The cost of recruitment is expensive, not just the actual hire, but the training, the investment and the ongoing needs. It is time consuming and can often be frustrating when recruiting to replace rather than to hire.
Surely, it would be better to spend a fraction of that time or money ensuring the work force you have are engaged and happy workers rather than blowing the budget replacing an unengaged worker when s/he leaves.
Trying to engage your team doesn’t always have to be big gestures and expensive treats, often the act of trying to be different and working on creating a happier workforce is engaging enough. Being consistent and noting what works can go a long way.
An engaged workforce directly impacts financially in a business. Workers who are engaged with their employer and believe in the brand are an incredible source of innovation and talent. They are more dedicated to their work, increase customer satisfaction and create a positive image of the business.
If you are a business manager, you should be looking at how to engage your team on a daily basis.
Make it a priority.
Simple ways to create engagement.
Let them fail
Can you get a positive from what sounds like a negative experience? People have to make mistakes to learn. If you govern their every move you will be enforcing a restrictive environment, stifling the staff. Teach them their role, ensure they know company values and then give them a task to complete, autonomously. Empower your employee, let them make mistakes and help them learn from the experience.
Have a goal
How can you engage anyone without having a purpose or a goal that they believe in. If you have a sales team consistently missing target, odds are you have demotivated and disgruntled employees. Create a goal that is achievable and work with them to achieve it. Involve them in goal setting, communicate the purpose constantly, don’t ignore it when you are not achieving it but revisit and plan how you can succeed together.
Training
We all make the mistake of training our underperformers and leaving those who seem to be doing ok, to carry on doing ok.
How unmotivating is that?
Do you have to struggle to be developed?
If you position training as something that only happens when your team is failing then of course you will have a workforce that dread it. Position training as a form of advancement, as a way to progress in a business and it can be a positive message that will engage those involved.
Catch people doing something right
It is always easy to hear the mistakes, to see the errors, but all too often leaders fail to recognise the person doing something right.
Make it your business to hear or see something good and praise accordingly. You don’t need to stop critiquing the errors but make it a fair balance.
Set a standard
As leaders you should lead by example, don’t ask your team to follow one process and then don’t do it yourself.
Set performance standards and allow individuals to find their own way to achieve them, within business protocols.
Autonomy to do a task equals engagement.
Make them the most important thing.
If you find yourself missing reviews, or team catch ups because the job simply got in the way, what message are you sending?
Shifting a team member’s appraisal because a client wants to meet you simply shouts,
The client is more important than you
Clients are important, you if you engage your team they will engage your clients, so put them first.
Look at your own management style, would you want to be led by someone with your methods? If not perhaps it is time to try some of the above.
By Jane Pettit