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How To Increase Employee Engagement and Boost Profits

While the notion of employee engagement is often (over) simplified to only mean employee happiness or satisfaction, there is much more to take into consideration if you truly want your team to be engaged and care about your company’s success, especially in the retail sector. 

Employee engagement, as defined in this Forbes article, is ‘the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals’. Essentially, it’s a measure of how likely it is that your employees are willing to go the extra mile – and not just for a paycheck. 

Measure Employee Engagement and Attendance 

Start by making sure that timesheets are correctly being filled out. To simplify and improve the process, it’s best to use tools like the online timesheet software from Deputy. This will enable you to make paying salaries easier, detect employee issues with attendance, or give your staff the downtime they need. 

Set clear expectations & provide all tools necessary for your team 

According to a study by Gallup, most Americans do not know exactly what is expected of them when it comes to their work. By making sure that you set clear expectations, as well as specific and attainable objectives, you make easier for them to get involved in your company projects. 

While it’s extremely important to talk about the results that must be achieved, what’s even more important is to give your team the right tools and support they need to do their job. This will increase the chances of your employees being successful in reaching the goals you’ve set, which will, in turn, enhance the success of the entire company.

Demonstrate Appreciation And Gratitude & Show Empathy

Your employees need to know that their work is useful and has a purpose. A key factor for consistently successful outcomes is ongoing feedback – this allows your team to improve their work, and/or reminds them that they’re doing a great job. 

Gratitude and empathy are highly appreciated and motivational and often leads to stronger commitment and better work relationships that are based on trust. It could be as simple as saying thank you, giving time off with no strings attached, taking your employees to lunch or finding a way to help them reach the right balance between work and personal commitments.

Listen To Your Employees 

Don’t be one of those managers that makes important decisions without seeking any input from their employees. Always listen to them and if you need to, put in place programs that encourage active listening of employee concerns. This will strengthen employee retention by boosting morale and motivation.  

While active listening can be difficult to implement, as it requires intense commitment, focus, and attention, it is essential to strong leadership, as it will allow you to get to know your team, fix workplace issues, and create a collaborative work environment. 

Provide Personal And Individual Attention  

While it may be difficult to provide personal and individual attention in a big company, it’s essential to find out how to develop trust and build relationships with your employees. 

By identifying what’s more important to them, you will be able to put in place the kind of workplace that stimulates their productivity and boosts their motivation, building a corporate culture that supports their vision while also reaching the goals of your organization.

Offer Time Off And Stress-Relief Breaks To Recharge

Helping your employees to better manage stressful situations is essential to their overall well-being. Offering ways to recharge and reset their batteries with time off and breaks will have a significant impact on their productivity and engagement.  

Everything should start with you. As the boss, you should behave the same way you want your employees to behave, so set the example and give yourself a break when you need it. It’s also important to explain to your team the importance of time off, and how it can lead to increases in productivity, maintain focus, and help renew creativity. 

Encourage flexibility and remote work

Flexible hours can give your employees the freedom to manage their time the way that works best for them, which can be great for finding the right balance between work and their personal life. It also allows them to work when they are the most productive.

If possible, offer your employees the option to work remotely as well. Employees that know they have the opportunity to work outside the office when needed will be greatly appreciative. 

Final Word

Being a mindful employer, and making employee engagement a core focus of your strategy, will help you develop stronger employer branding, and thus, a stronger company. Start working on a way to implement a sound engagement strategy, as knowing what your company does well and what needs improving can help you enhance employee engagement in a way that works for your company.

 


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