Improving Employee Engagement: How to Make Employees Feel Valued
If you’re noticing an upward trend in employee turnover at your organization, there is a good chance you are being faced with a deeper issue of employee engagement. Employees often become disengaged from their work and workplace when they do not feel valued by their company.
Improving employee engagement requires leadership buy-in and a proactive strategy that lets workers know they are making a real difference. If you are unsure where to begin, but have noticed high employee turnover, then it is time to consider new strategies for making your employees feel valued.
The importance of making employees feel valued
We’re willing to bet you don’t appreciate working for someone who doesn’t appreciate you; companies that do little more than thank their employees for their work tend to suffer more than companies that go the extra mile in making their employees feel valued and appreciated. And this isn’t simply for the sake of keeping employees happy — valuing your employees actually benefits your company in the long run by decreasing absenteeism and turnover, improving productivity, fostering a positive employee/employer relationship and boosting employee morale and mental health.
If you’re stuck, however, and can’t seem to find the best ways to help your employees feel valued, look no further. We’ve compiled a simple list of ways to make your employees feel valued.
Take the time to connect with employees
Employees want their bosses to know who they are. They want to be recognized as valuable contributors to the company, and not just a number on the payroll.
Connecting with your employees goes way beyond knowing their names. It means understanding what each person’s strengths and weaknesses are, and then finding ways of playing to their strengths and improving areas where they struggle. When supervisors take an interest in their team members and make a genuine effort to help them succeed, it lets the employees know they are valued and increases their desire to invest in the company.
Acknowledge a job well done
It’s difficult for employees to feel valued when their hard work seems to go unnoticed by their leaders. But you can acknowledge a job well done in a number of ways, including:
- Awarding an Employee of the Month title to an outstanding staff member
- Providing incentives (like additional time off or monetary bonuses/gifts) for members of the team to boost engagement
- Rewarding employees who go above and beyond
- Scheduling shorter work days around holidays
- Hand out gift cards to those who stay late, come in early or pick up overtime to help during the busy season
And never underestimate the value a sincere and personal “thank you” can have in boosting an employee’s engagement in the workplace.
Remain transparent
Your employees dedicate a lot of time to your company and its success. As contributing members of the same team, your employees deserve to know what is going on, whether it’s good or bad news. Keeping your workforce in the loop helps them feel more connected to the business and its goals. Plus, it gives them the space to express their concerns or offer fresh ideas to keep the workplace relevant and healthy.
Listen to employees
Your staff wants to know their voices matter. Providing them with a platform to share their ideas and constructive feedback lets your team know they are working for a company that cares about everyone’s involvement. There are several ways of gathering employee feedback, including surveys, suggestion boxes, informal one-on-one meetings, feedback coaches, etc.
Once an effective system is in place for employees to voice their opinions, employers should encourage team members to utilize it. Showing employees that your organization wants to receive feedback rather than shying away from it will further communicate the level of value your company places in its workers, contributing to increased engagement.
Offer an employee assistance program
A great way to decrease turnover is to provide benefits to employees. This means going beyond the healthcare plan and paid sick leave your organization may offer. EAPs are available to support your workforce and help them achieve a more satisfying work-life balance.
Employee assistance programs provide a variety of services to help with challenges like stress management, grief, marital and family struggles, substance abuse problems, eldercare and more. These services are completely anonymous, so employees utilizing EAP benefits don’t need to worry about intrusions of privacy. Encouraging your employees to maintain their mental and emotional health by offering EAP benefits contributes to a more productive and engaged workforce.
Prioritizing engagement through employee value
For many companies, a lot of resources are spent on training new employees when dissatisfied workers quit. To reduce the cost and stress of high turnover, companies should be investing in strategies to make their workforce feel valued and engaged. If you’d like to know more about how an EAP can increase your organization’s employee engagement, contact Mazzitti and Sullivan today by calling our offices at (800) 543-5080.