Employee engagement is an important part of being an effective manager. You don’t want to be too far away from your people. This could cause your workers to stop trusting you. It could also lead them to believe that you just don’t care. Failure to engage your employees results in missed ideas as well as a potential lack of morale.
What Does It Take To Engage Your Employees
Engaging your employees really begins with a manager taking an interest in their employees. If you don’t like your people, it will be hard to want to talk to them on a regular basis. If you don’t care about your people, you are going to come across as a manager who cannot lead. That will eventually cost you your job. There are a number of consultantancy companies out there that specialise in employee benefits and compensation such as AON employee engagement
Engage In Meaningful Conversations
Employee engagement is more than just scheduling a staff meeting on Monday mornings. Instead, you have to take time out of your day to have meaningful conversations with your employees. Talk about the great game that you watched last night. Conversations about movies or other popular culture icons work as well. Politics isn’t necessarily a taboo subject either. However, you have to be respectful of all views when talking about the president or some important issue.
The Interaction Has To Be Real
The interaction with your employees cannot seem forced or fake. If you can’t seem like you genuinely like your workers, you might as well just not talk to them. Don’t worry if you are naturally shy or quiet. You can show genuine engagement just by making a meaningful observation about the great work that your people are doing. A smile and a handshake is usually good enough to show that you care. Saying thank you goes a long way as well. Presenting an employee with an award for a job well done will keep them smiling for the whole day.
Get On Their Level
Managers who work with younger people shouldn’t be afraid to communicate with them on their level. This means opening a Twitter account or getting on Facebook to talk to employees. Showing your employees that you are just another member of the group who is willing to interact on that personal level is a great thing. If you can show that there is a human side to you outside of work, your employees will respect and appreciate you more while at work.
Treat Everyone The Same
You never want to play favorites. If an employee is doing a poor job, you should mention it in a private setting. Never embarrass an employee in front of other workers. Never praise an employee who doesn’t deserve it. Above all else, do not compliment a worker on their looks. Even an innocent comment can backfire on you. This is because you are the boss and it could seem like a conflict of interest.
An employee who is engaged at work is going to be a better employee. Employees who feel as if their manager cares about their thoughts and opinions will share those thoughts and opinions on a more regular basis. When the contributions of an employee are noticed and recognized, that employee is going to work harder to contribute more for you. That helps the whole company grow and prosper.
