An engaged workforce is a productive one. Here are 5 tips for creating more powerful employee engagement in your organization:

1.Clarify what’s expected of employees
It’s essential that your team members know what’s expected of them. When they start, generally they’re given a job description but that’s not enough.  Clear expectations set the standards and means there’s no confusion and everyone is working towards the same goal. Putting things in writing is a valuable step to avoid confusion that can occur if only verbal instructions are given.

2.Offer internal career opportunities
People don’t want to feel they are stuck in a dead end job. If you consider current team members for promotion before ever going outside the organization, people will be more willing to stay because they can see room for improvement and promotion if they perform well. Give people opportunities to learn and grow within their own role. Make it clear that your desire is to promote internally where possible. This will also minimize people looking elsewhere for new jobs without your knowledge.

3.Empower frontline employees
Are your team members able to use discretion when handling customer complaints? Do they have to always seek permission for something that isn’t within their power to correct? A great deal of frustration can build up if frontline employees are powerless to take immediate action to satisfy a disgruntled customer. If they can save a customer having to wait for action to be taken, it’s a win-win for everyone.

4.Encourage teamwork
Employees should work together as a team and support each other. No matter what sort of work it is, teamwork is essential to a healthy, positive work environment and helps employees feel more engaged in their work. Team members also learn from watching other members interact with customers. No amount of training can prepare a new employee for what happens on a daily basis better than observing a skilled team member — regardless of whether they’re working with easy or difficult customers. If team members offer each other support, it enables them all to get through any difficulties they may encounter without having to necessarily get a supervisor involved.

5.Provide regular feedback to employees
It’s crucial for all employees to be given regular feedback on their performance. Regardless of whether they’re excelling at their job or they’re new to the company, people need to know where they stand. Are they doing everything they’re supposed to be doing? Are they doing too much? If they arrive late all the time and leave early, that must be addressed. If they’re doing other people’s work because some people are lazy, that should also be addressed.

Employees need to know how they’re doing and it does keep them more engaged if their performance is regularly being reviewed. It makes them work harder to achieve everything expected of them.

So now you have a reminder of 5 techniques that drive employee engagement. Maybe you are already executing all 5, but if you employ just one new technique, or renew focus on one you are not fully leveraging, you will see an improvement in your employee engagement and be closer to developing a high performing work environment
