Book Demo
Sign in

Tag: employee engagement activities

Employee Engagement Activities That Your Employees Will Love

Employee engagement is essential for every organization. Now that employees are returning to the office after a long gap of two years, they are certainly going to experience some hiccups in settling down.

But as a manager, you can help them get past the initial inhibitions to get connected with their team members and try to enhance their engagement in the workplace culture. You can try out some employee engagement activities that will motivate employees and push them to take more ownership and responsibilities.

We all know how important employee engagement is. However, only a handful of organizations have been able to understand that it is a continuous and ongoing process. To reap the benefits of a highly engaged workforce, leaders need to keep working on some strategies to make employees feel more involved and valuable in the workplace.

To help you get started with employee bond building, we have come up with a list of 22 out-of-the-box employee engagement activities that you can carry out on a budget! If the budget is not a constraint, take a look at 6 creative ideas for employee engagement!

An employee engagement survey can help you get the pulse of your workforce. Understanding their concerns and problems should be your priority. Check out our step-by-step guide on how to create and utilize an employee engagement survey in your organization.

Take a look here.  “Your Ultimate Guide To Employee Engagement Survey And Templates”.”

22 Employee Engagement Activities for 2024

While there are multiple ways to engage employees, it is important to use activities that put them at the center. Here are the ten amazing employee engagement activities for 2022.

employee engagement activities

1. Movie Marathon

This employee engagement event is simple and self-explanatory. On a Friday evening or any day really, ask your employees to come armed with a mat and a snack of their choice, queue up a list of movies, and get to watching!

Employee engagement is not just about how invested an employee is in the organization. Employees also need to know and experience that it is okay to relax and have fun in the workplace. Engagement is not about work alone!

2. Breaking Bread (Potluck Lunch)

You can divide this activity into teams and groups based on the number of people in your organization. All that needs to happen is that each person needs to bring in one dish that they want to share with everybody. Food breaks many barriers and will give your employees a chance to relate to each other on a level that is not work-related. You can also incorporate knowledge-sharing sessions to foster learning and bond-building.

Also Read: 6 Tools to measure employee engagement

3. Recognition Programs

Saying a few kind or good words about a colleague and their accomplishments (weekly or bimonthly, that’s up to you) takes next to no effort and does not cost any money at all. Maybe every Friday, you could set aside an hour in the evening when colleagues and managers can praise a fellow employee.

4. Hosting Contests

A contest that has a reasonable objective that can be met and an adequate reward for meeting the objective is a surefire way to give your employees adequate cause to be engaged.

Incentives have always been a great way to motivate and engage employees. You just need to figure out what objective needs to be met and which reward should be offered. These contests need not be big office-wide contests. Rather, it can be specific to each team, and the manager of the team will be the one who decides the objective and the reward.

Also Read: Smart goals for employee engagement

5. Do-Nothing Day

Before you scoff, hear us out. The ideal employee should be engaged. However, they shouldn’t be so engaged that they actually burn out because of all the hard work they are putting in. A do-nothing day is exactly what it means—a day where you do absolutely nothing. Let your employees come to the office, chill out, hang out, talk to colleagues, talk to people other than their team members, and basically view the office as a place where they can also relax and have fun, besides working hard!

6. Allow Pets In Office 

Employees love it when they can just walk into the office with their pets and watch them while working. You can also create some special events in which employees can dress up their pets and get themselves clicked in the office. Gifting them a loveable picture of their pets will surely make them happy. Moreover, such events will help employees break barriers and connect with each other.

7. Sports Events 

Sports bring people together. There is no doubt that people love to be involved in sports activities, and offering them that right in the office will cheer them up. It also leads to team building, ideation, and brainstorming. Just book a basketball, baseball, or cricket field and invite employees to let their inner sportsmen shine. Furthermore, for employees who are interested in some indoor activities, you can utilize some office space for organizing events.

8. Celebrate Special Events Like Birthdays And Work Anniversaries 

You want to see your employees happy on their special days. Singing happy birthday for them and gifting them a personalized card will break shackles and help them connect better within teams. You can also go a step ahead and decorate their cubicle or the whole bay to make them feel special.

9. Welcoming New Hires 

Your employee engagement activities should not be restricted to only tenured employees. It must encompass new hires right from their very first day in the office. Gifting them a welcome card or some nice gadgets that they can use to increase their productivity and understand their work will make them feel included and part of the company from the first day.

10. A Healthy Nap Time 

Well, this might sound a bit odd, but it works wonders for employees. Our biological clocks work differently, and many people find it difficult to stay productive for the whole day without taking some time out for rest. Offering your employees some nap time in the office will enhance their productivity and keep them focused on work.

Employee Engagement

11. Book Clubs 

Encourage employees to form a book club where they can pick a book to read together and then gather periodically to discuss their thoughts. This promotes a sense of community and intellectual engagement. Consider rotating the responsibility of choosing books among team members to ensure a diverse range of reading materials.

12. Skill Swap Sessions 

Organize sessions where employees can share their unique skills or hobbies with their colleagues. This can range from teaching a language, cooking, or even demonstrating a craft. Create a schedule that allows different employees to showcase their talents, fostering a culture of continuous learning and appreciation for diverse skills.

13. Wellness Challenges 

Launch wellness challenges that focus on aspects like daily steps, hydration, or mindfulness. Providing small incentives or recognition for achieving health goals can motivate employees. Establish a supportive environment by creating wellness teams, encouraging friendly competition, and celebrating milestones collectively.

14. Random Acts of Kindness Day 

Designate a day where employees perform random acts of kindness for their colleagues. It could be as simple as leaving a positive note or helping with a task. This fosters a positive and supportive workplace culture. Encourage employees to share their acts of kindness during team meetings, spreading positivity and reinforcing a sense of community.

15. Escape Room Adventure 

Take the team to an escape room where they must work together to solve puzzles and “escape” within a set time. This promotes teamwork, problem-solving, and a bit of excitement. Debrief the experience afterward to discuss the teamwork dynamics observed and relate them to workplace collaboration and problem-solving.

16. Themed Dress-Up Days 17.

Introduce fun and lighthearted-themed dress-up days. This can include retro day, superhero day, or any theme that adds a touch of playfulness to the workplace. Rotate the responsibility for selecting themes, allowing employees to contribute to the creative and enjoyable atmosphere.

17. Team-Building Retreat 

Plan a day or weekend retreat focused on team-building activities. This allows employees to bond outside the usual work environment, enhancing collaboration and communication. Incorporate reflective sessions to discuss how team-building activities can be applied to improve daily work interactions.

18. Gratitude Wall 

Set up a gratitude wall where employees can express their appreciation for their colleagues by posting notes of thanks. This promotes a positive and appreciative atmosphere. Periodically review and celebrate the notes during team meetings, reinforcing a culture of gratitude and recognition.

19. Lunch and Learn Sessions 

Arrange regular lunchtime sessions where employees can share their expertise or experiences on various topics. This promotes continuous learning within the organization. Encourage interactive discussions and provide a platform for employees to suggest future topics, fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing.

20. Creative Workspace Makeover 

Allow employees to participate in a creative makeover of their workspace. This could involve rearranging furniture, adding plants, or decorating the area to make it more personalized and inspiring. Schedule a “workspace reveal” day where employees showcase their revamped spaces, fostering a sense of pride and ownership.

21. Community Volunteer Day 

Dedicate a day for employees to engage in community service or volunteer activities together. This not only fosters a sense of social responsibility but also strengthens team bonds as employees work towards a common cause outside the office environment. Reflect on the impact of the volunteer activities during team meetings, reinforcing the connection between community engagement and team cohesion.

22. Show and Tell Sessions

Organize periodic “Show and Tell” sessions where employees share interesting aspects of their personal lives or hobbies. This provides a platform for team members to connect on a personal level, fostering a more inclusive and friendly workplace culture. Rotate the hosting of sessions, allowing different team members to take the lead and share their unique stories or interests.

Engaged employees are the most valuable resources for an organization. It is the responsibility of leaders to focus on creating a healthy, happy, and productive environment where engagement can be cultivated.

We hope the employee engagement activities discussed in this article will be helpful to you.

Talent Management Software

Subscribe To The Engagedly Newsletter


Strategies to Strengthen your Employer Brand Through Employee Engagement

Workplace engagement has become an important topic for organizations of all sizes in recent years. With employees feeling more connected to their work than ever before, employers need to create a strong employer brand that resonates with workers and encourages them to be engaged in their jobs. 

Employee engagement is a critical factor in the success of any organization. Talent is scarce and top talent is hard to find and keep, so businesses need to put their best foot forward when it comes to attracting and retaining employees. Employer brand is essential to the success of any business. When employees are engaged and motivated, they are more productive and creative, which can lead to better outcomes for the company. However, it can be difficult to maintain high levels of engagement over time.

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

The new normal of workplace engagement is filled with opportunities and challenges. Whether we like it or not, the way we engage with our colleagues has changed significantly. For businesses, one of the biggest challenges is how to keep employees engaged. After all, engagement is essential for productivity and motivation. Fortunately, there are a few key things that businesses can do to promote engagement in the new normal. These include providing opportunities for connection, encouraging collaboration, and promoting flexible work arrangements.

As we adapt to this new landscape, employers need to find new and creative ways to keep their employees engaged. It is important to keep a few things in mind. First, focus on connection and building relationships. Second, create a clear communications plan. Third, think outside the box when it comes to finding engaged employees. In addition, creating a positive workplace culture is essential for keeping employees happy and productive. Lastly, always be prepared to pivot and adjust as needed.

In this article, we will discuss some recommended strategies you can use to strengthen your workplace engagement and improve your employer brand. 

1. Define what workplace engagement means to your organization

When it comes to workplace engagement, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Every organization is different, so it is important to define what engagement means for your company. What are your goals for engagement? What does a successful workplace look like for you? By answering these questions, you can start to develop a strategy that will work best for your business.

2. Create a positive company culture

Positive company culture is essential for attracting and retaining employees. Workers want to feel like they are part of something larger than themselves and that their work has meaning. When employees feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to be engaged in their work.

3. Communicate the company’s vision and values

Employees need to know what the company stands for and where it is going. By communicating the company’s vision and values, you can help employees understand their role in the organization and how their work contributes to the business’s overall goals.

4. Offer opportunities for professional development

Investing in employee development shows your commitment to employee growth and success. By offering opportunities for professional development, you can help employees build their skills and knowledge, which can lead to higher levels of engagement.

5. Encourage employees to take part in the decision-making

When employees feel like they have a say in decisions that affect their work, they are more likely to be engaged in their jobs. By encouraging employees to take part in decision-making, you can create a more participatory culture and tap into the creativity and knowledge of your workforce.

6. Promote a healthy work-life balance

A healthy work-life balance is essential for keeping employees engaged in their work. When workers feel like they have time for their personal lives, they are less likely to experience burnout and more likely to be productive when they are at work.

7. Recognize and reward employees for their contributions

Recognizing and rewarding employees for their hard work is a great way to show your appreciation and keep them engaged in their jobs. There are many different ways to recognize and reward employees, so find what works best for your organization.

8. Provide employees with tools and resources

Employees need the right tools and resources to do their jobs effectively. By providing employees with the resources they need, you can help them be more productive and engaged in their work.

9. Encourage employee input and feedback

Employers need to hear the voices of their employees in the workplace. By encouraging employee input and feedback, you can create a more open and collaborative environment where workers feel comfortable sharing their ideas.

Also Read: A Guide To Effective Employee Feedback

10. Celebrate Successes Together

Celebrate success as a team to foster a sense of unity and engagement among employees. This way, everyone feels like they are part of a winning team, which further motivates them to work towards their goals efficiently.

By investing in employee engagement, you can create a more positive company culture, improve communication, and promote a healthy work-life balance. These strategies will help you attract and retain the best employees, which can lead to increased productivity and profitability for your organization.

Conclusion

So, what is the takeaway? A strong employer brand strategy is key to attracting and retaining top talent. And, employee engagement is a big part of that equation. There are many ways to strengthen the employer brand through employee engagement. What will you do to make sure your employees feel connected to your company and its mission? 

By implementing some of the strategies we have outlined in this article, you can start strengthening the employer brand and improving workplace engagement. As you can see, all of these strategies require a commitment from leadership to change the company culture and make employees feel valued. 

 

Want to know how Engagedly can help you improve employee engagement? Book a live demo with us.

Request A Demo

This article is written by Ron Evan.

Ron Evan is the Link Building Manager at Thrive Digital Marketing Agency, and he enjoys writing about psychology, traveling, HR, and digital marketing. Nearly four years ago, he accidentally stumbled into the digital marketing field. Since then, he has contributed to major websites such as Entrepreneur, Medium, UpCity, and Yahoo with his articles and commentaries. He is currently based in Taiwan pursuing an MBA with a focus on marketing and HR.

21 Best Employee Engagement Activities Your Team Will Actually Love

Companies around the world are all facing the same problem: employee retention. From huge corporations to small businesses, employers are losing their workers at a faster rate than ever before. In what everyone calls now the time of the ‘Great Resignation,’ there’s never been a stronger drive for companies to find ways to keep their workers motivated and happy in their jobs. 

But, let’s face it. Employee engagement is a difficult task. Workers—especially the young and passionate ones (Millennials and Gen Z)—are not just satisfied with better pay or a cushy corner office. They want work that makes them feel valued, gives them opportunities to grow, and respects their right to have a healthy work-life balance. In this article, we’re going to list 21 ideas on employee engagement activities you can try to boost team spirits and company morale. Let’s get started.

1. Work From Home Policy 

In March 2022, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that more than 4.5 million American workers quit their jobs. This is the highest number since December 2020 after the labor market started collapsing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with this is the rise of remote jobs and work-from-home policies. More and more companies are now allowing their employees to work from the comfort of their homes to prevent infections in the office. 

Apart from preventing the spread of the virus, working from home is also a great solution to the myriad work and economic issues that we’re facing today. First, it can save gas and time on the commute. With inflation making everything expensive, who wants to spend half their salary on gas? Second, it’s a good option for employees who find that they’re more productive while working from home than in the office.

2. Employee of the Month 

Sometimes, you don’t need fancy travel incentives and other expensive perks to keep employees happy. All you have to do is acknowledge their hard work. In a recent survey made by Glassdoor, data shows that 53% of employees stay longer at their company if they feel they’re appreciated by their employer. 

So, how do you show appreciation? One way is through an employee of the month award. These monthly awards are prizes that companies give out to workers who have shown the best performance during the month. Recognizing top performers is a fantastic way to motivate them to continue delivering outstanding results. An employee of the month prize can be as simple as a shoutout on the company Slack, additional incentives such as paid leaves, or a well-thought-out gift. Employee recognition gifts are great investments for maintaining a workplace’s high performance.

3. Knowledge-Sharing System

Knowledge in the right hands can be extremely powerful. In the workplace, knowledge-sharing activities are a great way to empower your workers. By giving your employees access to the knowledge and tools they need to produce better and more accurate output, you can help them excel at their work. Employees who are hitting their goals at work feel motivated and happy with their jobs. 

There are many ways to implement knowledge-sharing systems in your workplace. The easiest is by creating a handbook for employees, another is through company wikis about jobs and tasks, and probably the best is through coaching whether it’s peer-to-peer or through a mentorship program. Just like how a good helpdesk software improves customer service, a good knowledge-sharing system can improve your employee’s experience.  

4. Annual Office Vacation Trip

It’s time more employers learn the important benefits of time-offs, downtimes, and vacations. Vacation trips and in this case, annual company trips are amazing ways to reward employees after a busy work year. If your team suffers from a lack of harmony and poor relationship, a company trip can be a great solution. 

Travel bonds people. If you travel with your co-workers, you’ll experience a better sense of camaraderie once you all return to the office. Furthermore, a company trip can be a special goal everyone will look forward to at the end of the year. It’s a great topic to talk about, plus you can have a fun meeting to involve everyone during the planning process.  

5. Office Parties / Bar Nights 

More than just free booze, a good office party can be a good way to let off steam after a hectic week. They’re also fun and exciting ways to bond with your colleagues, especially those who you might not have the opportunity to work with at the office. 

Parties and similar kinds of social events provide everyone in the team the opportunity to connect on a personal level, something quite hard to do during office hours. Informal office parties can also boost employee morale and create a better working atmosphere. If everyone in the team gets along well, both productivity and efficiency can increase.  

6. Team Surveys 

How can a company uncover the secrets to better employee engagement? Well, what if you just ask the employees themselves? Team surveys or employee surveys are helpful ways to understand your employees and their feelings about work. Through surveys, employers can have insights into where their employees are struggling the most and what are the ideal solutions to it. 

When you don’t ask for your employee’s feedback and opinions, it also means one thing: you don’t care about them. Surveys give your employees a voice. It means you’re considering their needs and wants. So, the simple act of conducting these surveys can boost their morale and positive feelings about the company. 

Also Read: 10 Best Practices for Running Employee Engagement Surveys

7. Bring Your Pets to Work Day

Bringing pets to work is a perk that not many companies can do—but for those who can, it’s one of the best employee retention programs. In fact, according to recent reports, Gen Z and Millennials are willing to reduce work hours (and even switch jobs!) just to spend more time with their furry best friends.  

This isn’t surprising, knowing the amazing benefits of pets in the workplace. According to studies, employees who can bring their pets to work experience lower stress levels. It’s also believed that pets can bring employees closer together—especially those who share a similar affinity with the same kind of animals. 

A word of advice: Before considering including this perk in the workplace, ensure that your office is ready. Many companies who’ve implemented this have gone through several issues that could have been solved with proper preparation. 

8.  Birthday and Milestones Celebration

Celebrating employee birthdays and work anniversaries may seem a little too extra—after all, these people are adults not kids at preschool. However, the reality is that if you want to feel more connected to your team members, you have to earn their trust. Trust happens when you bond with them over special moments and milestones in their life. 

Celebrations don’t have to be grand either. It can be as simple as a birthday cake, gift cards, or a popular company perk (like travel incentives, or a gym and spa free pass). The important thing here is that you don’t miss the opportunity to give back to employees who work hard for your business. 

9.  Flexible Hours

Flexible work hours used to be a perk only for a gig and freelance workers. However, today, it has become one of the hottest employee perks often mentioned during the hiring stage to lure top talents in. And with more and more employers seeing the benefits of flexible working on employee well-being, experts predict that it might soon be normalized in every office in the world. 

When employees are given the freedom to choose their work hours, they feel more in control, less overwhelmed, and happy with their work. There’s also less chance of burn-out and absences due to poor scheduling. 

10. Team Lunches

There’s no better way to connect and bond with people than by sharing meals. Eating is an intimate activity, it allows you to spend time with your colleague outside of work, which naturally brings you closer to your coworkers.

When you eat together, conversations just flow naturally—and informal interactions increase—these are all important in building friendship and trust. The workday can feel lonely and stressful at times and without any form of socialization, anyone can easily get overwhelmed. Team lunches help your employees let off steam so they can go back feeling energized and motivated to power through their tasks for the rest of the day. 

11. Mentorship Programs

More than half of Fortune 500 companies today have mentorship programs for one simple reason: it works. As an activity to help new hires and veterans adapt to company changes, mentorship programs prove to be an affordable and amazing solution to employee disengagement. These programs provide access to training that new hires crave—and can help show employers which employees have the potential to grow and develop within the company. 

Mentorship programs give companies insights into problems that their employees face. It can also show the strengths and weaknesses of company policies. Finally, a good mentorship program can help managers know the right learning opportunities to give their employees. 

12. Volunteer Programs

Volunteering is known to be one of the most rewarding employee engagement activities. Not only does it provide a sense of accomplishment, but it also increases people’s confidence. If you want your employees to feel engaged and motivated at work, implementing a volunteer program can be the best way.

One way to do this is by offering paid time off for volunteering jobs. Another way is by partnering with nonprofit organizations and taking part in their volunteer events. If done the right way, volunteer programs can improve morale, reduce employee turnover, and boost employee engagement. 

13. Health and Wellness Programs 

Health and wellness perks are some of the most sought-after incentives in the workplace. Not only do these programs promote better well-being, but they also boost employee satisfaction. Satisfied employees are usually healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

So, if you wish to have happy workers who perform well and do their best at their jobs, you should also invest in their health. In line with the growing wellness movement around the world, wellness programs create a positive workplace where employees feel valued and appreciated. 

Also Read: The Complete Guide To Employee Health And Wellbeing Strategy

14. Video Games and Tournaments

Once upon a time, video games at work were strictly prohibited. The workplace was never a place for fun or competition because employers thought it would hinder productivity. Enter the 21st century. Now, games are often included in the workplace. Studies have found that games can boost team morale and the motivation of employees in the office. Games also motivate employees to work toward the same goals. It improves camaraderie and trust, and strengthens friendship. 

15. Corporate Fun Runs

Fun runs are all the rage these days. So, if you’re looking for employee engagement activities that can involve the whole office, this is a good option. Aside from being a good team-building activity, fun runs also provide amazing socialization opportunities for everyone on the team. Plus, fun runs are one step to motivating employees to be fitter and healthier. 

16. Offer Free Courses 

Another way to motivate workers is to provide them with training that will help them advance in the workplace. High-performing employees and top company assets are always the first ones to jump into any opportunity to develop their skills. Providing them with the necessary training can help them further develop their talents, which they can use for the organization’s success. 

17. Free Snacks and Coffee

If you want to delight your employees, food is the answer! Free lunch might be too expensive for some businesses, but snacks and coffee can fit any company budget to make your staff happy. When offering free snacks, it’s highly recommended to choose healthy options instead of sugar-rich, carbonated junk foods. 

18. Special Projects 

Other than good pay and training, another great employee engagement activity you can try to engage employees is special projects. Special projects are opportunities that widen your employee’s experiences. Special projects are often related to work, but they can also be more fulfilling than simple work tasks.

An example of a special project would be allowing an employee to work in a new state or country for a couple of months. Or allowing employees to participate in annual contests like the prestigious Google Code Jam or Amazon’s Hackathons. 

19. Brainstorming Sessions

The best way to solve problems is through discussion. Instead of picking a handful of people to solve an issue, try to always facilitate frequent brainstorming sessions with the team. During the brainstorming meeting, allow everyone to speak and be heard. You can also have everyone write down their answers on a channel or board if there are too many employees for the allotted meeting time. 

20. Work-Life Balance Support

It’s no secret that employees who have a good work-life balance perform better at work. Not only do they experience less burnout, but they also feel valued and appreciated. Employees who are given realistic work expectations and have more control of their time feel more motivated to work. 

Also Read: HR Management Software For Work-Life Balance

21. Remote Work Stipend and Allowances 

Now that many offices are offering remote work options and work-from-home policies, employers are also saving a lot of money on office headspace and supplies. These savings can be used to give employees stipends and allowances. Some of the best examples of remote work stipends are internet and phone packages, office equipment (ergonomic desks + chairs, laptops, extra monitors, etc.), and access to coworking spaces. 

Highly Engaged Employees Always Bring Out Their Best 

In an ever-evolving business landscape, your employees will always be your greatest and most important asset. Investing in their growth and success is not only good for them, but it’s good for your business’s future as well. The proper use of employee engagement ideas mentioned above can be a highly effective strategy to improve employee satisfaction and employee retention.

 

Do you want to know how Engagedly can help you increase employee engagement? Book a live demo with us.

Request A Demo

This article is written by Melissa Won.

Melissa Won - Guest Author

Melissa has 9 years of digital marketing experience with a leading multinational company. She also has a proven track record in handling several brands targeting different consumer groups.

Why is employee engagement important for your company?

Employee engagement has different meanings for different people. Some might say it means motivated employees, whereas others may insist that it refers to happy or satisfied employees.

What ideally does employee engagement mean?

Employee engagement focuses on employees’ commitment towards their work, aligned with the objectives and values of the company. Specifically, engaged employees show an interest in their work not only because they are being paid. Rather, they care about the company’s growth, as their development is linked to the company’s development.

This article focuses on why employee engagement is important; how it can be achieved, and its benefits.

Also read: Employee Turnover:Know Why Employees Quit

Relationship between working environment and employee engagement

Employee engagement can be visibly noticed in a positive working environment wherein employees can perform efficiently and with freedom. According to studies, investing in such an environment leads to more engaged employees, which boosts organizational performance and profitability. For the same, it is necessary to identify the employee engagement objectives that support an employee’s overall growth.

A look at the purpose of employee engagement activities

Employee engagement activities are aimed at creating a motivated and engaged workforce. This may be accomplished by putting in place an employee-centric environment and employee engagement initiatives that will help your team.

Factors that would help foster employee engagement 

The key to achieving employee engagement is to implement strategies that address the below key engagement areas:

  • Aligning employees with the core values of the business
  • Enhancing productivity 
  • Creating a better working environment
  • Identifying employee behavior
  • Encouraging employees to do their best
Also read: 5 Reasons Why You Need A Performance Management Software

Techniques to encourage employees through employee engagement activities

Different techniques for getting employees involved in their day-to-day work are as follows:

A well-thought-out hiring approach     

For a company to be successful, it must first recruit and retain motivated employees. Employee evaluation should not be solely on their skills, but personality and outlook should also be given consideration. In other words, employment monotony is not suitable for someone who needs variation in his job. This is where recruiting strategy comes into play, as it ensures that only those candidates whose experience and qualifications match the job description are hired. 

Introduce employee-first workplace culture     

In an employee-first workplace culture, employees feel their voice is heard and respected, and they feel comfortable sharing concerns. Thus, in an employee-first culture, every employee believes that he is free to be himself at work. 

When you force people to mold their personalities to suit a rigidly defined company work model, you are restricting them from contributing their unique talents, perspectives, and new ideas to the table. 

We all perform the best when we’re free to be ourselves, so don’t restrict your employees, or you’ll witness a slump in their motivation and engagement levels, along with a higher attrition rate. 

This would result in unnecessary or extra expenditure due to constant hiring. Therefore, understand the importance of staff engagement and keep your best people on board, since it will be beneficial to your company.

Recognize your winners through performance culture     

A performance-based culture refers to the best possible employee treatment at work so that the employee performs optimally, contributing to the company’s growth. Employees should never be promoted based on favoritism; rather, an empirical evaluation of job performance should take precedence. 

Clearly outlining goals and objectives for employees is one important approach to achieve this. By making performance management as open and data-driven as possible, you can ensure that all employees take a lot of interest in their job and are accountable for meeting their targets. 

The tie-up of OKRs and KPIs to data points instead of ambiguous criteria allows all employees to see who is doing well and why. This way, they will have a clear idea of the parameters of employee evaluation. 

Involve Your Employees

If you understand why employee engagement is important, you would focus on providing opportunities to all employees. This way, they would feel like they’re a part of the team, and it would help them to take on more challenging work. Present the most pressing challenges in your organization and observe the steps taken to solve them. Consider involving your employees in planning ahead, assessing prospects, and improving company strategy.

Embrace Flexibility when it comes to working hours

Long hours in the workplace are no longer a sign of a dedicated, engaged worker. True involvement entails doing meaningful, intelligent work. An effective way to increase productivity is often to allow more freedom during the workweek. Which makes sense: 10 hours of 70 percent performance or eight hours of 100 percent performance?

Create a flexible work environment that promotes effective, focused work rather than useless busy work style. Flexible work hours, remote work, holiday entitlements, and sabbaticals are ways to provide flexibility to your employees.

Understand what flexibility means to your employees: it might vary from person to person.

Investment in regular training

Spend on your employees’ professional growth through training to create a team of empowered people who will enthusiastically put their newfound talents to the test.

Ensure that you have the right tools in place to make learning enjoyable and accessible. Consider deploying the latest training technologies to show your employees that you’re eager to invest in their ongoing learning and development.

Developing thorough training programs is important not just for keeping employees interested and involved in their jobs, but they also yield positive outcomes. According to a recent study, businesses that offer in-depth training programs earn a 24 percent higher profit margin and their per-employee income increases by 218 percent. 

Although training and development programs require an initial investment, continuing to invest in an employee’s growth yields significant returns. 

Also read: 5 Tips For Building A Learning Culture In An Organization

Open lines of communication     

It is critical that you foster a working atmosphere in which employees feel free to share their views, strategies, and methods of working, without any fear of judgment or retaliation. It’s really bothersome to have an idea disregarded, without due evaluation or respect for its virtues. Hence, always encourage them to discuss their ideas and recommendations. These discussions will keep you informed about what’s going on at work. Thus, the importance of work engagement based on the values of open communication has a direct impact on productivity. 

Constant feedback mechanism 

In the Harvard Business Review, it was found that 57 percent of respondents preferred positive and productive feedback over praise and recognition (compared to 43 percent).

Put employee feedback on the top of your priority list. Think about how you can respond positively quickly to your employees’ ideas and views. Owing to this, employees’ feedback will not be restricted only to the appraisal period.  

Encourage employees to express themselves when it comes to problem-solving. Create a secure environment where employees feel free to share feedback anonymously or non-anonymously. Use tools like pulse surveys and anonymous feedback platforms.

Appreciate personal achievements

Employees will be less engaged if they believe their employer does not recognize or appreciate their accomplishments.

This helps the team to consistently accomplish extraordinary feats and come up with brilliant ideas. Also, recognizing and celebrating employees’ accomplishments instill a collective sense of purpose in the team.

Competitive and timely payment process     

Competitive salary and timely payment go a long way toward retaining the best employees and attracting potential talents.

Benefits of employee engagement

We have understood why employee engagement is important and techniques to build strong employee engagement. Now, let us explore some of the benefits of employee engagement.

Boosts productivity

It goes without saying that engaged employees mean higher efficiency. The reason being, engaged employees like their job and find it meaningful. A motivated employee will work harder, quicker, and with more enthusiasm. Employees who are satisfied are more productive than those who are dissatisfied. Evidently, a Gallup survey found that workplaces with a high level of engagement had a 41% reduction in absenteeism. Hence, an engaged employee will be less absent from work, which is a significant boost to production.

Retention of top performers

According to a Gallup poll conducted in 2017, 51% of employees want to quit their present employment. Lack of acknowledgment, internal office problems, and a lack of pay raise are some of the causes.

Employees come to work with a set of expectations and aspirations. And if you don’t supply them, they’ll start hunting for better alternatives. Retaining your best employees ensures that the company maintains a positive culture, and it also saves money. A study indicates that replacing an employee costs 33% of their annual income, not to mention the difficulty and discomfort of having to train a new recruit.

As a result, engaging employees, who generally tend to be happy with their work, lower the cost of turnover while also increasing retention.

Also read: 3 Reasons Your Offboarding Strategy Is Critical For Employee Retention

Enhances company culture

Employees who are enthusiastic about their job are often easy to deal with. However, it’s not because they’re happier or more upbeat but they showcase a high-engagement workplace culture.

Engaged employees, in theory, live your organization’s core values every day at the workplace and are acknowledged and appreciated for it. Celebrating your most enthusiastic and valued employees is one step toward fostering an engagement culture.

Improved employer loyalty

Employers are more likely to stick around if you focus on the values and importance of staff engagement. This results in a high rate of employee retention and a low cost of employee turnover.

Employees who show low levels of engagement and disinterest in their work are likely to hop over to another job as when an opportunity strikes. Even if your employees aren’t seeking a new job, it doesn’t imply they won’t take a better offer. Employees will stick around longer if they care about their employment and the organization they work for.

Profitability

Increasing employee engagement will result in increased income. The findings of Aon’s 2018 global engagement report are intriguing, which indicates that every 5 point increase in engagement translates to a 3% rise in earning. When employees are enthusiastic about their work, they are more likely to go the extra mile to get a job done.

Thus, if you retain employees, it would increase productivity and boost sales. Consequently, it makes complete sense that your profits will rise significantly too.

All-in-all, it is essential to reinvest time and money into increasing employee engagement, as the long-term economic benefits are well worth it.

Happy employees turn brand advocates 

When employees feel satisfied with their work, they show interest and enthusiasm in their workplace. They also exhibit a high level of engagement, which can be evident in their increased contribution to work. They relate with their performance and the company they work for. This results in their overall happiness with the job, which can be the best factor for company culture, productivity, etc.

Essentially, highly engaged employees become your brand advocates. That is, employees turn into the most trusted voice of your company. They knowingly or unknowingly promote your company through word-of-mouth marketing and social media posts, with an emphasis on the company’s goodness.

Also read: 10 Ways To Improve Communication At Workplace

Conclusion

Employee engagement is crucial for organizations globally. It helps in improving employee productivity and benefits the organization in the long run. In this post-pandemic era, where most of the employees are still working from home, employee engagement should be a core part of business strategy.

Learn how Engagedly can help you improve employee engagement by requesting us for a demo.

Request A Demo

6 Creative Ideas For Employee Engagement

Employee engagement leads to a great customer experience and gives superior business results. Every employer knows that. Despite that, many organizations neglect employee engagement activities because they prioritize on numbers and how to improve, increase their company profit and what helps or benefits the company.

But in today’s day and age, how far will that get your organization? The Great Resignation has come by for a reason. One of the biggest reason being, a demand for more value attached for all the efforts that all employees are putting in. That’s why many companies today are ready to offer valuable, tangible perks in return for an efficient workforce.

Therefore, as an employer, keeping your employees engaged is the biggest challenge you can face today. Here are 6 creative employee engagement ideas that you can use to increase engagement among your employees.

1. Encourage Knowledge Sharing

Create an open sharing space, where the members of all the teams in your organization can share knowledge, new ideas, and information about their projects. In the virtual world today, people cannot connect and gather information on the go, like they used to in the pre-pandemic days. So try to jazz up the events. To make this fun, you can change the theme every month and ask them to share ideas according to the theme.

[Also Read: 5 Reasons Why You Need Engagedly For Employee Engagement]

2. Create A Magazine

Create an employee-focused magazine with news, featured opportunities, stories and other fun columns. To make it more engaging, feature the employee of the month on the magazine cover. Who doesn’t enjoy being featured on the cover of a magazine as the Employee of the Month? You can choose to make it either an online issue or a printed edition.

3. Reward Employees

Rewards are a great propeller of engagement. Create a charged up environment by offering tons of exciting benefits and offers, where your employees feel motivated to engage. While some rewards can be tangible such as tickets for a trip or lunch and dinner coupons; or it could be something intangible such as extra time-off for a job well done.

4. Have Themed Office Days

When your workforce is predominantly remote, every time they visit the office, they visit with a sense of excitement and eagerness. Coming to office is not a regular affair anymore, but special. So plan to make them as significant as the employees expect them to be. Having themed office days can bring a lot of fun and increase employee loyalty. When employees actively take part in fun activities, it inspires them to give their best to the company.

5. Focus On What Your Employees Do Best

During the pre-pandemic days, we could get a quick chat in real time. It took little time for the boss to turn to us and say, “Hey, do you think you can do this?” That informal tete a tete used to make sure we get the work we enjoy. That has gone missing now that we are working from home. The biggest mistake a manager can make is assigning tasks that don’t match their employees’ skills. Employees want to be given the opportunity to shine, which means they have to have the ability to do what they do best, as often as possible. Talk to your employees and find out which task they are comfortable with and assign their work accordingly.

6. Provide Mentoring and Coaching

More and more employees are realizing that work-life balance is essential today. More importantly, using that time to either spend with close ones or to upskill oneself. This is where mentors come into the picture. Mentors guide mentees in work and ways of life. It will do your employees a world of good if you can provide mentoring and coaching facilities for your employees.

A study by American Society for Training and Development says that over 71% of Fortune 500 companies (paywall) have formal mentorship programs set in their workplaces. While that sounds rather promising, only 37% of these workers claim to have a mentor according to an Olivet Nazarene University survey.

Have a good and easy mentoring process in place for your employees. And make sure it’s effective enough for all employees. Run a survey to get their opinions. Your employees will gain a lot out of this process and will know that their company cares for them. This will lead to a great boost in engagement levels.

Bonus Tip: Experiment on Employee Engagement

Small things can make a difference sometimes. Try something unusual to engage your employees. For example, ask your employees to come on video with their funniest attire on. If you come up with better ideas, experiment with them. Even if you slip up from time to time, your staff will appreciate the fact that you’re putting in the effort to get to know them on a more personal level.

We don’t think we need to reiterate how important employee engagement activities are in today’s world. It drives an organization forward. Though some of these activities might take some time and effort, your employees will definitely appreciate them!

Have other fun employee engagement ideas up your sleeve? Share them with us!

Do you want to know how Engagedly can help you with Employee Engagement?

Request a demo from our experts.

Request A Demo

5 Employee Engagement Activities to Revive Your Workforce

Employee engagement has different meanings to different people. Some say engaged employees means enthusiastic employees, while others believe it means happy or satisfied employees. But employee engagement doesn’t mean employee happiness; neither does it mean employee satisfaction. A happy employee will not necessarily be the most productive or hardworking employee. A satisfied employee might not go that extra mile on his/her own to achieve excellence.

Employee engagement is the emotional commitment employees have towards organizations that influences their behavior and level of effort in work. In other words, engaged employees care about their work and their organization.

Study reveals 81% of employees who do not feel engaged at the workplace would consider leaving the organization today if the right place calls. What is more staggering is, disengaged employees cost U.S. companies up to $550 billion a year.

So how do you create a work environment where employees care about your company? Following are some employee engagement activities to boost morale of your employees.

1. Create a Feedback Culture

One of the best ways to level up employee morale and create a positive work environment is by providing feedback frequently. According to Forbes, 40% of employees who hardly receive any feedback from their managers are actively disengaged. And 43% of highly engaged employees receive feedback at least once a week.

Feedback culture is a workplace culture that focuses on feedback between employees and employers. It’s a culture where every employee feels they have the right to voice their opinions and their work doesn’t go unnoticed. This culture is helpful in keeping employees motivated, active, and engaged.

Engagedly is a comprehensive employee engagement software that uses a 360-degree feedback system. It allows you and your employees to provide feedback and even ask for feedback.

2. Recognize Your Employees’ Effort

By recognizing your employees’ contributions you encourage them to bring out their best at work, every day.

Lack of recognition highly affects employee morale, productivity, and loyalty. A key finding of a survey, commissioned for OGO, states, 40% of employed Americans would put more energy into their work if they receive recognition more often.

Employee recognition activities engage employees in the workplace and change their behavior towards work for the benefit of the business. If they are appreciated for their efforts, they will work even harder to get that recognition.

Even a simple “thank you” can create the emotional connection your employees need to have with your organization.

Also read: Top 7 Performance Appraisal Mistakes Managers Make

3. Focus On Brainstorming Sessions

Brainstorming is the most effective technique to generate new ideas.

Though these sessions are loud and chaotic, and sometimes it doesn’t give any productive results, it remains one of the best employee engagement activities.

When structured the right way, brainstorming sessions can:

  • Encourage out-of-the-box ideas, because it allows employees to think without the fear of judgement
  • Helps in team building, because it encourages open collaboration to generate innovative ideas
  • Produce a diverse range of ideas as it introduces different perspectives from different people
  • Help teams generate a large number of ideas in no time which can be used to find the ideal solution

4. Fun Sessions Help Increase Employee Engagement

Fun sessions are a massive hit when it comes to employee engagement at the workplace.

Working continuously can be exhausting for your employees. A fun session, once or twice a month, gives them a sweet break from their hectic work schedule. It helps them to start again with a fresh mind. Not only that, it also gives your employees the chance to interact with other team members.

From fun games to silly trophies to creative activities, everything is allowed in a fun session.

Also read: Employee Turnover: Know Why Employees Quit

5. Emphasize Work-Life Balance

Today’s work culture revolves around the concept of work-life balance to a great extent. However, achieving a perfect work-life balance is still a dream for most of the corporate employees around the world. When your employees’ work-life is out of balance for a long time, employee engagement plunges.

To be highly engaged in the workplace, this balance is necessary. As Blake McCammon, Founder and CEO of WorkBoxed, put it, “Work-life balance is one of the most important things employers can do to help employees not only stay healthy and fit, but keep them engaged day by day.”

Provide your employees with work from home scenarios where they can enjoy life to the fullest, but still get their work done. Most professionals benefit from a blend of office-based and remote work environments. Various studies have shown work from home Wednesdays make teams collectively more productive.

Flexible work hours are also necessary to maintain employees’ work-life balance. When employees are bound by time, they spend more time looking at the clock than being productive; it affects quality and quantity of work. Offering your employees flexible work hours keeps them satisfied, productive, and is good for their mental health.

After all, one will never feel completely satisfied by work until they are satisfied by life.

Employee engagement and productivity are closely related to each other. Engaged employees are the most productive employees, and they make it easy to do your job well. So, set some time aside, decide your budget and resources, and incorporate these five activities into your employee engagement routine; you will have a more productive and happier workforce at your company.

 

Want to know how Engagedly can help you create an engaged workplace? Then request for a live demo

Request A Demo

5 Perks To Boost Employee Engagement and Morale

Employee morale and employee engagement go hand in hand.

If employee morale is high, then you can be confident about a high engagement rate. But consequently, when morale is low, engagement is impacted as well.

Continue reading “5 Perks To Boost Employee Engagement and Morale”

14 Mistakes That Can Destroy Employee Engagement In Your Organization

What is the responsibility of an ideal manager? To increase productivity in their organization by building trust and fostering a healthy relationship with their employees.

But many managers still seem to have no idea, how important it is to keep their employees happy and engaged. So we, at Engagedly have collated a list of possible mistakes a manager makes that can kill employee engagement.

Continue reading “14 Mistakes That Can Destroy Employee Engagement In Your Organization”

Privacy Preference Center

Privacy Preferences