Keeping employees engaged at work is key to maintaining a successful company. According to a report from the Institute for Employment Studies, engaged employees are more likely to stay with an organization, and they perform 20% better than their colleagues due to how much effort they invest in their work. It’s simple — people who are happily engaged with their work are less likely to leave your organization for a competitor, while also displaying an exemplary work ethic.
And with so many options out there now in a remote-friendly work world where location isn’t a significant factor for employees, it has never been more important to keep team members actively engaged.
Let's review some of our favorite employee engagement strategies to develop a focused, engaged workforce, which will hopefully result in a stronger work dynamic that leads to lasting success.
Collecting (and implementing) employee feedback can go a long way in keeping employees happy. An online survey gives them the freedom to answer anonymously, which can provide you with valuable insight into how your company can improve. Think: Is your onboarding process suitable for remote teams? What kind of perks would help employees to support their mental health?
Another feedback-generating option is to host virtual events that involve a Q&A period for your team to ask questions. The dialogue that can take place during these discussions is a huge benefit to learning how people are feeling, plus it's great for brainstorming employee engagement strategies with the entire group in attendance.
Many workers are looking for opportunities to speak with their bosses, but those situations aren’t always available. You can change that by encouraging employees to communicate with you. Another great tip is to hold virtual office hours or casual happy hours for those who would like to chat.
Not everyone likes doing the same types of work. Once you get a better understanding of your team, try assigning work based on who enjoys doing certain duties. This notion can only be applied if you know how your employees feel about tasks, so prioritize communication to maximize everyone’s engagement.
Giving people opportunities with extra responsibility is a great way to keep them motivated. It not only shows that you value their progression at your company, but it also can encourage employees to prove themselves worthy of receiving additional responsibilities.
Be mindful to not overwhelm them, leading to burnout.
Making old and new hires involved in long-term projects can inspire them to look toward a bright future with your company. Instead of assigning them menial tasks that may make them feel replaceable, include them in important projects so they see themselves as an asset.
Sometimes a simple “thank you” can be all it takes to make your employees feel appreciated. Never take your team’s effort for granted, and consistently giving them kudos will solve that. Developing a company culture of acknowledging good work can deliver a positive working experience for everyone.
Another method to keep your workers engaged is by offering incentives for hitting certain goals or doing exceptional work. Giving performance-based rewards can motivate people to work extra hard on particular projects, while also encouraging healthy competition among your employees.
Celebrating the success of your group lets everyone feel proud to be a part of it. Host a party for hitting corporate milestones or excellent employee performance to let people relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor. The fact that team-driven events and similar team building activities help in building workplace camaraderie is another benefit.
It’s also tremendously important to recognize any of your team’s individual accomplishments. Consider staging virtual office birthday parties for your workers, or making interactive cards to celebrate any exciting news in their personal lives. These types of engaging virtual celebrations can bring your team closer together.
Themed work days are a unique way to promote fun engagement with your employees. Even if they are already dressing casually as remote workers, give them the opportunity to feel connected to their peers by encouraging everyone to follow certain outfit themes on particular days.
Virtual game nights are an awesome way to promote team-building while giving everyone a chance to unwind after work. There are several types of engaging games that you can play, and providing a fun evening can truly leave an impression that you care about the well-being of your entire team.
It’s challenging for remote workers to feel connected to people they don’t see in-person or in-office. If your company has a WFH presence, use a social platform (not social media!) that encourages people to connect together in a more informal way. Slack and Zoom are common examples, but there are countless social platforms out there to consider.
Team lunches and coffee runs are two long-held office traditions. Although people have had to adjust how they do them with teams going remote, we're seeing a surge in virtual lunches and virtual coffee breaks that provide a modern spin on classic co-worker initiatives.
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Having reliable catering at your virtual events is a key way to maintain audience engagement, so simplify the process by using Hoppier. We have a long list of vendors for people to order from, who will promptly deliver the items to each person in their respective locations. Our system can also be used for other employee engagement ideas, like giving a prize to incentivize your team or promoting health and wellness values.
To capture and hold your team’s attention, find out each individual's unique and day-to-day motivations. Some people are driven by tangible things, while others draw inspiration from achieving long-term goals. Discover what motivates employees from different departments and leverage it to improve job satisfaction.
Encouraging your team to have a work-life balance is one of the best ways to keep them happy. If you can accommodate people’s personal plans as best as possible, you’ll almost certainly be rewarded with a more engaged and loyal group of workers.
One way to promote a healthy work-life balance is by allowing your employees to have flexible work hours. If they need to finish early one afternoon or have a particular day off, let them make up the time elsewhere to fit their schedule. It’s infinitely better to make your team feel valued as opposed to feeling overworked.
You will likely have several ambitious members of your team, so tap into that by encouraging them to learn new skills. There are countless workers out there who are eager to engage in upskilling for future goals, so support them by providing various learning opportunities.
Offering online workshops and webinars is a great way to keep your employees satisfied. These virtual meetings can considerably help anyone looking to learn new skills. Whether it’s a hands-on workshop or a discussion-focused webinar, hosting classes to learn new skills can be an impactful employee engagement idea.
Mentorship and networking events are other key things that people look to acquire through work, but it’s especially challenging for remote workers. Helping your home-based employees build their network of mentors and colleagues can benefit their long-term growth, while also giving them more reasons to stay with your company.
It’s never a bad idea to promote healthy living to employees. If you already have a health and wellness program established, make sure your team is aware of it. You can also consider offering free gym memberships and healthy snacks.
Encouraging people to be healthy shows that you genuinely care about their well-being, which can lead to a lasting commitment and improve employee retention.
Some people love volunteering in their spare time, so come up with ways for your team to help out in charitable endeavors. Not only can encouraging volunteerism make people proud to work for your company, but it’s also a great look in terms of creative branding possibilities.
Office parties are always a fun way to boost company spirits, so make holiday parties a regular tradition. They give you an opportunity to show your appreciation with corporate holiday gifts, as well as create a positive and engaging atmosphere that can build strong bonds among your team.
Personalized awards for group members are a unique way to express gratitude for each of your employees. Use nostalgic work memories to think of some clever award names, and hand them out to your staff at an office party. These inexpensive items should provide a combination of laughter and sincerity for everyone to enjoy.
Another great corporate gifting option is to have human resources distribute company swag. It’s a unique solution that lets your employees feel proud about representing your organization. Consider making the swag into a limited-edition gift, making it feel even more exclusive.
One of the secrets to keeping employees engaged is by constantly coming up with new employee engagement ideas. Continue using any of your proven successful tools, but don’t be afraid to try new strategies too. Fresh ideas often lead to insightful discoveries, which can be used to generate a more engaging experience for all.
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
There’s nothing worse as an event host than seeing people get hangry while waiting for the catering to show up. Prevent these situations with Hoppier to provide the food and drinks for your next event.
It’s ridiculously easy to sign up for our system. After creating a Hoppier account, upload money onto our virtual cards and distribute them to your team.
We have a huge vendor list to ensure everyone can order something they like, plus these companies handle delivering the items so each person is assured of a terrific office party catering experience. Specify which vendors your guests can order from, so feel free to encourage healthy options as part of a wellness program or competition.
Hoppier is a versatile tool that presents several other employee engagement ideas. Gamification is a common way to generate engagement, so feel free to use our easily-transferable cards as prizes for team contests.
It can’t be understated just how important it is to keep your team engaged. As we continue seeing a rise in the number of remote employees, we also learn about awesome ways to keep them happy and productive. Remember to try a wide variety of creative strategies, because you won’t know which employee employment ideas are the most successful until you implement them.
For more information on how to maintain your team’s engagement, check out our webinar about how to create memorable and engaging virtual events, or read our blog detailing how to drive better audience engagement at virtual events.
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
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