There's no denying it - the workplace and the dynamics of the workforce are changing. It's up to leaders to keep up with these changes and constantly make adjustments that prioritize thier most important asset: their team. Leaders must be asking themselves, "What can I do to motivate, engage, and ultimately increase the retention and satisfaction of my employees?"
Traditionally known as Employee Engagement, the level of enthusiasm and dedication an employee feels toward their job and their company is a critical metric to track when assessing the trajectory of any organization. Employee engagement can also help measure and manage employees’ perspectives on important aspects of company culture.
Fostering an engaged and productive workplace is a consistent journey, rather than a final destination, and it starts with the people at the company. Finding the motivators, pain points, and opportunities for growth and improvement directly from employees is the ultimate source for making informed strategic internal decisions.
Companies everywhere are continuously working to build a solid, healthy foundation for their employees. Whether it be a hybrid work schedule, diversity of benefits, or adjustments to management styles, leaders in business are aware that these transitions are not a matter of if, but of when.
So, how do we resolve this? Easy, just foster a healthy and inviting work environment that fits all employees’ expectations and needs, as well as cultivate relationships between employers and employees in order to create a longer-lasting retention rate and bolster satisfaction. That sounds like a piece of cake, right? Wrong. It’s hard work to do this, but the outcomes of keeping employees engaged will have a direct impact on the success of the business in the long term.
“Being a good leader takes knowing your own strengths and weaknesses first so that you have the capability to understand those around you; knowing when to take a step back and assess the company as a whole in order to be receptive and flexible to change in order to remain competitive for talent,” said Mike Noble, NPI Founder & CEO.
It is vital for any organization to have a deep understanding of its company culture and employees' level of satisfaction and engagement. Employee engagement has a direct impact on company performance, profitability, and how the company is viewed by the public. By giving team members a platform to share their opinions, pain points, challenges, and perceptions of your company, as well as demonstrating that their feedback is valued and applied, you can simultaneously build trust among your team while identifying elements that are potentially affecting your retention rate and employee satisfaction levels. By utilizing the findings from employee survey research, you can implement data-driven strategies to directly address the needs and wants of your most valuable asset: your team members.
Although the pandemic is in the rearview mirror for most, the residual effects are still coming to light. According to the Harvard Business Review, during the pandemic, managers tended to use an urgent approach to motivate the team. Using phrases such as “critical time” or “more important than ever” worked for many companies; however, after a year and a half, employees’ mental “surge capacity” has been diluted.
Looking for new ways to encourage, they found that the three most important ways managers can improve employee engagement are (1) helping employees connect what they do with what they care about, (2) making the work itself less stressful and more enjoyable, and (3) rewarding employees with additional time off, in addition to financial incentives.
Understanding what your employees are passionate about and working to interconnect that with their position will have a greater impact on the outcome of their work and attitude toward the task. However, each work environment and employee are different from the next, so leaders need to take that extra step to learn what really motivates their team and how they can successfully implement those steps.
With Employee Surveys, NPI can provide data-driven insights on vital organizational questions such as:
What are common challenges or pain points for your employees or volunteers?
What motivates your team best?
What type, frequency, and mode of communication resonates best with your team members?
How can you as an employer / team manager potentially improve in order to optimize employee satisfaction and retention?
By conducting regular employee surveys, organizations can take the guesswork out of identifying the opinions and needs of their team members, connect with them on a human level, and use this data to navigate improvements in the workplace.
Interested in an Employee Survey?
Click here to learn more about our Employee Engagement Surveys, or book a call with us to learn how Employee Engagement research can help achieve your goals.
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