8 Easy Steps to Fix Work and Boost Employee Engagement
Dog days: We all have them. But why is it that many are experiencing more and more days like this with seemingly no end in sight? Sure, it’s that time of year when most are still trying their hardest to stick to the resolutions they set on New Year’s Eve. Maybe that’s to stay away from bread or finally leave that dead-end job, but ultimately, the goal is the same: to improve in some way. How does all this affect employee engagement?
While everyone’s personal goals will vary, when it comes to the pursuit of happiness, we know from the ongoing Great Resignation that a significant number of employees may decide to quit or switch jobs in 2023. And while many managers are looking forward to a fresh start in the new year and want to improve corporate culture as well as employee engagement, they can’t seem to do it fast enough.
One of the latest trends in HR is recognizing that people are an organization’s most valuable asset. There are many reasons why this holds true: Relationships formed between client and company typically begin with an employee or a team of employees. Your staff champions your business and determines the success or failure of it.
The work your employees do determines what customers and partners see, so it’s important for you to treat your employees with the value they bring. It’s equally important to create an inclusive culture that builds trust and that employees can value.
Turning Your Workplace Into a People-Focused Organization
According to a recent UKG study, nearly two out of three workers would switch jobs right now if they could and another 45 percent don’t want to work anymore, period. No pressure for business leaders and HR professionals because, well…okay, that’s a ton of pressure.
Fortunately, there is still hope to turn these alarming rates around if employers take action to turn their workplace into a people-focused organization. Studies show that it is the inherent nature of employees to want to work, but current job roles just aren’t meeting their needs and expectations. It’s important for employers to understand the underlying reasons behind this widespread dissatisfaction and then take steps to address these issues and improve employee engagement.
Here are a few primary reasons why work just isn’t working anymore:
1. No Purpose
Workers are rethinking their priorities, due mostly to the pandemic, but also because of the current state of the economy and global HR trends (Great Resignation, quiet quitting, soft skills deficit, etc). Many now believe that it’s important to find purpose in their professional lives as well as in their personal lives, and they’re passing on this wisdom to those nearest to them. For example, while most people today describe themselves as hard-working or “money-driven,” 74 percent hope future generations do things differently and pursue a profession that’s meaningful to them.
Some of the best workplaces were voted as such because employees didn’t feel as if it were just “another place to work” or a means to an end. It’s important for managers and business leaders to make sure every worker, regardless of role and location, understands how what they do affects their organization’s greater purpose. People need to know their work has meaning, that it matters and that they matter.
2. No Growth
Most workers feel stuck in their current roles and unable to progress. Most workers are in a job where they just collect their paycheck and go home each day. While not every job can become someone’s calling, employers could be doing much more to help their team members advance their careers internally. This includes offering better on-the-job training programs, career pathing, more networking and mentoring opportunities and people-driven HCM solutions that improve the onboarding experience and provide flexibility in scheduling.
3. No Time
Nearly nine out of 10 workers say the pandemic made them realize there are more important things in life than work. And over 75 percent want to spend less time working and more time doing things that matter to them. Employers could be doing a much better job of prioritizing work-life balance for their staff by keeping work schedules reasonable and offering more flexibility. It’s also critical that leaders foster a culture where people feel they can use their vacation time without falling behind at work or being seen as less dedicated should they choose to use this time for themselves.
Boost Employee Engagement in 8 Easy Steps
- Share with each individual employee how their work contributes to the organization’s greater purpose.
- Support internal mobility and help team members advance in the organization.
- Develop a career path for each employee.
- Offer on-the-job training programs.
- Create networking and mentoring opportunities.
- Update your technology and benefit from people-driven human capital management (HCM) solution
- Maintain reasonable work schedules and offer flexibility
- Encourage employees to take time off (and do your best to let them go radio silent until they return).
Having the right HCM technology and the right HR partner can be all the difference you need in creating a sustainable (and happy) workforce. At Quanta, we’re not just a payroll company, we’re a people company.
For a better way to run your small business and improve employee engagement, you need a team of experts that are there for you through the entire employee lifecycle. You need Quanta. Contact us today or book a meeting and let us help you keep the “keepers.”
