Have you ever wondered how to use employee engagement to increase motivation? Employees increasingly want to be involved in their work and understand the decisions of leadership, be enthusiastic about the company they work for, and have a sense of belonging, all things that are considered employee engagement. In fact, Global Human Capital Trends conducted a survey where 93% of respondents agreed that feeling they belong at their organization drives their performance. In addition, employee engagement leads to improved performance and employer loyalty, lower employee attrition rate, more profitability, better adoption of company initiatives, and more. 

Keep reading to learn how to use employee engagement to increase motivation at your company. 

Clearly Define Roles and Expectations

Keeping your employees aware of the expectations and responsibilities for their role will ensure that your employees aren’t wondering what they should be doing and instead be motivated to accomplish the tasks needed of them. If employees aren’t sure what they should be doing, how can they be expected to show motivation and success? Discussing expectations clarifies the role for them and allows them to ask questions to ensure they fully understand what success looks like for their position and how they can move forward to the next role in the future. 

Increase Leadership Transparency

If you are transparent with your employees about business decisions and show transparency from leadership to the rest of the team, you are showing your employees you value them and that they are a part of the team and are valued. Employees want to feel more connected to their positions and aligned with the organizations, so don’t hesitate to explain wins and struggles, ways to optimize, and what leadership is thinking of changing so they feel included and more likely to buy into goals and initiatives. 

Offer Training and Development

Encouraging your employees to participate in training and development provided by the company shows them they are valued long-term and that you want them to grow within the organization. Employees take this as a sign that you see a future in them, making them more inclined to stay at the organization long term, saving you the costs of onboarding a new employee and instead fostering growth in one you already have. 

Promote from Within

When possible, always try to promote from within rather than outsourcing for higher-up positions. This shows your employees that their work is noticed and recognized and motivates them to work harder so that they can get a promotion when the time is right. In addition, promoting from within allows you to keep top talent, motivate the rest of your team to work to get one for themselves, and improve employee morale by highlighting the fact that leadership pays attention and is aware of all the hard work their employees do every day. 

Show Appreciation for Your Employees

Making your employees feel valued is a great way to use employee engagement to increase motivation. Whether it’s spoken or written, employees appreciate knowing their hard work is noticed and will motivate them to continue that level of work. A great way to do this is to create a Slack channel if your organization uses Slack or any other communication tool where employees can give others an appreciation for great work. A bonus of showing appreciation is that it also fosters strong relationships between employees by allowing them to show appreciation for one another and highlight work that leadership might not have known about otherwise. 

Focus on More Than Just Physical Health

Stress in the workplace is common, and with more companies going remote or instituting a hybrid workspace, the balance between work and personal life is often blurred. With this comes increased levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. In fact, since COVID-19, 11,300 employees across 17 industries have reported they have a hard time focusing at work. While stress may never go away, a great way to motivate employees while improving employee engagement is to foster an environment where they are comfortable, and their mental health is valued. Ways to accomplish this include regular check-ins with employees, providing sufficient benefits and policies, accessible resources, and ensuring your culture is one where employees feel comfortable opening up and speaking up when they need help. Read our whitepaper on the topic to learn more about creating a culture that values mental and physical health. 

Conduct Employee Surveys

Create surveys that employees can attach their names to or submit anonymously to gauge how they are feeling and what they would like changed and gain insight into their perceptions. Surveys allow employees to be honest without fear of repercussions and help you understand what is motivating them, what is demotivating them, and what your organization needs to optimize. 

Improve Your Employee Engagement and Company Productivity With Canal HR

Never wonder how to use employee engagement to motivate employees – let Canal HR handle that and more. Canal HR is a PEO that can handle your employee benefits and save you time in running your business. Our team will help you determine what benefits matter most to your team, develop a benefits package, and handle all HR needs. Contact us today to get started!