Last updated 17 June 2022 ·
Employee engagement can be one of the most significant factors in the success or failure of a business. When employees feel like they’re not valued, it can lead to low morale and high turnover rates, detrimental to any company. With that in mind, here are some ways you can create an employee engagement plan that will foster greater job satisfaction and productivity among your workers.
What is strategic employee engagement?
The first step in creating a strategic employee engagement plan is developing quantifiable OKRs, Objectives and Key Results. These are guiding metrics that let you focus efforts over a specified timeframe. OKRs help keep you focused on building sustainable success.
How to create an engaging environment
One of your goals as a manager is to create an engaging environment where each employee feels valued and included. This makes for more productivity and a more positive work environment. The secret here is to set specific, measurable goals (KPIs, key performance indicators, or OKRs, objectives and key results) that ensure employees are aware of what the business is trying to achieve and how their work can positively impact that. If employees are kept in the loop and consulted on business decisions, they will naturally feel more involved and engaged. People are more engaged with what they help create.
What should you measure?
Measuring the progress, performance and achievements of each team or individual is relatively easy when you have a structured OKR plan in place. Whether your organisation is just starting or has been around for some time, you have countless opportunities for data gathering. However, not all data types are created equal: Focusing on only one or two metrics can work against you. It’s essential to find an employee engagement metric that best suits your company’s goals and aligns with your business strategy. Employee engagement can be measured by looking at employee productivity, OKR progress, staff turnover and absence levels or conducting surveys to ask them directly, and often anonymously, for feedback.
Key metrics every manager should know
One of the most important questions is - How does employee engagement impact the bottom line? What tools can we use to monitor employee performance? How can I tie what employees say with their behaviours and how that impacts overall results? Indeed, employee engagement doesn’t necessarily equate with productivity or profitability. However, it does play an essential role in fostering and maintaining goodwill between employees and leaders. When your team is motivated, they work harder; when they work harder, you see better results. Using OKRs can provide a structured approach to strategic employee engagement.
Take action today to improve your workplace
The first step in creating an effective employee engagement plan is taking action. The good news is that there are many things you can do right now that can help improve your workplace. It’s essential to get started as soon as possible because every day you wait is another day lost for enhancing productivity and morale.
Start by looking at how your employees spend their time during work hours. Are they confusing busyness with business? If they’re not working on company-related tasks, they’re likely wasting time and energy on other activities that could be better spent elsewhere. If possible, work with business leaders to set some OKRs and cascade them throughout all teams so performance can be more closely monitored and communicate the long-term vision with employees inviting their ideas on how you achieve it.
If you would like some help writing compelling OKRs that cascade seamlessly throughout all levels of your business, download our free resource - The OKR Builder™, today! It includes a step-by-step guide on how to get started with OKRs in your business.
