Employers no longer hold the power when it comes to talent.

Nearly three quarters of employees fall within the “high-retention-risk” category, and the reason most cited is due to having nowhere else to go on their current organisation’s career ladder.

They are confident too, with 53% sure that if they quit or lost their current job, they would be able to find a comparable position within six months.

This makes one thing very clear: if you don’t have a strong reason for employees to stay, they’ll be moving to where the grass is greener.

Competition for talent is high which is why organisations can’t afford to not be engaging their employees.

Engaged employees are more likely to be productive, focused and energised. People go above and beyond when they feel engaged and part of a greater purpose.

There are so many ways to improve employee engagement.

Purpose

Ensure your purpose, mission or vision statement is well thought through and widely understood by teams.  Write it with your teams in mind and don’t simply cater to stakeholders or customers. If you get it right for teams, the customers will follow.

Build relationships

Just like any relationship, employee engagement takes time and effort. Having personable and reasonable managers and mentors can make all the difference in team culture. Spend time with employees and get to know them. If they feel understood and like colleagues are taking an interest in them, teams will stick together and remain invested in your company.

Recognition and reward

Some companies have large bonuses or monthly prizes for hard work, but these are not always the best way to create engaged teams. Simply writing a quick email or telling someone in person how much you appreciated their support can go a long way. Regular feedback is effective in boosting motivation and creating a positive environment.

Measure and take action

There’s no point in doing all the feedback surveys and qualitative research to then sit on it for a few months. Show employees you are truly invested in their experience and act quickly. This will build momentum and allows you time to plan the longer-term actions.

106 Communications is an award-winning communications consultancy on a mission to making work better. We create communications to engage and inspire through our three expert-led practises in Internal Communications, Change Communications and Branding & Marketing.

If your organisation needs an employee engagement health check, talk to Henry Davies at Henry@106comms.com