Do your employees enthusiastically look forward to coming to work every day?
If yes, then great job! You have done an exceptional job of keeping them engaged and committed to your company.
If not, then you are not alone. According to the 2023 Gallup “Global Workplace” report, only 23% of employees are currently engaged at their workplace.
But why is employee engagement important? According to a recent study, engaged employees increase:
- Productivity by 14%
- Customer ratings by 10%
- Sales by 18%
- Profits by 23%
- Organizational participation by 13%
On the other hand, disengaged employees cause productivity losses, which add up to around $8.8 trillion for global companies. This is equivalent to 9% of the global GDP.
What causes this disengagement among employees? There are plenty of “unfavorable” factors, including:
- Lack of career growth
- Lack of work recognition and acknowledgment
- Poor management and leadership
- Low pay
- Burnouts or excessive work
- And many others.
The good part is that organizations can use creative employee engagement ideas in their workplace to boost employee engagement.
Also Read:- Managing Skills Inventory in companies – Challenges and possible solutions
In this blog, we will look at the best ideas for employee engagement: for on-site, remote, and hybrid employees.
8 Employee Engagement Ideas for In-office Employees
Employees working from office premises are often stressed out from continuous work. Here are 8 ideas to improve employee engagement for them:
1. Out-of-Office Retreats
If you have a large employee base, organizing an out-of-office retreat is a great idea for taking a break from the monotony of office routine. In a relaxed environment, office employees can connect with others – and engage in fun activities away from the office premises.
2. Outdoor Sports
Companies can also organize sporting events such as cricket, football, or any other sport to keep their employees engaged. Teams can be created either randomly or based on the business departments.
3. Yoga
Employees with desk jobs often suffer from poor sitting postures and lack of exercise. A weekly session of yoga or light exercises can be a refreshing break from the continuous cycle of work. It will also encourage your employees to be more physically active and fitness driven.
4. Virtual Game Shows
As a team-building event, virtual game shows are an exciting way to boost employee engagement at work. Through virtual shows, participants can go head-to-head to win the game show – and boost their competitive spirit.
5. Gamification
Gamification (or game-based learning) is an effective tool for employee learning and development. It can be implemented in multiple ways – including a trivia contest, quizzes, and surveys. You can also add fun “prizes” for the best performers.
6. Team Lunch
An occasional team lunch (or coffee break) is a great team-building activity among team members from a single (or multiple) department. Company-sponsored luncheons work great at building employee trust. It’s also effective at building the organizational culture and employee morale.
7. Employee Awards
Employees love to be appreciated and rewarded for their efforts and achievements. A “fun” award show is among the best ideas to increase employee engagement. With a limited budget, organization teams can design awards for the “best performing” or “punctual” employee of the month.
8. Casual Dress Day
To boost employee engagement, organizations are relaxing their professional dress code. Many U.S. companies such as Goldman Sachs are allowing casual dresses like ripped jeans, T-shirts, or skirts. Even if you need to maintain a strict dress code on all days, consider a casual dress day (typically on Fridays or Saturdays) for your entire team or organization.
Also Read:- Why Your Organization Needs a Skills Ontology Framework
Inexpensive Employee Engagement Ideas for Remote Employees
Remote working employees can also get disengaged after some time. Here are six ideas to improve employee engagement among your remote workers:
1. Video Calls
Video calls or video conferencing are a great way to interact with remote workers. You can arrange a video call on any modern device – among team members or a mix of in-office and remote employees. This is an excellent way for new remote employees to “break the ice” and know their peers more.
2. Employee Surveys and Feedback
Remote workers are unable to express their work-related feedback, unlike office employees. Regular employee surveys are a great way of engaging with remote employees. For instance, organizations can use employee newsletters and emails to measure employee satisfaction levels. Emoji-based surveys are also a quick and efficient way to gauge employee engagement.
3. Gift Baskets
Organizations can also regularly deliver gift baskets to their home addresses to show appreciation for their remote employees. This is ideal for celebrating work anniversaries or birthdays. Companies can also share major product announcements or events by sending appropriate cards to their remote employees.
4. Complementary Lunches
Similar to office lunches, organizations can arrange a complimentary lunch for remote employees at the nearest restaurant. Alternatively, they can send a gift voucher for lunch, which remote workers can utilize whenever they want. Healthy, packed lunches are a fantastic way of showing that you care about the employee’s health and well-being.
5. Virtual Home Tours
A virtual home tour is another effective employee engagement idea – where remote employees are requested to give a quick tour of their home. This works to connect with remote employees at a personal level emotionally. They can also introduce the company to their family members, including pets (if any).
Virtual home tours are a great idea if any employee has recently moved to a new home – or revamped their home interiors.
6. Online Training
Online training and development courses for remote employees are also effective for their skills development and career goals. Companies can design training programs specifically for their remote employees. If they want to complete an external training course from an established institute, encourage them to do so by providing them with ample time to attend the course. Organizations can also consider sponsoring remote employees for skills development.
Employee Engagement Ideas for Hybrid Workers
Here are 5 innovative ideas to increase employee engagement for your hybrid workers:
1. Short Team Introductions
This is effective for new employees who occasionally visit offices. A formal introduction session can help them “break the ice” and be comfortable with their office colleagues.
2. Team Building Activities
Organizations can also involve hybrid employees in team-building activities within the office premises. Hybrid employees can “join” the fun via video conferencing or mobile phone. Some of the best team-building activities for hybrid employees include scavenger hunts, beer tasting, and even group cooking classes.
3. Employee Recognition
Hybrid-working employees also appreciate when they are recognized for their work. Using collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams and Slack, companies can highlight the work accomplishments of hybrid employees.
4. One-to-One Conversations
Managers must regularly engage in one-on-one conversations with their team members in an office or hybrid work environment. They can interact on various subjects, including work-related challenges and areas of improvement. Through human connection, hybrid workers feel a sense of loyalty to the company and are more engaged with their work.
5. Brainstorming Sessions
Brainstorming sessions and creative idea workshops are among the most effective ideas for employee engagement. Through online forums and collaborative spaces, hybrid workers can be part of these sessions – where they can contribute their ideas and suggestions to the rest of the team.
Conclusion
More organizations are focusing on employee engagement ideas to boost their organizational culture and overall productivity. Disengaged employees in office premises and remote working environments can be detrimental to overall employee morale.
Besides employee engagement, effective employee skills management (ESM) is essential for the success of any organization. This is because the value of any organization is dependent on its employee’s skills and abilities. Unfortunately, most organizations have little (or no) information about their employee skills.
With its skill-based offerings, skills analytics IYS Skills Tech is changing this paradigm. We offer a range of tools, including:
- Skills Taxonomy – The comprehensive database of skills in demand across industries.
- Skills Profiler – The tool used to create and map skill profiles in the existing workforce.
- Skills Analytics – An application that captures real-time skills data.
If you want to build a database of organizational skills, drop us a message at connect@iysskillstech.com.
