Your human resource (HR) team and employee engagement levels go hand in hand because the HR department is responsible for recruiting and onboarding new talent, rewards and benefits, training and development, employee relations, and performance management.
According to Gallup’s 2023 report, only 10% of UK employees were engaged at work. Before we dive into how your HR team can boost employee engagement, let’s look at the adverse business effects of disengaged employees:
- Higher absenteeism. Disengaged employees usually show higher levels of stress and upset, which leads to them taking more time off work.
- Higher staff turnover. Employees who aren’t engaged or satisfied with their job are more likely to leave for something better. The average cost of turnover per employee earning over £25,000 is £30,614.
- Unachieved goals. Disengaged workforces lack productivity, which leads to missed work deadlines and unachieved business goals.
- Worse customer service. Engaged employees are better equipped to be brand ambassadors and offer customers a good experience. In fact, highly engaged organisations benefit from 10% higher customer ratings.
With the rise of remote and hybrid work, automation, and other emerging technologies, as well as the uncertainty facing many businesses, it’s more important than ever for HR teams to ensure employee engagement.
Let’s take a look at six strategies your human resources team can introduce or optimise to boost engagement among your employees:
Effective Communication
Effective communication is critical to every company’s success. For communication to be effective, transparency and trust are of the utmost importance because all employees should feel heard, valued, and understood.
In most cases, HR teams are the main communication channel between senior managers and the rest of the company. So, HR teams must use effective communication to ensure employees are informed about company news, procedures, and policies.
HR teams should make an effort to communicate with employees on a regular basis through team chats, emails, newsletters, or face-to-face meetings. Most HR software lets you send direct messages, share documents, and manage tasks directly from your smartphone.
If employee engagement seems to be dipping, you should communicate with your employees via a stay interview. This will allow you to detect and address the disengagement issue before they start looking for new opportunities.
Two-Way Feedback
90% of workers say they are likelier to stay at an organisation that takes and acts on feedback. Not only does feedback increase employee retention, but it is also one of the most effective engagement initiatives.
Most employee feedback tools offer pulse surveys, anonymous feedback, weekly reminders, objective tracking, and more. These tools make it easy for HR teams to collect employee feedback, identify areas for improvement, and make relevant workplace adaptations.
Employees might feel uncomfortable submitting genuine feedback because they fear the repercussions, so we recommend allowing anonymous feedback, which provides a safe space for employees to submit their thoughts and opinions.
Employee Benefits
In 2023, a quarter of UK employees were unsatisfied with their benefits. So, optimising the benefits your company offers its employees is essential in 2024 to boost customer satisfaction and engagement.
Mandatory employee benefits in the UK include retirement, holiday pay, maternity or paternity pay, and sick pay. However, employees often care about non-monetary benefits as well, such as casual dress, gym memberships, GP services, and access to counseling.
Here are the top four most attractive benefits in the UK:
- Insurance policies that protect employees and their families.
- Additional financial support and knowledge.
- Rewards and gifts for use outside of the workplace, such as discounts or event tickets.
- Help to manage and maintain their health and wellbeing.
Wellbeing Programs
When people are tired, stressed, or unwell, they are more likely to be disengaged from the task at hand. This suggests that HR teams should prioritise employee mental health and physical wellbeing if they want to boost engagement and productivity.
For employees to focus on their physical, emotional, social, and financial wellbeing, HR teams should consider giving them access to:
- Healthy food at work.
- Health screenings or a private GP.
- An on-site gym or gym membership discount.
- Online counselling resources.
- Quit smoking programs.
- Financial wellness programs.
- Flexible working hours.
Flexible working hours give employees a better work-life balance and reduce the stress of commuting and organising childcare. In fact, 9 in 10 UK employees consider flexible working a key motivator to their productivity at work.
Employee Rewards and Incentives
Offering your employees rewards and incentives for their hard work builds a culture of recognition. It is also one of the best low-cost and high-reward engagement initiatives HR departments can implement.
Here are just some of the ways you can reward and recognise your employees:
- Bonuses.
- Pay raises.
- Restaurant and shopping vouchers.
- Shoutout in your team chat or at the office in front of peers.
- Private recognition messages or meetings.
- Gifts and presents.
- Additional paid time off (PTO).
It would help if you also considered using peer-to-peer recognition platforms so that employees can thank their colleagues for their hard work and team contributions.
Team Building Activities
If your company includes distributed teams, it can be challenging for people to establish personal connections and trust each other. However, team building activities or events can help foster a positive work environment and boost employee engagement.
Here are a few ideas team building ideas you might consider:
- Trust-building exercises. These activities aim to build trust among employees. You can play games like Trust Fall or Human Knot in the office or outdoors.
- Problem-solving activities. These activities challenge teams to work together and communicate to solve problems or complete tasks. For example, small teams could take part in an escape room.
- Outdoor activities. Getting team members away from the office can help them bond. You could plan a team hike, take everyone camping, or book another adventure activity.
- Creative activities. Activities that encourage creativity can be fun and help employees see a less serious side of their colleagues. These could be a sip-and-paint session, a karaoke evening, or a dancing class.
- Job rotation programs. Job rotation programs allow employees to work in a different role or department within the company for a predetermined period. This helps them better understand what their colleagues do and appreciate each other.
- Team potluck dinners. Sharing a meal is a great team build activity, and it doesn’t have to be expensive for your company. Potluck dinners require each team member to bring a dish (starter, main, or dessert) that is large enough to be shared.
It is important to choose activities that are appropriate for your team and align with your goals for employee engagement. For example, if your company is remote, you must explore some virtual team building activities.
Conclusion
Boosting employee engagement is no easy task; however, it is essential. With the right tools and strategies, companies can have a highly engaged workforce that drives success.
The best way to get started is to identify what currently disengages your employees. For example, if employees feel they need to be recognised more for their hard work, then optimise your rewards and incentives strategies.
Remember to look for early signs of disengagement so that you can take action to re-engage employees before they look for new opportunities.
