3 Tips For Keeping Employees Happy and Productive

The results of a 2015 Gallup poll found that only 32 percent of U.S. workers considered themselves “engaged” in their jobs.

A whopping 50.8 percent said that they were “not engaged.” And, another 17.2 percent said they were “actively disengaged.”

Your business definitely can’t afford to have so many people simply counting down the minutes until they can clock out.

That’s why we’re sharing three great tips that will help keep employee engagement and motivation high all year round.

Let’s get started!

1. Give Genuine Praise

When employees receive regular, genuine praise from their managers and supervisors, some pretty impressive things happen.

For example, they’re more likely to stay with their current organizations. They’re also more likely to increase their productivity and be more engaged in their work overall.

Praise also influences more than just the person receiving it.

When you publicly praise one employee, others will likely experience a desire to receive praise themselves. As a result, they may increase their productivity and engagement to match the person who was initially praised.

When it comes to giving praise, make sure you’re being specific.

A simple “good job” is fine, but congratulating workers for doing a specific task well or coming up with a creative way to solve a problem goes a lot further.

In addition to words of recognition, it’s also nice to mix in some tangible rewards like customized military challenge coins to let people know you appreciate their hard work.

2. Communicate with Your Team Regularly

Effective communication is crucial for increasing employee engagement and motivation, and it all starts with the people in charge.

Communicate with your team regularly and let them know what’s happening.

Whether you do this at a staff meeting or with a written newsletter, employees need to know how they fit into the bigger picture.

Keeping employees informed also helps them feel valued and engaged in company’s overall success.

Don’t worry if you don’t always have all the answers or information.

When you share news about the company, both good and bad, you also give employees an opportunity to suggest solutions or offer up new ideas.

3. Encourage Collaboration

Speaking of making suggestions, employees need to feel like they are allowed to contribute. To do this, you need to work on creating a workplace that encourages collaboration.

Not sure how to encourage collaboration? Give these tips a try:

• Set long- and short-term team goals
• Give people space to create (don’t micromanage)
• But also make sure employees know they have your support
• Encourage workers to get to know one another (personality assessments, games, after-work activities, etc.)
• Be consistent, even if change doesn’t happen immediately

The collaboration you’re imagining might not happen immediately. But, be patient and think of the long-term benefits that come with collaboration.

Collaboration creates a sense of ownership. As a result, workers are more likely to be invested in a project’s success.

Want More Tips on Employee Engagement and Motivation?

Do you want to learn more about how you can boost engagement and manage your business better?

If so, be sure to check out our other business-related blog posts for even more inspiration!