How engaged are your employees in the workplace? Do you wish you could help them be more engaged and connected to each other, as well as the work they’re doing?
The pandemic has caused a concerning decrease in employee engagement. With many offices unexpectedly switching over to remote work, caring for friends and family in new ways, and generally shaking up all our routines, employers and employees alike have been feeling a little lost regarding fostering connection in the workplace.
Engagement in work itself is closely tied to engagement with teammates and office culture. Employees who are actively interacting and forming bonds with their coworkers and contributing to the culture around them are more invested in what they do. Highly engaged employees make an organization stronger, resulting in 21% greater profitability, which makes your goals more achievable.
SOLIDIFY YOUR CULTURE
Having events and opportunities for engagement on a regular basis brings employees together and supplies an opportunity for them to get to know each other in a low-pressure environment. These events make space for your company to reinforce its employer brand and culture in an active way. Some examples would be special learning opportunities with guest experts, planning a company picnic or even a small team lunch, spotlighting leadership within the organization, and having your regular branding there for everyone to see the colors, logo, and recognize the iconography. All of this brings company culture to the forefront.
If you have events like this that are recurring, the event itself becomes a part of company culture as something your employees can look forward to and take part in. Not only are they bonding with coworkers and strengthening their teams, but they are also contributing to the culture rather than being passive observers. This creates a sense of loyalty and satisfaction.
TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK!
Your employees are what makes your company successful. You can’t do it without them, so why not empower them to be the best they can be in the workplace? While they’re putting their best efforts into the work they do, remind them that their relationships with each other and the company itself are just as important.
Excellent work systems rely on a strong personal ecosystem, created through trust, teamwork, and shared experience. Regular events give employees the opportunity to foster these bonds with each other in an informal environment, laughing over food and drinks, or learning something new and exciting together. Studies have shown that an employee is ten times more likely to stay at their job if they have strong friendships in the workplace, rather than a pay raise alone.
Human beings are social creatures! We cannot ignore this when thinking about the kind of workplace we want to build. We all crave meaningful relationships. With the amount of time we spend at work, it only makes sense to foster those meaningful relationships at work in an active way. For your workplace engagement strategy to be successful, it should encourage employees to nurture their relationships with each other.
HUMANIZE LEADERSHIP
It is easy for employees to feel that leadership is distant and isolated when they are working separately, and their responsibilities are often not obviously connected. Company events help to bridge that gap and can make it easier for employees to go to leadership in the future for advice or to advocate for themselves. Casual interactions, positive feedback, and a good rapport make leadership approachable and respected, in turn, fostering trust.
Another benefit of regular events and opportunities for your employees is that it connects people across different teams, promoting innovation across the organization and sparking innovative ideas along with better understanding of the big picture.
Even if your company is fully remote, you can still foster quality engagement with your employees! In fact, it’s even more important. It is especially hard when working remotely to feel connected to your fellow employees because casual interaction is less likely to take place. Look for opportunities to bring employees together, even if it’s virtually.
PASSIVE RECRUITMENT
Let your organization be known for these employee-centered events! This helps with recruitment, creating a passive pipeline from both within and outside your organization. Your employer brand will be stronger, and happy employees are more likely to get quality candidates to apply through word of mouth. Employee engagement also helps employees to move laterally within the organization, shifting their skills to a new role rather than leaving.
Making company-wide events a regular part of your workplace is essential to building a strong, connected, successful team. At YM Careers Network, we can help fill your pipeline with qualified candidates across many niche fields. By using our Network, we put your open positions in front of active and passive candidates, giving you a deep talent pool from which to draw from. Speak with a recruitment specialist today and learn how we can help with your unique hiring needs.
