How to Engage Employees to Do Their Best

Engaged employees are inspired and motivated to go to work each morning. They work hard, have high job satisfaction and focus on customers. Put simply; they go above and beyond what’s expected. So it’s not surprising that companies with an engaged workforce are more successful.

So how can hiring managers engage employees to do their best?

According to a Gallup study, only about a third of American workers are engaged in their jobs — that is, committed to their work and productive. These are the workers who are most likely to contribute to their company with ideas and new customers. They come in to work with an energetic and enthusiastic mindset that spreads to their co-workers. Studies show companies perform better when their workforce is positively engaged — they report less turnover and absenteeism, fewer safety incidents and higher profitability. In short, workplaces with higher engagement levels are more likely to experience growth.

The sad truth, however, is the majority of American workers are disengaged — people of all ages and across income levels. Left unchecked, these employees are unhappy with their supervisors, detached from what they do, and they can ultimately wreak havoc on the morale of a workplace. So it makes sense that companies have become increasingly more concerned than ever about cultivating an engaged workforce.

Here are some starting points:

Connect employees to the company’s mission. Studies show employees feel more inspired and motivated in their job when they feel they are doing work that is meaningful. How can we do this? Start with a department meeting, where direct supervisors discuss the company-wide mission. From there, explain how each member of the team, no matter what level, contributes to that mission and the lives of the customers. In turn, this discussion can lead to how employees are also making other people’s lives a little better. The distribution worker is helping families get the packages they need. The janitor keeps the workplace clean. The accounts payable clerk is making sure the company’s vendors get paid.

Connect employees to the bottom line. What sets engaged employees apart from others is they think and act like owners of the business. By helping your employees understand how their day-to-day work impacts the company’s bottom line, they’ll feel more valued and appreciated for their contributions. Start by asking the employees to think about how they personally affect the company’s bottom line.

Connect employees to what they do best and enjoy most. As it turns out, employees are more satisfied and productive when they work on tasks they’re good at. Research proves it: people are more motivated and perform better when they have confidence in their abilities. Managers can help employees become happily engaged by determining what tasks they are better at doing than others and trying to make meaningful improvements in the work they do.

To set your company up for success, you’ll need an engaged workforce. As this article shows, there are ways to engage employees and get set on the right path. For more ideas and tips about motivating employees, visit the Nesco Resource website.