The Employee Experience: How to Boost Engagement and Cultivate Retention

Retention and longevity of productive employees can be attributed to their job satisfaction. If your organization is struggling with higher turnover rates, then it might be the right time to focus on boosting employee engagement. Here’s how can you help develop this for your team.

Two-Way Communication

One of the most prevalent reasons why employees leave their jobs is they mistrust leadership. Successful leaders are those who communicate with their employees on a regular basis in an honest and open manner. They also encourage a two-way dialogue with their teams and follow through on any promises that they make. Leaders can increase two-way communication in an organization in a variety of different ways including employee focus groups, live chats on social media, team huddles and implementing staff suggestion programs.

Goal Alignment

Millennials want more than to collect a paycheck from their jobs. They want to see that they are making a difference while adding value to an organization. Goal alignment is essential for employees to see that what they are doing really matters. CEOs should establish these goals several months prior to the start of the fiscal year and provide regular checkpoints to reinforce that employees are making a positive impact. Leaders can further connect team members to these goals while learning more about their individual ambitions by asking some of these basic questions.

• Highlight a career goal you’d like to achieve this year.
• What do you enjoy doing outside of the work environment?
• What new projects or assignments would you like to spearhead in the next year?

The answers given will provide valuable insight into their motivation and commitment to reaching personal and company-wide goals as their employer, it is important to provide them with honest feedback too.

Recognition

If you want to retain the best candidates, then it’s absolutely paramount for organizations to reward and recognize their talent on a regular basis. Instilling an effective employee recognition program will also help to boost their motivation and promote trust throughout the ranks of an organization. The most successful programs are those that are timely, sincere and contain positive reinforcement regarding specific actions. Consider some of the following suggestions when it’s time to recognize your employees:

• Company Shout-Outs – Most employees appreciate being congratulated among their peers. It can contribute to a sense of feeling valued by your team.
• Bonding Excursions – Any office can become a mundane working environment, so sometimes all it takes to spark motivation up again is a temporary change of venue.
• Thank You cards – A genuine handwritten thank you card along with a gift card is another great way to show employees that they are valued.

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