How to Keep Your Employees Engaged

Written by Andrew Johnson - Tue 28th Jul 2020

First and foremost, it’s important that they know that their wellbeing is at the top of your priority list. If they know that you are trying your best to help them, it’s likely that they will stay loyal to you during these challenging times. 

The concept of employee engagement looks different now. At the beginning of the year, it was important to remember that most staff members spend more time in the office than they do at home but right now, the opposite is happening and that’s a problem in itself. 

To be successful on the other side of Covid-19, you need to invest some time in your team.

So, what can you do?

Communicate

Do not forget about the team members who are working from home. They need to feel part of the organisation more than ever. By not keeping in touch on a regular basis, you will only alienate them and make it far more difficult for them to return. 

Host a regular team zoom call or arrange a quick 1-2-1 every week just to check in. 

Tools

If you have team members who will continue to work from home for the foreseeable, make sure they have the right tools to make that as easy a transition as possible. 

Whether it’s technical equipment or access to your intranet system, now is not the time to restrict access. 

Recognition

Just because they are not there in person, does not mean they aren’t doing a great job. Make sure you offer praise as much as possible. Be grateful for their efforts and adaptability. They will appreciate it in the long run. 

On the flip side of that, if you have a furloughed staff, thank them for their patience. Thank them for their adaptability. Pick up the phone and make sure they are ok. Just because they can’t work, doesn’t mean they don’t miss the organisation. 

Training

Training is key to employee engagement, but this is going to look very different for a while. Whilst you can’t bring your whole team in to a training environment, you need to consider what you can do to help them develop. 

Talk to external providers and seek advice. They have had to change the way they do things over the last few months so they will be able to give you the best solution to this problem. 

Don’t just plough on. The future of your organisation depends on how well your team adapt to their new role. Make sure you give them the skills they need to succeed. 

Be flexible

As we start to return to the office, you will have team members who are nervous. They may be reluctant to return for several reasons. 

It’s inevitable that some will have suffered with mental health issues and returning to a seemingly normal environment could be a terrifying prospect for them. 

Ease them in. Where possible, offer a phased return to work or even a home working solution if it’s practical for your business. Not everyone will be as keen to come back as you and a level of understanding, support and empathy will be required. 

Culture

You’ve worked hard to create the culture you have but now it probably needs to change. This has to be implemented from the top down. 

Work with your team every step of the way to create a new culture; a new normal. The more involved they are from the start, the more likely they will be to embrace it. 

Feedback

We talk a lot within management about providing feedback but now there is a need to ask for it from your employees. Actively encourage them to let you know how they are feeling about the new way of working. Let them come to you if they are struggling and ask for their ideas on how to improve things for the whole team. 

Nobody can deny that we all have a tough road ahead, but we will embrace it and we will come out the other side. 

Work with your employees, allow them to create a new culture and involve them in as many decisions as possible. The more you communicate, the more engaged they will be. 

Always here if you need advice.