Many companies aim to improve employee engagement in order to attain many other benefits, including higher levels of productivity and innovation. Engaged employees are more productive, have higher retention rates, and go above and beyond for the organisation.

Trust in leaders: understanding that trust is a two-way street; Be trustworthy as well. Showing respect for employees’ time and energy. If an employee is working with you on something, do not waste their time or energy. Be respectful of their personal space and time, and make sure they understand what they need to do.

Relationships with co-workers: In the social sciences and behavioural economics, relationships with co-workers are an important determinant of employee engagement. When employees feel that their co-workers are team players, they are more engaged at work. This means that the individual’s perception of how his or her co-workers behave is critical in determining how engaged he or she will be at work. Co-workers should be respectful of each other, supportive when needed, fun to be around, and honest about their performance expectations for each other. They should also help one another out when needed and treat one another with respect and kindness, regardless of what happens on any day at work.

Opportunities for learning and development: there are many ways learning and development can take place in an organisation. Mentorship programs pair experienced employees with new hires or those who want to grow their skills. Lunch-and-learns are informal gatherings where employees share their knowledge of a topic, like account management or public speaking. On-the-job training from your manager or fellow co-workers on a specific skill and online courses. Continuing education: we should align employee learning objectives with organisational goals; organisations should offer internal seminars in areas such as leadership development, diversity training and compliance programs, anti-harassment/discrimination.

Company values that resonate: Company values are a good starting point for employee engagement efforts, but they need to be unique and authentic to your organisation. If you are going to build an engaged workforce, employees must believe that the company’s values are actionable and can make a difference in their day-to-day work lives. Your team members should understand what makes their company special. They should be able to explain why each value is important, how it affects their jobs, and how it benefits the business overall.

We can do this by

  • Communicating those values so people know what they mean and what they do not. Make sure everyone knows where they stand on issues such as integrity and honesty; respect for others; teamwork; innovation; excellence through hard work; staying true to your roots, even if that means sometimes taking calculated risks.
  • Reward employees who live these principles every day by giving them more opportunities than those who do not show up every morning ready to be part of something bigger than themselves, like being recognised at an annual awards ceremony or being given more responsibility over time based on merit rather than tenure.

Opportunities to give and receive feedback: Feedback is a gift that is based on the understanding that there is always room to improve and that we can learn from others. Studies have shown that feedback is one of the most powerful tools in developing employees’ skills, which helps them grow in their roles at work. Good feedback looks like involves, asking for it, giving it the right way and receiving it the right way.

The best way to reduce turnover is to make sure employees are engaged in their work and feel supported by their teams. In contrast, disengaged or unhappy employees may be less productive or even pose a safety risk because of how they handle stress or conflicts with supervisors or colleagues. It’s important to note that these drivers do not affect engagement. Instead, they are the enablers of or barriers to engagement. If a team member experiences any of the following drivers, it is up to leaders and managers to help them identify those gaps and work together with the employee to address them.