5 ways to improve employee engagement

Savvy business leaders will realise organisational success isn't solely defined by profit margins or market share. At its core lies a fundamental driver: employee engagement. Why? Because it’s your people who make your business. Yet, according to Deloitte, only 23% of employees are engaged at work

What is employee engagement?

Imagine a workforce where dedication isn't just a duty, but a heartfelt devotion. That's the essence of employee engagement: an emotional commitment leading to increased productivity, loyalty, and satisfaction on a shared journey towards success.

When employees feel deeply connected to their organisation's mission, values, and objectives, magic happens. They become the driving force behind innovation, efficiency, and unparalleled achievements.

Why is employee engagement important?

It plays an important part in boosting productivity and creating a thriving culture in your organisation. How exactly?

Engaged employees are more likely to invest extra time, effort, and initiative to contribute to the achievement of business goals.
They feel a sense of purpose toward their role and bring enthusiasm, passion, and energy to the work they do, improving workplace culture and improving retention.
Engaged workers are typically higher performers and produce better results for both the customer and the company.

Now that we understand the significance of employee engagement in fostering productivity and a vibrant organisational culture, let's dive into how to enhance it further.

How to improve employee engagement in five steps

Here are five key ways that managers can help boost the engagement of their employees.

1. Inspiring leadership

Competent, passionate, and hands-on leadership is critical to employee engagement. Showing a genuine interest in your employees and investing time in understanding their needs and aspirations will help send the message that their contribution is valued.

Check in with them regularly to find out how their experience in the workplace can be improved. Find out what motivates them and how they define success so you can create a rewarding environment in which they can thrive.

2. Growth and opportunity

Engaged employees are given the opportunity to adequately use their skills and are encouraged to stretch those skills in order to progress.

A recent Page Pulse survey of 5,000 workers revealed:

40% of workers crave training opportunities
Nearly a third (27%) desire better communication around opportunities for progression
A quarter (25%) want clearer expectations of what’s expected to step up

Talk to your employees about their career plan and ask:

Does their current role make full use of their strengths and abilities?
Is their career moving in the direction they desire?
Are there new or interesting projects they can work on to expand their skill set?

Discuss the training and development opportunities that can help them advance within the company and provide clear and consistent feedback on how they can improve their performance.

3. Meaningful work

Engaged employees believe that the work they are doing is important and has value. They believe they are contributing to something meaningful and take pride in the results of their efforts. As a manager, it is crucial to frequently reinforce the importance of your employees’ roles. Help them to see the direct connection between their activities and company success.

Offer clear and constructive employee feedback, set goals, and challenge your employees to meet them to encourage and promote a sense of purpose. Grant them the autonomy to improve the way things are done and involve them in decisions to help them feel a sense of ownership over the direction of the company.

4. Recognition and rewards

For employees to be motivated to give their best, they need to know their efforts will be recognised and rewarded. Yet our latest survey of 2,000 workers reveals almost half of workers (49%) go the extra mile without receiving a one-off bonus or extra holiday allowance (51%).

Regularly thanking them for their efforts demonstrates your awareness of their hard work and provides encouragement for them to boost their performance.

Make the time to celebrate accomplishments, rewarding and recognising employees in ways that are meaningful to them. While competitive pay and good benefits are key motivating factors, providing incentives for higher performance gives employees something extra to strive for.

Benchmark your workforce’s salaries against market trends in your industry to remain competitive. Download our salary guides

5. People-focused culture

Companies that reap the benefits of an engaged workforce understand that people are their greatest asset. Help people feel valued and heard by:

Implementing initiatives that enable employees to balance work and home life more easily, such as step-count incentives to promote screen breaks.

Encourage employees to balance hard work with socialising and fun by supporting company-wide activities that build relationships.

Create an open and welcoming environment by promoting the sharing of ideas, suggestions, and improvements. For example, share regular anonymised employee surveys to gain feedback.

A work environment in which people feel a sense of camaraderie is critical to employee engagement.

For more ways to keep employees engaged, read through these 10 inexpensive but effective ways to motivate your staff.

What next?

The role of recruitment in employee engagement

From crafting job advertisements to conducting interviews, each step offers a chance to foster alignment between candidates and your company's ethos.

Recruitment isn't just about filling positions—it's about shaping your company's future. At Michael Page, we know that hiring engaged talent sets the stage for lasting success. With us, find candidates who share your values and drive, ensuring a workforce that's committed from day one.

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