Are you a business owner or Human Resources director who wants to be at the forefront of employee retention and engagement? If so, you are not alone. Thousands of business owners around the country are looking for ways to make their employees happier, more engaged, and more productive. The good news for you is that there are ways to make this a reality for your organization. Below are just three of those ways:
1. Employee Recognition – How can you make your workforce happier? By simply recognizing them. Nearly 90 percent of companies that have established employee recognition programs say that they have seen a significant increase in worker happiness. If you think about it, that statistic boils down to common sense; if you, as an employee, are being recognized for your hard work, thoughtful input, and attention to detail, then you are likely to feel a sense of happiness because of that. Employee recognition programs do not have to be elaborate or involve monetary bonuses, they can be as simple as a spot on the bulletin board where people can be specifically called out for going above and beyond during that particular week or month. Recognition makes a difference!
2. Strategic Hiring – Want to have a more engaged workforce? Make sure you are hiring the right leaders. One way to do this is to work with some of the top executive recruiting firms or talent acquisition management services in your region. Not only do they know the best of what is out there to choose from, but they can help you find and hire executives that are equipped to help your employees find ways they can be more engaged. Studies show that one-third of the time, the reason for a failed hire is that there was a poor skills match. Take the guess work out of the hiring process by working with one of the nation’s top executive recruiting firms and a poor skills match will no longer be an issue at your organization.
3. Diversity and Inclusion – Another way to have a happier and more engaged workforce is to focus on diversity and inclusion at your organization. The research could not be more clear in showing that gender-diverse and ethnically-diverse companies continually outperform their competitors. The underlying goal of all diversity and inclusion work is to provide a work environment where all of your employees can be their authentic selves every single day.
So, the next time you have a meeting with the leaders of your organization and someone mentions the importance of having an engaged and happy workforce, consider the three ideas above. Ask yourself if you are doing enough to recognize your employees, consider working with top executive recruiting firms or a talent acquisition company to find your next leader, and make sure your organization is focusing on diversity and inclusion. These are just three of the things you can do to engage your workforce right away.
