization: Data is presented in clear and concise reports and dashboards, making it easy for everyone to understand the findings and take informed decisions. This promotes transparency and facilitates collaboration in addressing identified issues.

Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement:

  • Communication and Transparency: Share survey results and insights openly with employees, demonstrating your commitment to addressing their concerns and feedback. This builds trust and encourages engagement in the improvement process.
  • Action Plan Development: Work collaboratively with employees to develop actionable plans based on survey findings. These plans should outline specific steps, responsibilities, and timelines for addressing identified issues and improving engagement metrics.
  • Ongoing Monitoring and Evaluation: Implement pulse surveys and other feedback mechanisms to track progress and measure the effectiveness of implemented actions. This ensures continuous improvement and allows for adjustments to the plan as needed.

Engagedly’s employee engagement survey is not a one-time event; it’s a catalyst for positive change:

  • Enhanced Employee Motivation and Retention: By actively addressing employee concerns and improving the work environment, you can boost morale and reduce turnover, leading to a happier and more productive workforce.
  • Improved Productivity and Performance: Engaged employees are more productive, contribute more effectively, and are more likely to go above and beyond. This translates to increased organizational success and achievement.
  • Data-Driven Decision Making: The insights gleaned from the survey can inform strategic decisions across various areas, from talent management and compensation to communication and training programs. This data-driven approach helps you optimize your practices for long-term success.

Engagedly’s employee engagement survey is more than just a tool; it’s an investment in your workforce and your organization’s future. By providing valuable insights, driving actionable plans, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, it empowers you to create a thriving work environment where employees feel valued, engaged, and motivated to contribute their best.

free e10 Survey

Top Performance Review Phrases and Wordings

A performance review is a process of evaluating an employee’s performance on numerous parameters. It outlines various aspects of performance and provides in-depth feedback to employees so they can work productively.

While filling out a form about an employee’s performance is fairly easy, providing additional comments can be a considerable challenge for a manager. Performance review phrases are the words that a manager must use to provide open, actionable, and genuine feedback to an employee. Also known as “performance review comments,” they help in describing and identifying an employee’s behavior in a sensitive and careful way.

Continue reading “Top Performance Review Phrases and Wordings”

How Important is Feedback in Today’s World?

Feedback is a tricky module and we, at Engagedly, have been doing some in-depth research on it. While exploring various perspectives, we also came across The Feedback Fallacy. This research piece of Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall got us thinking about how best we can refine and implement a feedback procedure that will take us one more step closer to our holistic approach of employee fulfillment and people enablement.

About corrective or constructive feedback, the authors state that,

Focusing people on their shortcomings doesn’t enable learning; it impairs it.

Furthermore, they believe that excellence comes easily when we focus only on the positives, and do not dwell on the negatives:

It’s that people contribute their own unique and growing talents to a common good, when that good is ever-evolving, when we are, for all the right reasons, making it up as we go along. Feedback has nothing to offer to that.

While we do not completely agree to this claim, we do believe that constructive feedback, when put forth with tact and wisdom, can help employees and coworkers more than when we do not share any corrective feedback. Though, we do agree with the Harvard Business Review authors that harping only on the negatives can have adverse effects, and it can hamper employee productivity and engagement.

Also read: Getting Started With Real Time Performance Management

So what’s the best way of providing feedback?

It’s a million dollar question! The humans of Engagedly believe in sharing feedback that is constructive and reformative, yet encouraging. Here are some pointers that we like to keep in mind while sharing feedback:

Don’t assume:

While providing feedback, don’t assume what motivation or intention the feedback receiver had behind their actions. Our job is not to build up any stories around anything. It is important to keep aside anything that is not tangible truth and concentrate on articulating what your feelings are around it. You need to approach it from a position of humility, from your own point of view and express your experience and subjective observations.

Express with clarity:

It’s not a happy job to point out flaws in tasks or people. We are not asking you to… because they are not flaws. They are just roadblocks, which once removed, can serve as an impetus for tremendous growth. So when you share feedback with your employees or coworkers, express it with clarity. Let them know that, from your perspective, a slight change can bring about positive outcomes.

Don’t generalize:

Feedback that’s shared with the intent of growth and motivation, cannot focus on general statements and judgements. Because of our subjective opinions and perspectives towards situations, we do not hold the capability to share generalisations or judgements. Target specific behaviours or lack of them, and how that is affecting the output. That’s all should be the content of your feedback. It’s a direct and clearcut way of sharing feedback, without beating around the bush.

Example 1:

Manager: “Robert, your presentation could’ve been more elaborate. I could not get a hang of what you wanted to convey.”

The above example expresses a manager’s concern at not getting a clear picture out of a presentation, but he fails to convey, in which area it lacks clarity. When the same feedback is expressed differently, it can have a very positive impact on Robert.

Example 2:

Manager, “Robert, in my opinion, your presentation was crisp and precise. I loved the insightful information about conversions. But in the sales section, it would have helped me if the information was represented in numbers as well.

In the above example, the manager is very clear that it’s a subjective feedback, where Robert’s presentation helped him in certain ways, but failed to keep him well-informed with certain other data. There are no generalizations or judgements involved here.

Also read: Why Healthcare Administrators Should Set SMART Goals

Intention matters:

Yes, last but the most important point that we believe in, is intention. Anything you do with the right intention, will always reap the right outcome. So when we share feedback, we keep the intention of positivity and growth in our minds. We always strive to deliver feedback that help individuals detect the roadblocks and turn them into propellers towards success. We let the feedback receivers know that we care for them and wish for them to correct themselves and move towards fulfillment.

Without feedback, we cannot always know or be aware of the little roadblocks that are holding us back from achieving greatness. So it’s important for them to keep coming our way. It’s not the concept of feedback that is wrong, it’s how we share it, that makes the difference.

Now that we have shared our thoughts with you on how to share constructive feedback and whether feedback is an important element for success, we would love to know your thoughts on this matter. Feel free to drop in your comments below!


Engagedly is offering a suite of products part of its Remote Work Toolkit free to any organisation, until Sept 30th, 2020. 

The Coronavirus has affected the way we work today and for months to come. Unprecedented events require unprecedented measures. We at Engagedly believe it is our responsibility as socially conscious corporate citizens to help equip organisations with additional tools and resources during this time of crisis.


Do you want to know how Engagedly can help you with seamless Performance Evaluation? Then request for a live demo.

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Harnessing the Power of Employee Advocacy for Maximum Impact

When companies think of brand advocates, they usually consider external people. But some of the best cheerleaders of your brand can be your employees. 

Employees in branding

Employee advocacy is when an employee of the company acts as the spokesperson for their employer’s brand. It offers first-hand testimony of the company’s mission and values. It can enhance the company’s brand image, sales, marketing, talent acquisition, and other HR efforts if embraced properly. 

Your employees handle the operations up close and know your business better than anyone. Hence, they can highlight your qualities more coherently than any strategically curated copy. 

Through employee advocacy, your workforce provides an internal look into the company — something people can judge a brand by. 

But how do you harness its immense potential to yield the best benefits? In today’s article, we will discuss how you can create and implement a successful employee advocacy program. 

Key Areas of Focus for an Engaging Employee Advocacy Program

1. Recruitment

Recruitment

In this digital age, modern talents rely on the internet to look for their next job. Here, a strong employer brand can bring you the finest candidates.

Modern job seekers use social media and professional networks for their job search. When employees share brand content on their profiles and talk about their experiences positively, it encourages the top talents to join your company. 

An employee advocacy program can be a great idea, even for the most traditional types of business. Chad Romey from Blackburn Romey, a big law firm from Indiana, says, “ we focus on creating an inviting and supportive work environment that appeals to potential paralegal candidates, including competitive salaries, benefits packages, and ongoing career development opportunities. We are proud of the paralegals we have been able to attract and retain due to our successful employer branding strategy, which has helped us provide our clients with the best legal representation possible in all areas of personal injury law.

Companies can achieve that by creating a proper employee advocacy program. This way, they become the ambassadors of your employer brand and can endorse your company as a great place to work. Their validation holds much more credibility for aspiring candidates than any other advertisements. 

2. Culture

Team work and positive work culture

Employees will only endorse their employer’s brand if they are happy and engaged in the workplace. A happy employee nurtures the workplace and is much easier to work with. 

Focusing on employee advocacy can make your workers feel at home and equip them to thrive in their positions. You can avoid workplace conflicts more effectively, improve employee communications, and bring synergy. Your employee advocates nurturing your image to the outer world and creating a high-performance culture. 

Darshan Somashekar, who runs the puzzle platform im-a-puzzle, explains, “Our employee engagement surveys not only help us gauge our company culture’s effectiveness but also serve as a key indicator of the level of employee advocacy we have within our organization. The higher the engagement score, the stronger the employee advocacy, and vice versa. It’s a testament to the power of fostering a positive workplace culture and its impact on employee morale, motivation, and brand representation.

Also Read: Boost Your Employee Experience for a Better Customer Experience

3. Marketing

Brand marketing

When customers see an employee as a brand’s spokesperson, they consider their opinion more authentic. You can increase brand awareness by encouraging employees to share your content on their social media accounts.

You can also maintain control over the narrative through pre-structured content. Your employees can amplify them and personalize individual details. Plus, you’re likely to reach 10x more people by sharing content via employees.

4. Sales

Sales

You need to make the most of your website and social media to drive more sales and outperform your competitors. A focused employee advocacy program can help you up your digital performance by shining a light on positive employee experiences.

To put things in perspective, sales reps who regularly share high-quality content on their socials are 45% more likely to exceed their target. This not only boosts their morale but also shortens the sales cycle, leading to greater efficiency.

5. Customers

Customer satisfaction

Employee advocacy can increase brand awareness and credibility. When employees share information about the company, it is seen as more trustworthy than traditional advertising. Further, employee advocacy can lead to increased website traffic and lead generation. As employees share information about the company, they can link to its website, which can drive more traffic and leads.

Employee advocacy can even improve customer loyalty. When customers see a company’s employees are passionate about the company and its products or services, they are likely to become loyal customers. Finally, an employee advocacy program can improve employee engagement, customer service, and overall customer satisfaction.

Christian Belmont from Plixpay illustrates, “At Plixpay, we have found that employee advocacy is a powerful tool for increasing brand recognition and credibility. Our employees are often the first line of contact with potential customers, so having them share information about our company has been instrumental in driving more website traffic and leads. We’ve also seen customer loyalty rise as our employees demonstrate their enthusiasm for what we do.”

Steps to Start an Employee Advocacy Program

To help you show the way, here is a guide to creating an effective employee advocacy program:

1. Get stakeholder buy-in

The first step to building an employee advocacy program is getting the stakeholders on board. 

Start the process by securing organizational buy-in from C-level executives. Convey how a focused employee advocacy program can enhance employee engagement and help streamline operations. 

Present how satisfied employees are more productive and can deliver better customer experience.

Make it a point to communicate the importance of brand advocacy by shining light on the low up-front expenditure and boosted ROI.

By clearly communicating the benefits, you get the leadership’s assistance and will make implementing an employee advocacy program several times easier. 

Besides, departments like HR, marketing, and internal communications may have important roles in your advocacy initiative. So, early on, involving them in the planning process will help you stay aligned with your goals.

2. Decide objectives and goals

One of the most important parts of creating any strategy is to understand what you want to achieve through it in the first place. To build a successful employee advocacy program, define your overarching goals. This will help you direct your efforts in the right direction and achieve desired outcomes. 

For example, there will be times when your goal will be to build a strong talent acquisition structure through employee endorsements. In that case, you must prioritize channels where industry professionals look for jobs. 

Similarly, if your primary goal is to enhance your marketing efforts, targeting the social media space is wise for the best results. On the other hand, to improve the sales pipeline, you need to merge a strong referral program with your employee advocacy initiatives.

Bring these goals to your employees’ attention so they can help accordingly.

Also Read: 7 Steps to Setting Workplace Goals and Making Them Happen!

3. Develop a strategy

Now that you have a clear idea of the path, it’s time to develop it into a smartly mapped-out strategy. 

Before agreeing on a specific plan, bring finesse into your employee engagement plan

Once you have the proper motivation, make your employees understand how employee advocacy will help them grow their professional network and advance their career development. 

Include a clear social media policy in your employee advocacy strategy. Communicate company guidelines for online communication. This will help you avoid unforeseen outcomes and confusion among employees.

With well-defined do’s and don’ts, your workforce will feel more confident to share company-related content and participate in your employee advocacy program.

Give them suitable content according to the channels you choose. Consider involving your key employees in the content planning and creation process.

Steps to start an employee advocacy program

4. Implement the program

Once you get the basics out of the way, you are ready to launch your employee advocacy initiatives. Make sure you have a documented roadmap to follow. Check whether you have accounted for all the important elements so that harnessing the program becomes easier. 

To ensure the program is well-executed, it’s essential to establish a system for measuring and tracking its progress. Create a system for managing and monitoring the program actively. This includes assigning roles and responsibilities, providing feedback and recognition for employees who participate, and ensuring the program runs smoothly.

5. Measure and tweak

No matter how much effort you put into the planning, the program may not reach its full potential immediately. Every strategy drives proper results after testing, measuring, and adjusting the steps involved. 

Consider your goals and settle on how you will measure their success. Choose appropriate KPIs. Analyze your competitor’s employee advocacy strategy and create a benchmark. Keep track of metrics like participation of employees, social media reach, number of generated leads, sales figures, change in your follower base, etc. 

Once you launch employee advocacy initiatives, examine the candidates applying for jobs in your company. Track website traffic and see whether employee endorsements brought any substantial improvements. 

Based on your findings, you will know which parts of your employee advocacy strategy are working well and which areas need improvements. 

For example, when you see your online community responding well to the content your employees share, you will know your plan is going in the right direction. If you don’t see substantial reach or talent acquisition improvements, it’s time to tweak your strategy. 

Also Read: Top 5 Employee Goals and Objectives

Conclusion

Your employees humanize your brand. Your audience will trust the testimonials of your workers more than carefully curated advertisements. 

Thus, employee advocacy is one of the best tools you have for showing off your culture and leveraging the human element of your company.

However, implementing a successful employee advocacy program doesn’t have a paved road. You have to get buy-in from all the stakeholders and build a plan that aligns with your goals. You need to invest in employee upskilling and provide them with content they will be proud to share. 

With a systematic approach, you can bring the finest talents to your company, enhance your marketing efforts, drive increased ROI, and sustain it.

Goal Setting Module


Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What are the goals of employee advocacy?

Ans. The goals of employee advocacy can vary depending on the organization’s specific objectives, but some common goals include:

  • Building brand awareness: Employee advocacy programs can help increase brand awareness by leveraging the social networks of employees to share company content, news, and updates with their own connections.
  • Increasing employee engagement: By involving employees in the company’s marketing and branding efforts, employee advocacy programs can help improve employee engagement and morale, as employees feel more connected to the company’s mission and purpose.
  • Generating leads and sales: Employee advocacy can also help drive leads and sales by expanding the reach of the company’s marketing messages and driving traffic to the company’s website or other online channels.
  • Building thought leadership: Employee advocacy can help position the company and its employees as thought leaders in their respective industries by sharing valuable content, insights, and expertise.
  • Improving customer relationships: Employee advocacy can also help improve customer relationships by providing a more personal and authentic connection between customers and the company, as they interact with individual employees who represent the company.

Q2. Why is employee advocacy important for employees?

Ans. Employee advocacy is not only important for businesses, but also for employees themselves. By participating in an employee advocacy program, employees can become more engaged with their employer, build their personal brand, and grow their professional network. Additionally, by sharing positive information about their employer, employees can help attract top talent to the company and contribute to the overall success of the business. Plus, employee advocacy can be a fun and rewarding way for employees to connect with their colleagues and share their unique perspectives and experiences. So, if you’re an employee looking to take your career to the next level, consider getting involved in your employer’s employee advocacy program!

Employee Experience vs. Employee Productivity: Does One Affect the Other?

Employee productivity is completely separate from employee experience in the minds of many managers. But as many businesses are actively learning, this is usually a mistake. It’s a bad idea to consider employee experience as contrary to productivity. With the right tools and strategies, you can improve the experiences of your employees and see major benefits to your business’s bottom line. Today, let’s look at employee experience vs. employee productivity and examine how one affects the other.

Employee experience and productivity

What Is Employee Experience?

Employee experience is the aggregate metric for the quality of life employees experience at your business.

Think of employee experience as a combination of workplace culture, quality peer relationships, and the balance of workplace pressures and challenges. The better your employees’ experiences are, the more satisfied they will be working for your brand.

Positive work culture boosts employee productivity

Unfortunately, recent data indicate that employee experiences are universally low across industries. Some studies show that only 38% of employees are “highly satisfied” with everyday experiences in the workplace. Your brand can immediately set itself above the competition by going beyond this average metric.

Also Read: The Importance of Workplace Environment in Employee Engagement

Does Employee Experience Affect Employee Productivity?

Yes! Employee experience affects productivity in several ways:

  • It affects employee energy and drive. Generally, happy employees who are satisfied with their workplaces have more energy when they come to the office or worksite for the day. This translates to greater productivity and improved efficiency across the board.

 

  • It affects employee dedication when your business faces major challenges. Satisfied employees who like to work for your business are more likely to go above and beyond and help your business get through the tough times, while the reverse is true for unsatisfied employees.

 

  • It affects employee loyalty to your business. In a time when many brands struggle to retain top talent (since many millennial workers are more than happy to abandon a brand for a competitor if the price is right), this is a major factor you can’t afford to ignore. Happy employees are more loyal, plain, and simple.

 

Happy employees are productive

On some level, this is a no-brainer. Happy, satisfied employees who have reasonable challenges are more productive since they have more motivation to work hard for your company and the energy to get the job done.

In contrast, unsatisfied employees with more negative experiences than positive ones are less likely to give things 100%, especially when the going gets tough.

Does Focusing on Experience Reduce Productivity?

No. This is backward thinking that’s only practiced by a few managers. Focusing on employee experience doesn’t decrease productivity; it has the opposite effect.

While it’s true that improving employee experiences will necessitate reassigning some resources and undertaking new initiatives, those steps are normally well worth it. Improve your employees’ experiences dramatically, and you could see major boosts to your business in a matter of weeks.

Also Read: 7 Employee Motivation Strategies to Enhance Your Team’s Performance

5 Ways to Improve Employee Experience and Bolster Productivity

If you don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place. There are five big ways you can improve experiences for your employees and, in so doing, bolster productivity for your company.

Five ways to improve employee experience and productivity

Improve the Onboarding Process for New Hires

First, consider your current onboarding processes. Many businesses have less than stellar onboarding procedures, which typically throw new hires into the proverbial deep end without any tutorial materials or guidance.

Instead of overwhelming your new employees in their first week of work, consider these practices to create and maintain a much better, supportive onboarding experience for all new hires:

  • Assign each new employee a mentor to show them the ropes and break down their responsibilities.
  • Be sure to give new employees plenty of introductory materials, like manuals and guidebooks.
  • Don’t overwhelm new employees with too much or too complicated work at the start. Instead, give them manageable challenges for the first week or so.
  • Make sure your onboarding process uses intuitive, easy-to-navigate digital tools. This will ensure your employee has and knows everything they need to start working productively from day one.

Lean in to Remote Work

Next, consider allowing remote work like many competing brands. Remote work isn’t going away – the COVID-19 pandemic has standardized the expectation of flexible work schedules for employees across industries.

Rather than fighting against this trend, focus on the positives (for example, you may have to pay less for office space if you can downsize into a smaller building). In any case, offer employees remote work options where appropriate and possible, and let them enjoy part-time in-office work so they can spend more time on their hobbies or caring for their kids.

Also Read: How to Develop and Sustain Employee Engagement in a Remote Workplace

Emphasize Clear Communication Channels

Clear communication is an important executive business principle in general, but it’s also vital if you want to improve employee experiences at your company.

Clear communication channels include clear ways for employees to send reports or make requests to management and speak to their supervisors.

For the best results, consider starting and keeping an open-door policy as the leader of your business. Allow your employees to bring concerns to you whenever they have them. This will improve trust in your leadership style and help you keep tabs on your company’s health much better than if you heard everything secondhand from your HR department.

Focus on Workplace Culture

Your workplace culture is a major part of how your business feels and runs. If your workplace culture suffers, so too will employee experiences.

Focus on improving workplace culture as much as possible by doing things like:

  • Holding more after-office parties and social occasions, like cocktail hours. This gives people a chance to make friends and socialize outside the workplace.
  • Having “employee of the month” or other celebratory events to highlight rockstar employees at your company.
  • Get rid of bad actors or negative employees whose attitudes drag everything down. Those employees can have negative effects on other workers at your brand and ruin their experiences.

Offer Workplace Perks

Lastly, consider offering more workplace perks. Competitive pay is always important, but employee experiences are more directly impacted by workplace perks like free coffee, gym memberships, on-site daycare for kids, and so on.

In addition, remarkable or unique workplace perks will help your brand stand out from competing organizations in the same industry. This can help you attract new employees and bolster productivity by bringing the most competitive, talented workers to your company.

Wrap Up

As you can see, employee experience has a direct and important effect on overall employee productivity. Improving the experiences of your employees typically leads to improved performance, too. Therefore, it’s in your brand’s best interest to cultivate a strong, supportive workplace culture and experience for each worker.



Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How does experience affect productivity?

Ans. Experience can have a significant impact on productivity. As you gain more experience in a particular field or job, you develop a deeper understanding of the tasks involved and the most efficient ways to complete them. This can help you work more quickly and accurately, leading to increased productivity. Additionally, experienced workers are often better at identifying potential issues before they arise and coming up with effective solutions. However, it’s important to note that experience alone is not enough to guarantee productivity; you also need to have the right mindset and work ethic. Nonetheless, the experience can certainly be an asset in improving productivity.

Q2. What is the correlation between employee satisfaction and productivity?

Ans. Employee satisfaction and productivity are strongly correlated.

  • Happy and content employees tend to be more engaged in their work and are motivated to perform well.
  • Unhappy employees may lack enthusiasm and engagement, resulting in lower productivity and subpar performance.
  • Employers who prioritize employee satisfaction through initiatives such as flexible work schedules, work-life balance programs, and recognition and rewards programs may see an increase in productivity as a result.
  • Neglecting employee satisfaction can lead to high turnover rates and decreased productivity, ultimately hurting the bottom line.

Author: Nahla Davies

Nahla Davies is a software developer and tech writer. Before devoting her work full time to technical writing, she managed – among other intriguing things – to serve as a lead programmer at an Inc. 5,000 experiential branding organization whose clients include Samsung, Time Warner, Netflix, and Sony.


 

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