6 Methods To Improve Employee Performance And Engagement

“Employees who believe that the management is concerned about them as a whole person, not just as an employee— are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees lead to satisfied customers, which leads to profitability. “

 — Anne M. Mulcahy 

Today’s employees seek to be valued, recognized, and respected at work. In fact, engagement is now the driving metric of many successful companies. For example, businesses with a highly engaged workforce are 21% more profitable, and companies with a thriving workplace culture experience over 4x higher revenue growth. 

Essentially, the difference between successful companies and others is employee engagement. Businesses prioritizing workplace engagement reap the rewards of high profitability, productivity, and growth, among other astounding benefits. 

On the other hand, those that put workforce engagement in the backseat struggle with its consequences— from high turnover to low output, financial loss, reduced customer retention, etc. For example, companies in the US lose $450- $550 billion annually to disengaged employees. 

So, how does a company turn its staff into loyal advocates and build a community of employees who are engaged and committed to their roles? The answer is simple—employ practical engagement practices in your work culture! 

In the long run, employee engagement practices boost workers’ morale, help them feel appreciated, and boost their satisfaction and commitment to their jobs. This article explores six practices, including how companies can implement them effectively to see instant results. 

Let’s get started. 

What is employee engagement? 

There are different levels of employee engagement, and understanding each category equips you to improve team engagement. They include highly engaged employees, moderately engaged employees, barely engaged employees, and disengaged employees. 

• Highly engaged employees: This group of employees has the best things to say about their workplace. They are connected to their roles and teams and feel positive about where they work. They are the companies’ advocates and would go out of their way to ensure the organization is in its best position.

• Moderately engaged employees: Staff in this category love their jobs and organization but see room for improvement. They are less likely to overperform or go out of their way for the company because they have reservations about the company.

• Barely engaged employees: This group of people is indifferent towards their work, teammates, and organization. They have minimal motivation and would stop at doing only what they must do. Half the time, they are seeking opportunities in other places. 

• Disengaged employees: Disengaged staff have negative impressions and attitudes toward their roles. They are disconnected from the companies’ goals and what it stands for. They are also not committed to their jobs. 

Tips to enhance employee performance and engagement 

The best way to improve employee engagement is to know how engaged workers are. The best performance management software automates this process by conducting frequent performance reviews, monitoring employees’ growth, and connecting employees with the company’s values and goals. What’s more? It also establishes a feedback and recognition system to boost workers’ morale. 

This provides continuous insights into how employees feel and think about the company and what they do. This way, when loopholes and dissatisfaction with low engagements exist, you can respond promptly to rectify the situation. You’ll satisfy employees, scale performance with automated support systems, facilitate value alignment and continuously put every team member on track. 

Performance management software enables performance reviews, allowing you to monitor employees’ progress as they grow. They also keep everyone in tune with the organization’s goals, objectives, and key results (OKRs). 

They provide integrated feedback and praise tools, supplying regular encouragement and feedback that helps workers feel appreciated and valued. 

Finally, adopting a performance management system streamlines employee management activities, facilitates constant motivation, and enables regular employee performance tracking for increased engagement. 

• EMPHASISE your core value and mission 

The company’s core values and missions are critical to ensuring employee engagement. If workers don’t understand or believe in your beliefs and mission, there are higher chances they won’t be driven and engaged at work. Contrarily, if they know what you stand for, share a similar value system and support your mission, they will be passionate, committed, and engaged with their roles. 

So, one of the first things to get out of the way is to clearly state the company’s mission and values. Start by highlighting them when applicants apply for a job in your organization and continuously emphasize them along the way. 

Doing this will ensure you hire those who care about your goals and believe in what you pursue as an organization. As a result, you will have a team that’s on the same page as you, and engaging them will be less of a hassle. 

So, discover what your values, mission, and goals are.  Communicate with them at every opportunity—job descriptions, interviews, staff meetings, employee training, website, office walls, etc. Consequently, your team members will be in alignment with your values, and you can work collectively towards the same goals. 

Employees want to know how they are performing and look to the leadership to inform them. This is why 75% of employees believe feedback is valuable, and 69% say they will work harder if their hard work is recognized. 

Feedback ensures that as workers put their best into their work, none of their efforts go unnoticed. This lets them do even better to generate higher results. Also, feedback proves that employees are valued, so the staff feels better about themselves by providing feedback, causing a ripple effect in how they feel about the organization, teammates, and responsibilities.

Besides, feedback enhances performance. First, since employees feel appreciated, they work harder. Secondly, constructive feedback makes them aware of their strengths and weaknesses to make necessary improvements. 

So, organize frequent check-ins to know how to review employees’ performance. Remember, feedback is never a one-size-fits-all. Therefore, personalize every feedback approach to each employee’s preference. Understand how they respond to feedback and structure your method to suit their style for the best results. 

Rather than give criticism publicly, let managers give reports to each team member directly. This helps employees take feedback less personally, enhancing engagement and performance. 

58% of workers asked leaders to “give recognition” when asked how to improve engagement. 

Why? Employee recognition is an open acknowledgment of workers’ efforts. So, by receiving authentic recognition, employees feel appreciated and motivated. 

Recognizing employees can be a simple “thank you” or “well done.” Expressing honest appreciation for a completed task or milestone will go a long way in motivating employees and encouraging them to do more. 

Offer personalized perks.  Ask employees what they want and offer it as an incentive for a well-done job. Reward them with team-building activities, promotions, vacations, etc. Regardless of what it is, the most critical factor is that employees feel celebrated for their achievements. 

Therefore, track workers’ activities to be in the loop on completed milestones and achievements. Celebrate them promptly and express how invaluable they are to the team. Doing this will boost their morale and improve their engagement and performance. 

• Prioritize work-life balance 

The most engaged employees are those with a healthy work-life balance. Top talents want a life outside work, so they are constantly looking for organizations that enable work-life balance. 

For example, 57% of employees say an unhealthy work-life balance is a turn-off when considering job offers. 

Promoting a healthy work-life balance culture proves that you are interested in employees’ well-being, boosting their engagement and performance. Work-life balance also prevents burnout and allows them to maintain positive mental health and stay committed and engaged at work. 

Contrarily, an unhealthy work-life balance breeds unhappy employees. Workers will push through with minimum enthusiasm and commitment, hampering their productivity and engagement. 

So, create a healthy work-life balance by implementing flexible work hours, encouraging employees to take mental health days, and promoting healthy lifestyles. When you do this, you allow employees to be in the best condition to feel and do their best. 

• Enable volunteer opportunities 

Employees want to be a part of a big cause, so they prefer to work with organizations that give back and support volunteer opportunities. 

70% of employees believe volunteer activities improve morale compared to happy hours. Also, 89% of workers believe companies promoting volunteer opportunities have a positive work culture. 

Volunteer opportunities bring employees together. It also makes them feel better about themselves and their workplace as they make an impact. As a result, they are better engaged and happy. 

So, organize volunteer programs. Dedicate volunteer holidays to give back to the community and sponsor volunteer programs. Doing this skyrockets employee performance and engagement to improve productivity, retention, and satisfaction. 

Keep your employees engaged