This article is part-five of a six-part series that includes what we are advising small and medium-sized employers to do right now to create a superior workplace. In previous post’s, we discussed the importance of Onboarding New Hire Effectively and Providing Opportunities for Growth. Click here for the post on Onboarding New Hires Effectively. Click here for the post on Providing Growth Opportunities. Click here for the post on Foster a Culture of Appreciate and Recognition. Click here for the post on Stay Interviews.
In today’s article, we explore how to make sure employees feel valued, supported, and inspired at work.
Managers: A Make-Or-Break Factor In Employee Engagement
The cost of disengagement to companies is staggering. According to a study by the Queen’s School of Business and Gallup, disengaged workers logged 37 per cent higher absenteeism, 49 per cent more accidents and 60 per cent more errors and defects than engaged employees. According to Canada Human Resources Centre, unhappy workers cost the North American business economy over $350 billion per year in lost productivity.
Companies are becoming more creative in the perks they tout to attract and retain employees. Ping pong tables. Nap pods. Unlimited snacks. But what’s really in the secret sauce when it comes to cultivating a workplace environment where employees thrive?
The answer: Managers.
Managers can make or break your employee engagement and performance.
Why Managers Are Key To Employee Engagement
Employees naturally gauge their connection and engagement with an organization through the relationship with their Manager. And no one has a greater influence on those day-to-day interactions, processes, and operations than the managers involved with daily business activities.
Managers have a direct impact on an employee’s engagement level. From a day-to-day standpoint, it’s a manager’s job to make sure their employees feel valued, supported, and inspired at work.
Good managers build personalized relationships and connections with their employees, leveraging individual strengths to empower and motivate their people where they are. But what if you don’t have effective managers?
Fortunately, management is a learned skill, and you can train your current management to better understand and address their employees’ needs. To do this, you first need to know what your employees want.
Top 3 Things Employees Want
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Growth and Development Opportunities
Employees want opportunities to grow and develop at your company. Growth opportunities consistently rank high for employees.
Our recent employee development research found that 79% of employees who had a formal development program were engaged, compared to 58% who said their organization do not have a formal program.
Not only do growth opportunities impact engagement, but they also impact performance. Employees who take advantage of development programs are more motivated, more empowered, and feel more equipped to do their jobs.
Tip #1: Managers can help by working with their employees to create individualized goals and roadmaps for their career, assigning work and recommending employees for projects based on those goals, and communicating with their team about development opportunities within the company.
Tip #2: 7 practical employee development methods
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Recognition and Appreciation
Everyone wants to be appreciated for the work they do. Yet employee recognition and appreciation remain one of the top reasons for disengagement and dissatisfaction among employees.
When you look at the numbers, it’s no surprise why. Our recent employee recognition survey found that over 52% of employees report wanting more recognition from their immediate supervisor. But 22% of employees say they never or rarely receive that appreciation.
Managers that want to engage employees must work on bridging that gap.
Demonstrate that you care. One of the top five drivers of employee engagement is believing the leaders of the organization value people as their most important resource.
Managers are the first line of defense in an employee recognition program. Managers are the ones working with individuals and can see and respond to progress and performance in real-time.
Managers also have personal relationships with their employees, so recognition from their immediate supervisors is often the most meaningful and authentic.
Tip #3: Employee recognition doesn’t have to be a huge initiative. As you build a recognition program, consider incorporating the following strategies:
- Ask your employees how they want to be recognized.
- Give specific and detailed praise.
- Aim to recognize each employee weekly.
Small and consistent praise can be just as empowering as bigger recognition events.
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Communication and Feedback
Today’s workforce values regular feedback and honest communication from their leaders.
Often, companies consider annual reviews to be sufficient—but they’re missing a valuable opportunity to connect with their employees if they only provide formal feedback once a year.
It is no longer enough to recognize the performance and achievementsof employees once per year. Employee recognition needs to be anongoing effort of showing your employees that they are appreciated, valued, and a necessary part of your organization.
Teaching managers and employees to have more frequent, meaningful conversations about their work expectations and progress leads to higher engagement and performance.
Regular one-to-one meetings with each team member are crucial for making personal, authentic connections with employees and give managers valuable insight into what motivates (or demotivates) their people.
By meeting regularly with their team members, managers can build trust, better address employee concerns, and help them meet their goals—resulting in happier and more engaged workers.
Tip: #5 The frequency of your one-on-ones will depend on the needs and experience of your team. A brief weekly check-in or a more in-depth monthly review may work well. Experiment with the frequency to find what works well for you and your employee(s)
Whatever cadence you choose, make sure to schedule it as a recurring event on the calendar and respect your employee’s time. This means:
- Be on time.
- Come prepared.
- Don’t cancel. (If you must cancel, be sure to reschedule it immediately for the next earliest availability).
Leadership’s Role in Employee Engagement
Leaders improve engagement by defining and communicating a powerful vision for the organization. They hire and develop managers that are emotionally invested in the organization’s mission and vision and give them the resources to build great teams with the right people in the right roles. They empower.
Leadership Must Also:
- Define managers’ roles and expectations
- Provide the necessary training, tools, resources, and development that managers need to coach and meet the expectations of their role.
- Create performance management practices that help managers accurately measure performance, hold employees accountable and coach for results.
The steps for improving engagement aren’t complex, they simply must be prioritized. Companies that get this right will drive greater financial returns, surpass their competitors, and easily climb to the top of “the best places to work” lists.
Join the successful businesses who use First Avenue Consulting to transform their workplace.
Schedule your complementary consultation today.
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