How Businesses can Engage with Employees
For anyone running a business, the eternal question that must ask is how they can get the most out of their employees. After all, employees are the beating heart of any business and if you’re not able to help them be as engaged as possible in the work that they’re doing, they’re never going to put in the kind of work that you need from them
The truth is that if you can’t motivate and engage your employees, your business is looking at a serious uphill struggle. With that in mind, here are some things that you can do to make your employees more engaged.
Recognition
There are few things in life more discouraging than feeling as though you’re constantly grinding away at something without your hard work ever being recognised. Even if you’re earning a living, if you feel completely anonymous and unnoticed, then you’re going to lose motivation very quickly.
If businesses want their employees to remain motivated, they need to be willing to recognise their contributions. This could be through awards or even something as simple as an email sent out each week highlighting some great work. A little recognition really does go a long way.
Even if you just pop into someone’s office to let them know that you appreciate the hard work that they’re putting in can make such a huge difference to how they feel about you, your business, and the work they do.
Benefits
As great as it can be to feel as though your work is valued on an emotional level, nothing really compares to seeing material benefits to the labour that you put in. That’s why businesses who are interested in recruiting and retaining the most talented and motivated employees need to be aware of how important a benefits scheme can be.
Being able to offer employee benefits is one of the best ways to make your business stand out as a truly exceptional employer. And thanks to platforms like Zest, doing that has never been easier.
With a platform like Zest, not only are you able to provide some truly excellent employee benefits packages, but you’re able to communicate clearly with your staff and get direct insights into the ways that a benefits program is actively improving your business.
Leading by example
If there’s one mistake that far too many business owners make, it’s that they assume that their position inherently gives them the ability to inspire and instruct their employees. And sure, most people are inclined to listen to their employer. But if you really want your employees to be engaged with the work that they do, there’s no substitute for leading by example.
If you expect certain things from your employees, how are they ever supposed to find the motivation if you can’t demonstrate that you’re willing to practice what you preach. Whether it’s showing up for the company in the way that you would expect them to, or going above and beyond when there’s a call for it, being able to demonstrate that you expect the same from yourself as your employees is one of the best qualities any employer can demonstrate.
Putting yourself above your employees might be tempting, but all it really does is create an environment when you’re not able to meaningfully make connections with them.
The reality is that, if you want to get the most out of your employees, you need to remember this: they’re people, they’re not a resource. If you’re not willing to engage directly with your employees as individuals, they’re never going to engage with the work that they do. They’re not machines where you deposit money and get productivity out. Businesses are about people and it’s the responsibility of every business owner to remember that.
