5 Ways To Make Your Employee Engagement Initiatives More Effective

When engaged employees increase productivity by 14%, sales by 18%, profitability by 23%, and participation by 13% ⁽¹⁾, you’ve got to put employee engagement initiatives front and center.

However, implementing your employee engagement initiatives for the sake of it would not yield any results. To make a real impact, you need some thoughtful planning, commitment, and an innovative approach. In this blog, we’ll explore ways to enhance your HR initiatives for employee engagement. But before that let’s quickly go through a less talked about subject- types of employee engagement!

3 Types Of Employee Engagement:

Emotional Engagement

Emotional engagement refers to the emotional connection that employees have with their work, their colleagues, and the organization as a whole. A positive workplace culture and improved job satisfaction are possible outcomes of such engagement.

Cognitive Engagement

Cognitive engagement is about knowing what the company’s goals are and how they fit within the marketplace ecosystem. It is also about employees having a clear understanding of their role in advancing the organization’s goals.

Physical Engagement

It includes attitudes, behaviors, and activities that employees display. Physically engaged employees are the ones who invest both their emotional and physical energy in their work.

No matter which type of engagement you prioritize, the significance of employee engagement remains constant.

Time to delve into strategies to elevate your employee engagement initiatives, ensuring your organization reaps the full benefits of a highly engaged workforce.

Ways To Make Your Employee Engagement Initiatives More Effective:

1. Build Up Is Important

Building up to your employee engagement event, or any corporate event for that matter, creates excitement and encourages participation. Most importantly, it helps you maintain momentum and interest over an extended period, ultimately enhancing the overall success of the event.

For instance, you’re planning an employee engagement event that features employee dance performances. Do consider having training sessions with professional choreographers well in advance. This approach not only eliminates the need to search for new team engagement activity ideas for a while but also guarantees a highly engaging and memorable event.

2. Include Family Members

If you are looking for an impactful employee engagement idea, consider including employees’ family members in your employee engagement initiatives. It not only benefits employees by improving their well-being and morale but can also have a positive impact on your recruitment and employee advocacy.

Let’s apply this to our example of incorporating employee dance performances into your engagement event. Wouldn’t it be all the more fun for your employees if their families could also learn and perform with them? But remember, while involving families can be incredibly meaningful, do consider the preferences and comfort levels of all involved.

3. Recognize Your Employees In Creative Ways

Employee recognition doesn’t always have to involve awards or formal ceremonies. Look for some innovative employee engagement initiatives to recognize your employees. Theme-based awards is one such example. This is an excellent way to align your recognition programs with specific cultural or festive occasions.

For example, you have organized a Diwali party for your employees. Leverage this event to acknowledge outstanding performance while infusing the spirit of Diwali. But How? You can have ‘The Diya Award’ for employees who have contributed some innovative ideas. The award itself could be a beautifully crafted diya (oil lamp) with the recipient’s name engraved on it. Then you can have ‘The Laxmi Award’ for employees who have significantly contributed to the company’s financial growth. The award can include a Lakshmi figurine or a Lakshmi-themed plaque. The possibilities of such creative awards are endless!

(You can work with event management professionals to design such unique awards that align with your organizational goals. These experts can take care of the sourcing and personalization of the awards, alleviating this logistical burden from your team. Most importantly, these professionals are well-versed in cultural nuances and latest trends, offering you the most appropriate and contemporary ways to appreciate your employees.)

4. Incorporate Surprise Elements

Surprise and delight is a strategy that involves introducing unexpected, positive elements or experiences into your employee engagement initiatives. The aim is to exceed expectations, create memorable moments, and foster a sense of excitement and anticipation among your employees.

Even an innovative decor can make this happen. Let’s say your organization is hosting an event to celebrate a successful project launch. Instead of the standard office-style event setup, you decide to create a “Space Exploration” theme, symbolizing the project’s ambition and reaching for new heights.

Other surprise elements could be unconventional foods, unique employee engagement activities or personalized gift bags. You can also have special guests or performers who are not revealed until the event is underway.

(One of our clients wanted to offer a unique experience to their event attendees. Here’s what we did for them!)

5. Leverage Latest Technology

By embracing technology for workforce engagement, you can enhance interaction and provide valuable experiences.

Consider using gamification in events to engage your employees with interactive games and quizzes. You can also set up interactive touchscreens and digital kiosks at the event venue. For a truly immersive experience, you can also leverage augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR). Furthermore, displaying a live social media feed at the event can significantly boost participation. All you need to do is encourage participants to share their event experiences on social media using a dedicated event hashtag.

For events with a mix of in-person and virtual participants, utilize hybrid event platforms that ensure seamless collaboration between both groups.

Conclusion:

The significance of employee engagement initiatives in the workplace cannot be overstated. We are confident that incorporating the above-mentioned strategies will not only make your employee engagement get-togethers successful but will also foster a culture of innovation and appreciation within your organization. After all, employee engagement isn’t just an event; it’s an ongoing journey towards a more vibrant and successful workplace.

At Channel Technologies, we can help you bring these ideas to life and tailor them to suit your company culture and objectives.

Looking for an Event Management Company in India to help you design employee engagement programs/ events with an innovation approach? Get in touch!

FAQs:

What is the purpose of employee engagement?

The purpose of employee engagement is to create a work environment where employees are emotionally, intellectually and physically committed to their roles, their organization, and its goals.

What are good ways to increase employee engagement?

Here are some effective ways to boost employee engagement:

• Effective Communication
• Recognition and Rewards
• Professional Development
• Work-Life Balance
• Wellness Programs
• Inclusive Culture
• Employee Surveys

What are the 7 stages of engagement?

The stages of employee engagement can be understood as a process that employees typically go through in their relationship with an organization:

• Hiring and Onboarding
• Clarification of Expectations
• Development of Skills and Abilities
• Engagement in Work
• Involvement in Decision-Making
• Advocacy and Commitment
• Career Growth and Retention

What are the 4 elements of employee engagement?

• Enablement: Enablement refers to providing employees with the tools, resources, and training necessary to perform their jobs effectively.
• Energy: This is about helping employees manage their physical, emotional, mental energy.
• Empowerment: This is about giving employees the autonomy and authority to make decisions and take ownership of their work.
• Encouragement: Encouragement involves recognizing and praising employees for their efforts and achievements.