8 Employee Engagement Strategies You Should Know

So you’ve found the perfect employee for the job, they’re joining the team on Monday and you can’t wait to have them on board. 

But how can you ensure that they’ll be happy in their role? How can you guarantee that they won’t tempted by other opportunities outside the company?

Well, the answer in short is, of course, you can’t guarantee anything.  But what you can do is take steps to provide a work environment that is so desirable that they won’t want to leave any time soon.

Here we look at strategies on how to achieve that.

Flexible working arrangements

One of the most common complaints from employees is that employers are not flexible when it comes to working hours.  There is often little leniency for personal appointments that need to be attended during the day and sick children can often be seen as a nuisance rather than a part of life.

By offering your employees flexible working arrangements you can alleviate these grievances.  Consider offering flexible starting or finishing hours, time off in lieu or, where possible, the ability to work some days from home.

Bonuses

All employees like recognition for their hard work and commitment and a pat on the back is always welcome.  However, in reality, a monetary reward or incentive scheme is much more appreciated and really is a win win for both you and the company.

Set up KPI’s for employees that are both realistic and achievable.  Giving them something to work towards will keep them motivated and bonuses and reward schemes are hard to give up if they become a regular part of someone’s life.

Another idea for a personal bonus could be giving employees an additional day’s leave each year on their actual birthday.

On site childcare

For many mothers returning to work, finding and then managing childcare can prove to be a headache.   Drop offs and pick ups are not always easy to coincide with working hours and not having children close by can leave some new mums feeling anxious.

Offering access to on site child care can provide a big incentive for mums returning to work and is definitely seen as a huge company perk. 

Knowing that their child is being well looked after in close vicinity lets Mum rest at ease and employers feel satisfied that they’re offering a family friendly working environment.

Open communication

Providing an open door style policy for your employees is one sure fire way to keep the channels of communications flowing.

Ensure that all your employees know the person to whom they should go to talk to should they have issues or grievances.

By encouraging communication from day one and addressing any problems immediately, employees will feel supported in their role and will be more likely to continue to be open in the future.   The outcome of this is a positive work environment for everyone.

Make the workplace fun

To be able to work well together as a team, people need to be given the opportunity to bond together on a personal level as well as a professional one.

By establishing regular social work events such as Friday night drinks, a monthly outing or picnic days for all the families, staff can get together in a relaxed environment and establish deeper relationships.

Having a company paid for event not only gives staff something to look forward to, but is also another nice way of acknowledging their hard work.

Establishing a career path

Whilst not everyone is looking to climb the corporate ladder, for those who are, internal promotions and opportunities are an important factor in whether they stay with a company long term or not.

For such employees it’s important to sit down and establish their career goals, potential internal opportunities and their future within the company.

Talking about this will help them map out where they could go and will help keep them motivated and excited.  It should also go a long way in ensuring that they are committed to staying long term.

Learning and Development

In a similar domain to internal career advancement comes learning and development opportunities.

Encouraging and supporting employees to undertake further study – both from a financial and time perspective – is a great way to build on the talent within your organisation while fuelling your employees’ passions and goals.

By offering employees the chance for further study, they’ll acknowledge that you want them to develop and the likelihood is that they’ll be more committed to the company as a pay back. 

Health Cover

No employee is any good for anything if they’re unwell or their health is at risk for whatever reason and that’s why health care cover is such a valuable benefit to offer your employees.

Providing health cover not only shows that you care about them, but also means that they’re more likely to seek treatment for health problems sooner. 

The result?  A happier, healthier and less stressed workplace – and no one wants to leave that kind of environment behind do they?