An employee’s emotional commitment to work pushes them to be more creative and take the initiative at the workplace. This is known as employee engagement and it is important as it affects efficiency, productivity, innovation and employee wellbeing.
Employee engagement strategies change over time and these are ten employee engagement strategies any organisation should be looking at in 2021.
01.Work-life balance is key to work engagement
Striking a balance or harmony between one’s personal and professional life has become a priority, especially as people across the globe continue to work remotely due to the pandemic. Working from home poses unique challenges and it is important that organisations as well as employees acknowledge them.
In 2021, organisations should give prominence to work-life balance and ensure company policy and employee engagement strategies promote a healthy balance between one’s work and personal life.
02.Give technology a place among employee engagement strategies
There are several tools and software that can increase efficiency and productivity and technology plays a key role in work engagement, especially with the younger generations of the workforce.
There are also various programmes that can be used to increase team engagement, especially by strengthening relationships between employees and making team work more enjoyable. An HR manager would thus look into increasing employee engagement with the use of technology.
03.Focus on the human aspect of human resource management
When talking about company culture and employee engagement strategies, it is easy for people to overlook the human aspect of a workplace. A company’s workforce is its most important asset and organisations cannot foster engagement if they do not put the employee or the person first.
If HRM policies do not focus on the organisation’s human resources, they may not achieve objectives like employee engagement.
04.Employee wellbeing
In 2021, organisations must consider how well an employee is doing, both in terms of physical and mental health, since the pandemic has affected people in different ways. Stress and anxiety, for instance, can have a significant impact on an employee’s work as well as team engagement. This is why employee wellbeing should be included in employee engagement strategies this year.
05.Do not forget individual growth
Organisations may look for ways to increase employee skill sets and knowledge, but this should not be done with the sole intention of increasing workplace efficiency. Any programmes or workshops an employee is encouraged to follow by the organisation should be for career success as well as personal growth. Employee engagement will increase when employees feel valued.
06.Diversity and inclusion
Diversity hires are often considered essential to create inclusive work environments, but hiring candidates from different ethnical or cultural backgrounds should not be a mere token gesture. An HR manager must ensure any actions taken to create a more diverse workforce also creates a more inclusive workplace, as an employee who does not feel like they belong in the workplace will not form any commitment to their work.
07.Communication is key for work engagement
It is impossible to talk about employee engagement strategies and any other HRM policy without drawing focus to communication. HR managers must encourage open and transparent communication between all personnel, so that employees can comfortably discuss any issues they are facing that could negatively impact their productivity.
08.Human resource management strategies should increase employee involvement
No amount of access to the latest technology or diversity policies can make an employee feel a commitment to the work they do if they are not involved in business planning processes, which is why it is recommended that organisations increase employee involvement in processes if they want to see an increase in employee engagement.
09.Employee benefits
As younger generations join the workforce, HRM practices must evolve to accommodate and adapt to the changing needs and requirements of the workforce. Employee engagement strategies must consider the organisation’s workforce, especially when planning benefits that will increase work engagement and commitment.
10.Team engagement
Since most employees work as part of a team, it is important that HR managers implement strategies that enhance team engagement. If teams find it difficult to communicate with each other or work together to achieve shared goals and targets, an organisation will see a drop in productivity.
However, teams must be given the opportunity to collaborate and work as a team beyond work activities and projects. This is important in 2021, given the disconnect many employees feel when working remotely.
These are the top ten strategies to increase employee engagement in 2021.
