10 Ways to Engage Your Team at Work

Employees who genuinely enjoy showing up to work and feel driven to complete their daily tasks are what pushes businesses to succeed. This is why most managers can agree that keeping their staff engaged and motivated is a top priority. Staff turnover takes a huge toll on productivity and has a tendency to become a significant drain on resources; so, how can we prevent it? And more importantly, how can we create a positive, productive workplace culture that keeps our valued team members engaged and on board for the long run?

Start with your why

Before jumping into any team building activity or initiative out of duty or obligation, identify why having an engaged team is important for the unique needs of your organisation. What goals do you want to achieve? How will having engaged (or disengaged) employees affect different aspects of your business?

The employee engagement activities you undertake should align with the values and mission of your overall business strategy. Without this cohesive approach, employees may feel confused by or disinterested in the efforts you make to drive their engagement, or they may feel like the attempt is completely inauthentic.

Prioritise Onboard Engagement

Employee engagement should be prioritised from day one. This SHRM article shares results from a study showing that 86% of new hires decide whether they will remain with a company long-term within the first six months of employment. These first months are key to generating higher staff retention rates and an overall positive workplace culture.

How can we engage staff from the get-go?

• Ensure that their role and responsibilities are clearly defined and that they understand their part in the bigger picture. This extends to existing employees too, in order to avoid confusion over responsibilities within the team or harbouring any sense of threat or negativity
• Provide thorough and ongoing training to familiarise new staff with internal processes, programs and procedures, or to strengthen their skillset so they are set up to succeed
• Make your workplace feel fun, friendly and welcoming. This includes alerting other staff that a new person is starting and having a work station set up and ready to go. Nobody likes to walk into a new job feeling like they are an unexpected surprise!
• Schedule regular check-ins in the first week, month then every few months throughout their employment. This establishes a culture of open communication from the beginning, encouraging new employees to voice their concerns before they turn into deal breakers
• Try holding a small welcoming event for new staff, giving them an opportunity to meet their colleagues away from their desks in a more friendly and personable way.

Implement internal mentorships

Encouraging mentoring and knowledge sharing has huge benefits for business, as well as personal development. Not only does this empower staff by growing their skills, shared information means that knowledge is more likely remain with the business when certain employees move on. Mentoring is also a great way to build relationships between new and experienced staff, and adds an extra layer of practical on-the-job training.

Make meetings fun

When meetings become too ‘routine’, employees feel restricted, become bored and therefore, disengaged. You can try breaking through the boredom by:

• Having meetings off site in a less formal environment, for example, at the local pub on a Friday
• Setting creative themes for your meeting, whether it’s a fun dress code or perhaps even asking employees to present their ideas in the form of a poem or pictures. These get employees talking and sharing ideas before the meeting, and add an element of creativity and entertainment.
• Scrapping agendas and target agendas and opening up a meeting as a collaborative brainstorm session

Create a healthy working environment

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but it really is so important to make employees feel comfortable and cared for in their workplace. This makes them feel like they are more than just a commodity, but that you are invested in their health and wellbeing as an employer.

Offering weekly yoga classes, providing an on-site gym, allowing stand up desks, hiring a corporate massage therapist once a month or providing healthy snacks around the office can all make a huge difference to how your staff are feeling while at work.

Openly share “insider” information

Yes, that includes financial information! This helps to make all employees feel included and valued as part of the team, and builds a sense of trust and transparency. Similarly, involving your staff in important decision making processes helps break down any divides between them and upper management.

Celebrate individuality and identify unique strengths

Each employee brings with them unique opinions, values, cultural backgrounds, skills and strengths. This is a great thing! Take the time to learn about the personalities that exist within your organisation and encourage them to open up rather than feel like they need to conform. By doing so, you make them feel free to express themselves while making it easier to identify what drives them to succeed.

Be more flexible

Don’t be afraid of allowing your staff to work remotely, or have flexible working hours. Not only does this increase productivity, it also demonstrates trust and builds mutual respect between managers and their staff.

Give praise and celebrate the wins

This is not just relevant for managers, but should be encouraged amongst co-workers, too.  Even better, ask employees how they would like to be rewarded for their hard work! Everyone values different gestures of appreciation.

Have a positive exit protocol

It’s never easy when an employee decided to leave, and the strain that this puts on managers, co-workers and financial resources can often leave a bitter taste. However, it’s important to remember that displaying resentment towards those who have chosen to move on can cause a lot more detriment in the long run. A small celebration for employees who are leaving gives colleagues to change to say goodbye, and shows remaining staff that each person is valued and respected.