How to Increase Employee Engagement

Sometimes the mere thought of getting up and going to work is overwhelming. Interacting with a range of coworkers, attending meetings with supervisors, or wading through emails can seem daunting on days when you aren’t feeling particularly enthusiastic about your job. On those days, you find yourself counting down the hours until you can log off. When those emotions increase in frequency, your work becomes merely a means to an end. Most people will begin to recognize that something isn’t right, and they’ll eventually seek out change. Those in charge are in a position to increase employee engagement and prevent talented team members from descending into apathy.

Why Engagement Matters

Let’s detour for a moment to speak of the art of bonsai. It is the cultivation of nature so it may join us in the indoor space. Taking seeds from any tree, the grower spends hours throughout the seasons tending to the leaves, trimming the roots, and pruning the branches in order to maintain the beauty and health of the bonsai. Their appearance projects a sense of balance and harmony. The act of maintaining them returns the favor to the one who tends to it. The bonsai’s triangular shape represents stability and strength. Their size does not lessen their need for attention. In fact, they require more consideration than full-sized trees of the same species. When neglected, the bonsai becomes unruly and its pleasing design fades. Eventually, it outgrows its container altogether.

When you neglect employee wellbeing and fail to notice dissatisfaction, productivity suffers. Whether your employees are satisfied with their jobs may not seem like something you need to be overly concerned about, but employee engagement plays a profound role in company success. For instance, engaged employees are often more effective. When people take pride in the work they are doing, it generally means there will be a better end product with fewer costly missteps along the way. When the bonsai is tended to, it prospers and bears fruit.

Building Engagement

Supportive and benevolent company leaders are obviously going to be much more successful managers than undermining and insensitive ones. They tend to possess empathetic communication styles that foster a synergetic work environment. They have the ability to influence their employees in constructive ways, thereby lessening the need for micromanagement, which can breed hostility. Although the bonsai requires attentiveness, it likewise needs room to thrive.

Employees will develop a stronger sense of loyalty to a company through management that acknowledges and respects their inherent value. It’s vital that managers focus on employee development from the get-go and make sure their staff remains motivated. New employees tend to be receptive to attentive office leadership. The atmosphere created by managers and coworkers who are enthusiastic and engaged is infectious. Therefore, employees must train with people who are passionate about their jobs. This will set the tone for the rest of their tenure at the company.

A Stronger Office Culture

A collaborative company culture should be exactly what you are striving for as a manager. After all, there is nothing better than employees who are engaging with each other to build a dynamic and prosperous workplace. When team members are encouraged to join forces, they share ideas that improve production and service. Employees who interact with each other are also more likely to view work as less-stressful, which can be good for their long-term health. They are less likely to experience mental health issues that come with job dissatisfaction, such as stress, anxiety, or even depression.

Fostering open and transparent relationships through regular check-ins is a simple action you can take as a manager to improve company culture. Be an advocate for your employees and use your leadership role to help them achieve their short and long-term goals. Advocate on their behalf for regular raises, benefit enhancements, or updated equipment. You should always be looking for ways to improve their work lives. Tend here, replenish soil there, water generously.

The seeds that are the life source of the bonsai are carried over from the trees that came before it, each generation brings their own uniqueness, nurtured by the grower. Rumors of a harmonious company culture are eminently enticing to prospective employees. In fact, many people today place job satisfaction, flexible scheduling, and a positive working environment above salary requirements. Recognizing the significance of increasing employee engagement will pay dividends over the coming years in terms of productivity and retention of the most valuable players. By providing them with optimal growing conditions, your efforts will yield the results you seek.

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