According to a recent survey by Gallup Research in the US, seven out of ten employees (70 percent) are lacking engagement or actively disengaged at work.
Off the back of these findings, the company offered a number of tips that could help all sorts of firms – regardless of their size, industry or geographical location – to improve workforce engagement and, consequently, productivity.
One potential approach is to focus on workplace transparency, with even the most senior managers making themselves clearly visible to all staff and being accessible whenever they can.
“Managers should not close their office doors,” Gallup advised. “They need to see employees work first-hand and offer guidance to underachievers and publicly recognise the contribution and achievements of the best workers within the team.
“In addition to this, the top managers should know that transparency in the workplace has a direct correlation with employee engagement. If they trust their employees with sensitive information, they will give them a sense of deeper investment and create a more cooperative atmosphere.”
Another concept that is becoming increasingly important in modern business and employment is flexibility.
In a recent survey by CV-Library, nearly half (47 percent) of UK professionals identified flexible working as the most desirable job perk. This put it ahead of seasonal bonuses (39 percent), extra holiday (37 percent), staff discounts (23 percent) and paid time off on birthdays (21 percent).
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, said it was “interesting to see” that modern-day workers are dismissing “whimsical perks” like sleeping areas and games rooms in favour of more practical benefits, such as flexible working and bonuses.
Gallup echoed these findings by pointing out that the development of digital technologies has made it easier for employers to give their staff more freedom, allowing people to tailor their working patterns to fit in with other commitments.
The firm noted that, statistically, employees who are able to set their own hours are more productive and engaged.
“At the end of the day, it helps entrepreneurs to cut down the cost of running a business,” it added.
There are many other approaches business leaders and office managers can take to maximise engagement and productivity, such as regularly communicating with staff and carrying out surveys to find out what really matters to the company’s employees.
As well as delivering practical, usable results, this strategy is likely to prove much more affordable than using consultancy services, specialist employee programmes or seminars.
Posted by Julie Tucker
Image courtesy of iStock/monkeybusinessimages
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