Employee engagement goes beyond mere satisfaction—it's about emotional commitment and enthusiasm towards organizational goals. Forbes and Gallup offer distinct perspectives on this crucial aspect of workplace dynamics.
- According to Forbes, “employee engagement is the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals… [not] employee satisfaction!”
- Gallup states that “Employee engagement is the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work and workplace.”
Actionable steps:
- Get on the same page - it is important to have an understanding of expectations with your team. Ask for their career objectives (i.e. to earn income, develop skills, make an impact, etc).
- Make communication easy - Create a centralized hub to ask for subs, learn about developments in the business, and learn new skills
- Prioritize Wellbeing - Explore accessible new ways to offer benefits for part-time workers, be thoughtful about schedules (ex. having consistent schedules; creating schedules 2 weeks in advance to enable your staff to plan accordingly; avoiding scheduling the same person to close one night and open the next morning, etc.)
- Give recognition - Offer thoughtful and specific acknowledgement. Remember to give shout outs to highly devoted members of your team!
- Prioritize realignment - Hold frequent 1:1 check-ins with your team to stay connected to their personal goals and what is important to them. Find ways to align their goals with fulfilling the goals of the business.
- Provide space for skill development - Provide valuable training in the form of micro-lessons so training and development are a part of the everyday tasks and culture. Consider providing your team with a stipend for them to enroll in courses that interest them and are related to their duties.
- Be accessible - Did you know that the best teams spend 25% more time discussing non-work matters with their colleagues? Having some downtime with your team throughout the workday is a necessity to forge deep relationships and connections.