Employee engagement is more important to your business then you may realize. A recent Virgin Pulse State of the Industry Survey has found that 88% of businesses planned to improve employee engagement throughout 2017. Why is that? Because not only is employee engagement an important area of focus for the overall happiness of your employees, but improved employee engagement can also vastly improve retention and increase the productivity of your workforce.

Businesses that remain highly engaged with their staff have seen a 41% reduction in absenteeism and a 17% increase in productivity, according to a State of the American Workplace Report.

Richard Branson, Founder and Chairman of Virgin Atlantic said it best, “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”

Have you begun tapping into the potential that employee engagement has for your business? If not, it’s time to get started! Here are a few ideas that are easy to implement.

Encourage personal projects

Giving your employees the freedom to connect and bounce ideas off of each other can help in gaining new perspectives. This can be something you put in place for just 30 minutes or even an hour. Even that short amount of time could have a profoundly positive effect on projects and initiatives. It will also build upon your employees’ creativity. Supporting the flow of ideas and the projects of your employees will not only show that you care and improve morale; but it will also help your business’s bottom line.

Support charity & volunteer work

Help to give your employees a day or two out of the month to volunteer for a cause they support. Or the entire company could choose one cause to support. Either way, this will help in keeping employees engaged and build camaraderie, thereby improving corporate culture and your reputation as an employer. Volunteer Match can help you get started.  This site matches individuals and businesses with non-profits that need volunteers.

Supply the right resources

Make sure that you are equipping your employees with the tools and systems they need to not just do their jobs, but to make it as easy as possible for them to complete their tasks. Having the right tools will help the members of your team to invest their energy into doing the best work they can. What is the best way to get started? All you need to do is ask your employees what they may need to get the job done! But, make sure that you have the basics covered before you move on to other, more abstract, ideas.

Go beyond the employee survey

The best way to know how to improve the work place environment is to get feedback directly from your employees. A simple way to collect this feedback is through mobile employee engagement surveys.  These tools can make recording feedback much easier for both you and the employee. They also create a more interactive experience by allowing you to attach media elements such as photos, videos and surveys. Check out this list of apps that can help you to drive employee engagement.

Now what are you waiting for? See if you can implement at least one of these strategies.  The results will not disappoint you!

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