According to a new report released from SilkRoad, 86% of employers struggle to create and maintain workforceengagement. These struggles lead to unmotivated employees, low employee morale, and can ultimately cause low retention rates at an organization. Employee Engagement programs can turn these staggering statistics around and help organizations strive for success both internally and externally. Here are some key data points from the study and how you can help apply them to ensure employee engagement is at the forefront of your organizational planning.
- Formal employee engagement programs are the exception, not the rule: 54% of employers do not have a formalized employee engagement program active within their work environment. Without employee engagement programs employees feel less connected to their work, their colleagues, and fall into routines of dissatisfaction and reduced productivity as a result. Building community and engaging employees across teams, backgrounds and hierarchical levels will help bring employees together to engage with their work, and the people they work with.
- Capable leadership and career opportunities trump salary and benefits as engagement drivers: Salary and benefits are important in keeping employees engaged and on-board, however, they are also expected parts of employee compensation. Having good leadership within your organization and providing career development opportunities and transparent upward mobility are unexpected employee benefits that work well as an engagement tool. Providing employees with support or additional benefits that they do not expect are great ways to pleasantly surprise employees and keep them motivated and engaged at work. Adding small incentives to employee engagement programs, such as small denomination gift cards, are another way to boost engagement and motivation. Providing gift cards to popular retailers such as AutoZone, Crutchfield, and the Children's Place can add tangible value to employee engagement.
- Measurement is a weakness of employee engagement programs: Measuring employee engagement programs on a stiff schedule, such as once a year, is not enough. Employee engagement programs must stay fresh amongst the workforce, and must provide employees with valuable rewards or incentives in order to achieve its goals. Employee engagement programs need a constant feedback loop to allow management to tweak the program to ensure success.
