What Is The Significance Of Employee Engagement Drivers?
Engagement refers to the emotional devotion one person has to their job, caring about their personal and corporate goals. Monetary incentives and physical rewards aren’t always enough, and organizations must utilize various drivers of employee engagement. Only 23% of professionals are engaged at work, while nearly 6 out of 10 people are quiet quitting, costing their companies $8.8 trillion per year. When everyone feels engaged, they also feel included and equal members of their teams, and they thrive since they enjoy a healthy work-life balance. They are offered the opportunities they want to progress in their careers, and they can’t imagine leaving their employer. So, companies need to invest time and effort to recognize what drives people.
19 Key Drivers Influencing Employee Engagement In 2024
1. Development Opportunities
No one wants to feel stagnant, and many employees change jobs due to a lack of growth. Offering someone the chance to develop their abilities and skillset makes them feel valued and a respected team member. It also helps them discover their ideal role and build on it.
2. Rewards And Recognition
Employee engagement isn’t driven only by monetary gains but also by other incentives, including flexibility and autonomy. Your rewards must always reflect your employees’ worth and skillset. Modify your strategy so your company becomes competitive and attractive to top talent.
3. Psychological Safety
This means everyone feels safe expressing their viewpoints, asking for and receiving constructive feedback, and collaborating effectively with colleagues. Knowing that they won’t be judged for their mistakes allows them to work freely and keep innovating.
4. Work-Life Balance
This is one of the most critical drivers of employee engagement and refers to the ability to disconnect from work. When professionals don’t have to stay plugged in during the weekends and lunch breaks, they can enjoy life and return to work rejuvenated and ready to contribute to the best of their abilities.
5. Autonomy
Micromanaging is one of the biggest mistakes an organization can make. Providing your team members with autonomy helps them build confidence and feel trusted. They feel like their leaders are listening to their needs and that they are free to do their job, following their own rules while still producing at a high level.
6. Transparent Communication
Leaders and managers must be open and honest with their workforce and inform them of changes, alterations, and struggles. Also, they should own up to their mistakes and foster an environment of accountability. Keeping everyone in the loop helps create a sense of belonging and trust.
7. Inclusivity
A workforce assembled by people of different backgrounds, opinions, and strengths contributes to an inclusive and diverse team. People practice active listening to better understand their colleagues and bridge their differences. Therefore, it’s an effective driver of employee engagement as everyone feels supported and respected.
8. Fair Leadership
When leaders present as sympathetic and where no favoritism appears, employees feel that they can trust them and approach them with their issues. They know their queries will receive attention and not be disregarded.
9. Ethical Standards
Ethics should be taken seriously and upheld at the same level for everyone, whether they are leading figures or lower-level employees. This way, everyone feels safe disclosing any irregularities they notice.
10. Innovation
Building a culture where innovation is encouraged drives employee engagement and pushes them to bring new ideas. Even if their proposals are risky, they know it’s okay to mention them. Sometimes it’s better to take a risk rather than to stay comfortable.
11. Accountability
This aspect goes hand-in-hand with transparency. Being frank regarding your mistakes and taking accountability for them helps everyone understand that it’s okay to be wrong. Therefore, professionals learn from their mistakes and know how to avoid them in the future.
12. Resources
Leaders often forget that having the right tools and equipment is a great driver of employee engagement. This is because having the necessary resources helps employees feel confident undertaking new tasks and fulfilling their daily responsibilities efficiently and without gaps.
13. Collaboration
Cooperating in a healthy and productive way with colleagues drives employee engagement and makes everyone feel accomplished. Organizations must encourage frequent collaboration and communication between colleagues, not only through working on the same projects but also by providing feedback.
14. Healthy Workplace Relations
Knowing that your colleagues support and encourage you, no matter whether you succeed or not, is a great driver of employee engagement. On the other hand, hostility and bitterness hinder personal and organizational success, while competitiveness weighs heavily on everyone’s work and well-being.
15. Feedback
A continuous and constructive feedback loop makes everyone feel heard and appreciated. Employees and managers can improve themselves, close learning gaps, and innovate. Consequently, an environment of openness and respect is fostered.
16. Flexibility
As the pandemic proved, flexible working options are a key driver of employee engagement and a tactic many companies are enforcing. Being able to arrange your schedule and balance personal and professional responsibilities helps everyone stay motivated and productive.
17. Clear Expectations
Don’t expect people to know how their role fits the bigger picture. Explain your expectations and how their role helps the company reach its objectives clearly. You must have open and honest conversations with your employees, discuss how their abilities can be utilized, and ask them which tasks they like doing the most.
18. Trust
Trust is an ingredient that must be present across the entire company, with colleagues, managers, and leaders. Managers who are fair, honest, and transparent create a healthy workplace environment. Likewise, leaders showcase trustworthiness when their decisions are ethical, consistent, and unbiased.
19. Feeling Important
An important driver of employee engagement is making everyone feel like integral parts of your organization. They must feel like their contributions are massively affecting their company and that their work is appreciated. This way, they understand how their role aligns with the company values and they strive to succeed.
7 Ways To Increase Engagement In Remote And Hybrid Functions
1. Communicate Regularly
Working remotely typically means that you attend more video calls than working on-site. This is necessary for team members and managers to achieve their goals, communicate on daily issues, and provide feedback. It’s best to keep these meetings short and avoid Zoom fatigue. To do that, prepare an agenda of your discussion points and briefly talk about them. Don’t be afraid to hop on a quick call, even if it lasts less than five minutes. You’ll soon realize that this method improves engagement and strengthens professional relationships.
2. Celebrate Milestones
Employee recognition is undoubtedly one of the most important key drivers of employee engagement, as professionals feel that their hard work pays off and is celebrated. To achieve that, you may congratulate team members during team meetings and encourage everyone else to share a few nice words. If someone does not like public recognition, you may send them a thoughtfully written card along with other gifts. You should also go a step further and acknowledge people’s birthdays and work anniversaries using company-wide communication channels.
3. Set Clear Expectations
Managers often micromanage remote employees and want to keep track of every single minute of their daily schedules. Instead of following this method, you should offer team members clear goals and mention what their company expects from them. They should know exactly what they should be doing daily and how their work contributes to company objectives. This is one of the most crucial drivers of employee engagement since it keeps everyone aligned with common goals.
4. Host Informal Meetings
Apart from hosting formal team meetings regularly, managers should also arrange fun gatherings where colleagues can wind down and enjoy quality time together. They may enjoy a casual discussion while sipping coffee or play a virtual game collaboratively. The goal is to build nurturing relationships and create a sense of safety and freedom within your team. You want your colleagues to trust each other and feel free to connect regarding matters unrelated to work.
5. Offer Training
Providing people with ample training and development opportunities is one of the most underestimated drivers of employee engagement. Ask your employees to communicate their goals and the skills they’d like to work on. Provide them with a list of courses that they may be interested in, and let them choose which ones they prefer. Naturally, these courses must align with your company’s goals. It’s crucial for remote workers to feel like their potential is not wasted and their growth is fostered.
6. Teach About Work-Life Balance
Many remote employees have trouble disconnecting from work when the latter isn’t in a different physical location but at their home. The result is often burnout. To avoid that, inform your workforce that they should shut down their devices when their workday is over and not feel pressured to check their emails and messages. If they have trouble maintaining your designated working schedule, you may offer flexible solutions so they can modify their times.
7. Create Surveys And Polls
Feedback shouldn’t be a one-way street where only employees are given constructive criticism for their work. Companies must conduct surveys and polls to ask their workforces for their opinions, and provide improvements. This creates interactive communication, helps remote workers feel connected to their peers, and removes the emotion of isolation. You may use short surveys, polls, and social media posts where everyone is encouraged to share their viewpoints.
The Four Es Of Engagement
Locating the drivers of employee engagement gives companies the right tools to motivate their workforce and increase everyone’s productivity. The first step is enablement which refers to providing team members with the resources they need to do their tasks. It might be a second monitor or a better chair for their desk. Having everything they need is important for employees to be comfortable and confident. Then comes empowerment, which is highly influenced by autonomy and flexibility. Instead of micromanaging and controlling professionals, offer them the freedom to perform their job following their own rules and schedules. As a result, expression is fostered since everyone feels free to voice their opinions and share their feedback. People are more likely to go above and beyond when they know their viewpoints are heard and respected. Lastly, the environment your workers operate in is crucial. If possible, let them choose whether they want to be remote or hybrid. Different people have varying needs and preferences.
Conclusion
Employee engagement drivers are an essential tool for any company to ensure smooth and productive business operations while maintaining their workforce’s well-being and work-life balance. Another simple way you can show camaraderie is by using a company-wide communication channel to say “good morning” and “goodbye” daily. This method creates a sense of belonging and everyone feels part of a team that cares about them.