News for HR Professionals

Jan-2019-Pet-Gazette-News-for-HR-header

Send Engagement Soaring: Plan Now for a Successful 2019

Increasing profitability, promoting productivity, improving retention, inspiring innovation, strengthening collaboration, and boosting happiness in the workplace may seem like an impossibly ambitious wish list of goals. But as it turns out, there's a single factor that impacts every one of the items on that list: employee engagement¹.

Engagement is so powerful and so influential that it was a top-5-priority HR initiative for 2018². And with a new year here already, it's the perfect time to boost your company's engagement levels by becoming more attuned to employees' needs, starting with these three tips.

1. Find fun in the day.

Think fun and work don't go together? Think again. Organizations that integrate the two activities reap a wide range of benefits³, from lower absenteeism to higher productivity. So, mark your calendar and plan to bring a little fun into the workplace. Here are a few suggestions to kick things off:

• International Fun at Work Day falls on April 1—celebrate with an employee potluck, a round of trashcan basketball, or any other simple, fun activity.

• Pet lovers will enjoy Bring Your Dog to Work Day on June 21. See our article for tips on preparing your office for this event.

Don't feel you need to restrict yourself to official holidays—every day is an opportunity for fun, so find out what employees will enjoy and plan an event anytime!

2. Take time for appreciation.

Employees everywhere agree that feeling appreciated at work makes them more motivated, engaged and loyal to their employers. For proof, look no further than the numbers: employees who don't feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they'll quit in the next year compared to their better-acknowledged counterparts⁴, and 40% say more frequent recognition would prompt them to put more energy into their work⁵.

With that said, only 3 in 10 employees currently believe they're recognized or praised often enough. Just remember the key tenets of appreciation—make it fun, make it personal, make it timely—and you should see your engagement start to tick upward.

3. Watch out for wellness.