The Top 3 Ways to Improve Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is your solution to boost the productivity of your team, also retain and attract employees. In this era of the “Great Resignation,” employee engagement is the strategy companies are doubling down on to inspire an emotional commitment from employees. And as hiring challenges loom, a positive company culture rooted in employee engagement is one of the most attractive features for potential hires.

What is employee engagement?

Employee engagement is a measure of dedication and excitement that an employee exhibits towards work. Employees want to feel their work matters. The more engaged an employee is, the more value they feel, resulting in an emotional commitment to their work. Employee engagement programs are strategic initiatives that foster engagement. Most companies keep track of the Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) which shows how engaged employees are and whether they need to make any changes.In many ways, technology and employee engagement go hand-in-hand.
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12 elements of employee engagement

Employee engagement is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. Look at the 12 elements of employee engagement to develop a strategy that will relate to your industry and employees.

1. Define work expectations for each employee or position.
2. Arm employees with the right materials and equipment to complete work.
3. Ensure work responsibilities intersect with employee strengths.
4. Offer frequent employee recognition.
5. Train leaders to foster a caring team atmosphere.
6. Encourage staff development.
7. Seek employee feedback.
8. Show employees how their work impacts the overall company’s success.
9. Hold all employees accountable for quality work.
10. Foster team bonding opportunities.
11. Set progress goals and career advancement plans.
12. Support continuing education and on-the-job development opportunities.

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Optimizing good employee engagement

From the 12 elements above, consider where you can make the greatest impact to increase employee engagement in your workplace. Most companies consider retention, social engagement, and career development the top three ways to have the most significant impact.

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1. Recognition

Why is recognition at the top of the list? It has a big impact. Survey Monkey found that 82% of employees are happier when they’re recognized at work. That’s a staggering statistic. There are several ways to offer recognition. A genuine, timely, and specific “thank you” or recognition of an employee’s contribution can go a long way. Offer recognition verbally or in a thank you card. Like an Employee of the Month program, formalized employee recognition programs are also valuable. Employee recognition can come from peers or supervisors, or you can employ a mix of both types of programs. Effective recognition programs usually include some incentive, like a bonus, additional time off, a gift, or an award.

2. Social engagement

People often joke about having a work BFF, but research indicates that work friendships are no joke. Your company needs to foster friendships among colleagues to keep employee morale and commitment high. Co-worker friendships are essential to retention. Encourage colleagues to get to know one another through social activities sponsored by the company.

3. Career development

Invest in the development of your workforce. Not only will this enhance the ability of employees to perform better in their roles, it gives employees a greater sense of purpose. In addition, employees are more likely to stay long-term when you offer professional growth opportunities, such as on-the-job training or tuition reimbursement.
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Examples of employee engagement

Improve employee engagement with technology. In this highly digital world, it’s important to recognize the convenience, value, and efficiency technology brings to all aspects of business, including employee engagement. QR codes are a great way to literally put engagement opportunities in your employees' hands.

1. Share files

Frequent employee recognition is essential to an employee engagement strategy. Many companies have an Employee of the Month program. Use this recognition as an opportunity to build connections. For example, let a QR code help personify recognized employees. On the Employee of the Month bulletin board, display the QR code. When fellow employees click the QR code, it can share a document with personalized bio details and photos. Or you could even share a video that highlights the recognized employee.

Go one step further and post a QR code on the Employee of the Month board that leads employees to a form where they can nominate next month’s honoree.

2. Digital maps

Team bonding is more important than ever before. Employees with a"best friend" at work are twice as engaged. Help forge these friendships through social engagements. For example, consider hosting a scavenger hunt that fosters teamwork and encourages idea-sharing. When employees bond over a successful and fun adventure, it can be the start of a powerful friendship. Make the scavenger hunt map accessible from a QR code.

3. Digitized ID cards

The days of exchanging business cards are almost obsolete. Instead, an employee QR code can share digitized contact details and other relevant employee facts. So put the digitized ID cards to work and host a speed networking event to help your team connect one-on-one with every person in the office. Each time the buzzer goes off, use the QR code to exchange the digitized ID cards. An event like this will enable employees to connect later, whether to gather socially or support one another in aspiring skill development.

4. Contactless check-ins

When you offer on-the-job training or career development opportunities, see which employees are taking advantage of these opportunities. Have employees check in to the training with a QR code. The attendance list may even help you identify which employees are most committed and deserving of promotion opportunities.

5. Video tutorials

Career development can also be offered using video tutorials. For example, have employees scan a QR code to view a"How To" video that can teach skill development.

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The importance of employee engagement

Research shows that when employees are highly engaged, there are fewer absences from work and higher productivity, which can lead to a 21% higher profitability. In addition to boosting the company’s bottom line, employee engagement programs also help retain employees, thereby cutting down the labor and costs associated with the hiring process. And ultimately, employee engagement means happier employees. And don’t we all thrive in a place that oozes positivity?
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Bridging efficiency and employee engagement

As you optimize your employee engagement strategy, consider the value of digital tools for employee engagement. Tie QR codes into your process, as suggested in the examples, and see how employee engagement technology can create efficiencies, impact, and get employees into FlowMode.

Flowcode is your partner in dynamic QR code generation, placing engagement opportunities into the palms of your employees’ hands. Try the basic plan for free and see how Flowcode can revolutionize your employee engagement practices.