BY Austin Richards
Remember the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic – when employees turned to work as their outlet for stress management? We were all confused and worried about the future. Employee engagement soared at some organizations.
Other organizations didn’t fare as well. Businesses that experience low engagement also suffer from low productivity, high turnover and lower profitability, report Gallup researchers. If you suspect low engagement is impacting your bottom line, check out these solutions.
The Power of Employee Engagement
All business leaders strive to optimize team output. But they may not recognize how to assess their employee’s attitudes and commitment to the organization. This management insight is critical during a time of “quiet quitting” and “bare minimum Mondays.”
As Gallup research indicates, employees who feel disengaged with their employers “increased by 4%” between 2020 and 2022. This change is startling and demands managerial attention.
Employee Surveys
A high rate of turnover in your organization could indicate low workforce engagement. You’ll know more when you survey your employees. The experts recommend that you craft questions carefully.
Specifically, you should ask questions that link to actions you’re prepared to take. For example, maybe you’re ready to terminate the parking system that rewards only senior managers with the best spots. To show employees that you’re serious, survey them again in three months and ask if they’ve noticed changes.
New Team Engagement Guidelines for the Hybrid Workforce
One critical question to consider is WHY employees no longer feel engaged with your organization.
Sarah Lynch, at INC magazine, considers this topic. In citing David Zinger’s theory, she ponders whether employers are missing opportunities to connect with hybrid or remote team members. This new style of work requires a new style of management communication in the quest for employee engagement.
Messages of all kinds constantly bombard your workers. Over time, they learn to block out the ones that don’t seem important. Those blocked-out messages may be the ones you’re hoping will boost engagement.
Think about the situation from your employee’s perspective. The hybrid or remote work environment naturally removes your team members from face-to-face interaction.
They don’t get a chance to participate in break room chats. They are lacking the casual, in-person interactions that are a way to share information and increase engagement.
To improve employee knowledge, manager and leaders should overshare, in creative ways, about what’s happening in the organization. And they should reiterate company commitment to the mission. Many younger employees identify with their employer's commitment to DEI or environmental initiatives.
Engagement and Better Sales
The engagement of your sales professionals is especially critical to employee success. Most managers believe that compensation is the top motivator for sales professionals to do their best. In truth, the chance to work with a highly visible client may be more important to them.
You’ll know what motivates your sales team and other employees when you review the results of their psychometric assessments. Research shows that addressing motivation is a key method for engaging employees.
The Best Managers Move the Engagement Needle
Company leaders should help sales managers understand the benefits of employee engagement. Our research reveals that 35% of sales professionals believe their manager’s ability to motivate the team is a key weakness. If you're struggling in this area, sign up for training to improve your abilities.
In addition, over half of these employees want to learn new skills in their current position. Is there a way you can sign up your team members for educational webinars?
By focusing on what motivates your sales professionals, you can optimize employee engagement. And you can increase sales as well.
Photo by Rene Asmussen on Pexels