As we settle into the reality of virtual work, 2021 is all about finding ways to fuel employee engagement.
Professional patterns, behaviours and environments have all changed, but the aim of any engagement initiative remains; to identify core motivations, needs, wants and interests that drive desirable employee behaviour.
Most employers are familiar with the annual employee survey format for gleaning valuable insight from their workforce, but in 2021, we must take a revitalised approach to measuring engagement in hybrid working models.
Here are 4 fresh ways to tackle employee engagement:
Pulse Check Surveys
Surveys are still effective methods of gathering feedback, but the cadence at which employees receive these can significantly impact responses. Let’s face it – a lot can happen in a year. Annual surveys attempt to cover too big a time frame, and can feel daunting to busy employees who can’t think back 12-months. Alternatively, daily, monthly or even quarterly questionnaires can give you a more accurate reflection of employee sentiment, covering a shorter period of time for reflection.
Boost response rate by:
- Keeping content short and sweet.
- Building time into routines, such as sending out the survey after your monthly team all-hands.
- Scheduling surveys around milestone launches, campaigns or workplace events.
1:1 Check-Ins
Creating time for individual catch-ups with employees can give you a solid understanding of where people are at both personally and professionally. Use sessions as a way of building deeper relationships with key players in your workforce, aand build on these through frequent follow-ups. Try skip-level meetings, where you make an effort to meet with those on your team who don’t directly report to you. Keep communication casual and two-way in nature, gather constructive feedback and encourage an open-door policy for continued communication.
Employee-led Initiatives
Put your employees in the driver’s seat of their own engagement efforts. Make an open call for suggestions on internal initiatives that are brainstormed, voted-on and led by employees. These could be anything from charitable efforts to internal passion projects or interest clubs. Giving employees a voice, and committing to their vision, can go a long way in driving engaged participation across the organization.
Quarterly Lunch & Learns
Pair a senior leader with a handful of junior colleagues for a lunch and learn session that eliminates boundaries between departments, teams and levels within your organization. Order in your favourite lunches and tackle key workplace events, issues and initiatives along with any concerns, questions or challenges. Easy, uninterrupted time shared between leadership and junior team members makes employees feel seen, heard and valued – all important variables when it comes to engaging your workforce.
