Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2023 survey of more than 120,000 employed people around the world shows less than a quarter (23%) of employees are actively engaged at work. This is a huge problem for businesses of all sizes.
Disengaged, low-morale employees cost the world’s companies an estimated $8.8 trillion in lost productivity, which is equal to roughly 9% of global GDP, according to the Gallup study.
Savvy employers take practical steps to ensure employees are happy, engaged and satisfied with their work, cultivating an energising culture that keeps people invested.
Here are some of the best approaches to strengthen your workforce by boosting employee engagement:
1. Connect what employees do to what they care about
Many employees are more likely to feel passionate about a company that stands for meaningful social change, which is often just as important as financial remuneration or company benefits. If your company’s mission is purely to become an industry leader, your employees may have difficulty staying invested.
Organisations that have a positive societal, social or environmental impact – outlined clearly and reinforced often as part of their mission statements – attract passionate employees who dedicate themselves to the cause.
2. Help employees achieve a better work-life balance
Recent Humanforce research shows more than half (54%) of Australian workers prioritise work-life balance and wellbeing over higher pay as their primary motivator to stick with their jobs. This reinforces the importance of things like flexible and remote work, which can go a long way toward boosting employee morale.
Flexible work options may help employees achieve a better balance between their personal and professional goals, allowing them to reduce their commute or adjust work hours to accommodate their personal priorities. This often increases engagement, as unattended personal matters can be distracting or stressful for employees.
3. Show employees that you value them
An employee who feels valued and appreciated is more likely to be happier, engaged and productive. Managers should assess how they’re reinforcing the purpose behind the work, ensuring they’re consistently letting employees know that they’re an important part of the company’s vision and their work is valued.
To bring this message home, consider implementing an employee recognition program or another structured method of publicly recognising and rewarding employees. Even a simple “thank you” goes a long way, whether it’s in a group email, during a meeting, on a conference call or just in the office. Consider also using more elaborate gestures to extend gratitude, like offering gift cards or hosting social events after work.
4. Be open and forthright
The first thing customer service reps learn is that angry customers need to vent about the issues they’re facing before they’re willing to be consoled, and the same is true for staff.
Managers should try to meet with their teams regularly to provide a forum for discussing challenges, allowing them to get everything off their chest. Once their grievances have been identified, the rest of the meeting can be geared toward discussing possible solutions.
The key here is to hold these sessions in small groups of employees who are familiar with each other, since larger groups are intimidating to a lot of people and may prevent them from speaking openly. For these sessions to be effective, it’s very important to provide updates on how you’re addressing challenges, so employees know you’re taking concerns seriously.
5. Encourage opportunities to socialise outside of work
A disengaged employee leaves all thoughts of work behind as soon as they walk out the office door. Engaged employees, on the other hand, feel positively connected to their work even outside of office hours.
Promoting team building and socialisation outside of work is a great way to encourage this type of connection. Activities can run the gamut of afterwork meetups at a local bar or café to more intricate plans like organising a sports league or assembling a benefit group for a local charity. These efforts often galvanise teams and create a sense of camaraderie, boosting morale.
6. Promote mental and physical wellness at the office
Consider showing your employees that they’re valued by showing you’re prioritising their mental and physical wellbeing. There are many popular ways to do this, ranging from offering discounted gym memberships, organising running clubs, offering free anonymous counselling sessions, or providing allowances like company-wide mental health leave.
These types of benefits help increase productivity and positivity because modern workplace is often mentally and physically stressful. Anything that helps employees counter that stress reduces employee burnout and boosts engagement.
7. Support professional development
Nearly all workers want to learn new skills and abilities, whether it’s for professional development or simply to explore an area of personal interest. Businesses that provide continuous training and educational opportunities cultivate engaged workforces that are cross-functional and professionally adept.
Options range from in-house mentoring and online courses to in-person training classes and tuition reimbursement for external courses. Approaches will vary based on the employee and their job function. But whatever form it takes, encouraging your employees’ professional advancement is one of the most powerful ways to increase their morale, loyalty, and engagement at work.
Key takeaways to boost employee morale
If, as most companies acknowledge, their success comes from their people, then it stands to reason that companies that do the best job of engaging their employees position themselves for the greatest success.
By following the morale-boosting practices outlined above, your company can substantially increase employee happiness at work and reap all the advantages that a highly engaged workforce provides.