When working on team-building, one of the most important aspects to consider is what kind of work environment you want to create. One part of that is your leadership, and the other part is your employees. Employees want to feel safe, motivated, and valued at work.

This is where employee engagement comes in. If you want your team to love where they work and do their best work, their engagement matters. 

Keep reading for tips and ideas for how to build initiatives that boost employee engagement.

11 Different Employee Engagement Ideas

1. Benefits and Wellness Perks

If you are able to offer great health care benefits for your employees, you are likely to attract more applicants and promote employee retention. Offering health care benefits shows you are prioritizing your employees’ well-being.

Wellness perks are a more common occurrence. They include perks such as on-site gyms or gym membership discounts, healthy office snacks, mental health education, and giving employees company-wide wellness days. 

When you are able to offer your employees benefits and perks, they are more likely to feel fulfilled in their positions. Employees who feel appreciated will put that good energy right back into their work. It’s a smart way to boost employee satisfaction.

2. Develop a Strong Company Culture

A strong team is one that feels safe, has the freedom to collaborate, and grows through challenges in their workspace. Developing a strong company culture starts from the top. It’s something you should keep in mind when you show up every day. 

So, how do you create a strong company culture? Consider these three methods:

1. Clear and consistent communication
2. Follow through with promises
3. Consider what is best for both your employees and your company

3. Get To Know Your Employees

One of the best ways to promote employee engagement is to engage with them yourseld. If you don’t know who’s working for you, how can you really know your business? 

Strategies for getting to know your team vary based on the size of your business. However, we have a few ideas you may adapt below for employee engagement activities to best fit your needs:

• Routine check-ins that cover employee performance with personal and professional goals and progress
• Team-building activities with get-to-know-you style questions
• Surveys
• Staff meetings
• Team lunches
• Announcements for birthdays and work anniversaries

4. Growth Opportunities

Another way to attract and retain employees is to offer opportunities for growth. Growth is not limited to professional growth. Personal growth is important to many employees. They may appreciate having an active role in their skill development.

Professional growth opportunities include: 

• Training sessions
• Job shadowing and informational interviews
• Networking events
• Promotions

Personal growth opportunities include:

• Mentorship program
• Continuing education courses
• Tuition reimbursement
• Wellness programs

5. Offer Employee Discounts

A simple but appreciated way to show your employees you value their effort is to offer them an employee discount. The amount is up to you, but a discount offers a small bit of gratitude to your team. It also gives them an incentive to put money back into your business. 

6. Open Communication

Communication is a huge way to encourage employee engagement. When employees feel like their voices are heard, they will feel more valued. Having a system in place for employee feedback can help employees feel appreciated. 

Whether it’s monthly job satisfaction surveys, maintaining an open door policy, or keeping your employees informed of ongoing activities, communication is key.

7. Prioritize Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is a big buzzword in the business community. People want to be able to have a work life and a personal life, as well as the space to make that happen. 

Here are four suggestions for helping employees practice work-life balance:

1. Respect their time
2. Encourage use of PTO or time off
3. Offer remote work opportunities
4. Encourage employees to find things they love outside of work

8. Provide Coaching and Mentoring

When you put effort into helping your employees grow, they can tell. Once you get to know your team, you will have a better understanding of what they value and where they want to go with their life and their career path.

Take that information and make use of it. Whether it’s a brand new employee or a veteran team member, provide your employees with coaching and mentoring opportunities. If they take it, they may feel more cared for. In addition to that, they will be able to put that professional development back into your business to help it grow. 

9. Take Feedback (and Act on It)

A huge part of internal communication is feedback — the voice of the employee. As a leader, it is your job to be reflective and grow on a regular basis. One of the best ways to do that is to ask the opinions of those who see you in action. 

Create a system of feedback through meetings or employee engagement surveys across different departments. Once you collect that feedback, use it — brainstorm ways to become a better leader. Use negative feedback to help make your work environment better for your team. 

10. Transparency Is Key

Nobody likes to feel left in the dark. When challenges and changes arise in your business, keep your employees informed. Your team will appreciate the respect that transparency brings. 

Consider the entire employment process:

• Job application
• Interview process
• Hiring process 
• New hire onboarding process
• Employment tenure
• End of employment

Members of your team need to have all the necessary information along the way. The more they feel respected and informed, the more respect they can give back to you.

11. Value-Based Employee Recognition

When it comes to boosting morale, providing value-based employee recognition is a great method. When you started your business, you likely had a reason for it. You had a passion or saw a space in the industry you wanted to fill. You had company values in mind.

Remember that mission and recognize the employees that are helping you achieve it. 

You can do this by:

• Sharing workweek highlights
• Awarding an employee of the month
• Surprising and delighting with gift cards or other rewards
• Celebrating employee milestones

What Is Employee Engagement? 

Employee engagement is the level of involvement, enthusiasm, and satisfaction of employees in their workplace. It has to do with the overall attitude employees have towards their job and your business as a whole. 

When you have engaged employees, they care about the quality of their work, your business, and their teammates. When employees lack engagement, they are simply there to clock in, clock out, and get paid. 

Why Is Employee Engagement Important?

Employee engagement is important for several reasons, such as:

• Increased workplace culture
• Increased productivity
• Improved business outcomes
• Decreased employee turnover and burnout

Conclusion

The workplace does not have to be a gray or grim environment with disengaged employees. It can be a positive place where people look forward to the collaboration, hard work, and opportunities for self-growth. 

Employees who come to work with a positive attitude and a passion for what they do are huge factors in your company culture. Whether you have in-person or remote employees, when a team member knows their workplace cares for them, they will be motivated to put their best back into it.

If you implement our suggestions in your employee engagement strategy, you can begin to see a difference in your workplace culture and create the kind of business people love to be a part of.

Sources:

3 Strategies To Build A Strong Company Culture | Forbes

This Big Tech Company 'surprises And Delights' Employees To Keep Them Happy | CNBC

Developing and Sustaining Employee Engagement | Society for Human Resource Management