If you’re a business owner, you know how important it is to keep your employees engaged and excited to work. Unfortunately, though, employee engagement levels are decreasing globally, according to a new report.
In the second quarter of 2020, employee engagement reached 73%, increasing slightly from 67%, which was seen in the first quarter of that same year and throughout 2019. But the rate dipped to 71% in the third quarter of 2020 before sinking to 62% in the first quarter of 2022. That percentage is the lowest employee engagement rate in the last three years and comes at a time when people are rethinking how, when, and where they work.
The pitfalls of low employee engagement
When employees aren’t engaged, consequences inevitably follow. And because employees play such a significant role in a brand’s success, the people on your team can have a substantial positive or negative impact. If your employees aren’t focused and approaching their jobs with eagerness and enthusiasm, it can take a major hit on your company. Some pitfalls include the four below.
1. Reduced productivity
Unsurprisingly, disengaged employees are less inclined to meet expectations, feel motivated, or work hard. Things can become so bad that these employees cause 60% more errors in their work. Ultimately, the sub-par work can cost you anywhere between 450 and 550 billion annually.
2. Poor customer interactions
Want to know why some companies deliver customer experiences that are average to below average? Their employees are disengaged. In fact, research suggests that these types of companies have employee engagement levels below 50%, while brands with above-average customer experience ratings have employee engagement levels that reach 79%.
3. Unachieved corporate goals
According to research, 71% of senior executives and business leaders think employee engagement is critical to achieving a brand’s goals. But among the leaders surveyed, only 24% think their employees are highly engaged, and 28% of the leaders believe they have too many disengaged employees. That means a lot of corporate goals go unaccomplished.
4. Lower morale
If you ask employees, 75% of them will agree that their engagement levels have a direct correlation with workplace culture. When a work environment is toxic or chaotic, it can result in disengaged employees in every department. Even worse, disengaged employees are more likely to skip work, forcing others to pick up the slack, which could lead to burnout and even lower morale.
The best ways to increase employee engagement
If you’re noticing any of the pitfalls of decreased employee engagement, you don’t have to leave things in their current state. You can boost your employees’ enthusiasm and excitement to work again by implementing several strategies.
1. Provide helpful tools
One of the best ways to increase employee engagement is to give your employees tools that empower them to do their jobs and complete tasks. According to a 2016 report by Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends, providing the right tools is a top driver of engagement levels.
Employees don’t want to constantly face barriers to getting things done. They want to cross tasks off their to-do list, move quickly, and maintain high productivity levels. But the only way they can do that is with access to the right tools, processes, and equipment.
2. Offer coaching and training
Another great way to boost employee engagement is to offer coaching and training. Doing this shows that you care about sharpening your team’s skills and that you see the potential and value they can offer to the organization. When employees see you investing in their development and future, they’ll be more likely to be engaged at work and stick around for the long haul.
3. Practice active listening
No one ever wants to feel unheard, which is why effective leaders ensure they practice active listening when communicating with employees or asking for feedback. That’s why you may hear of companies doing pulse surveys more frequently or having one-on-one conversations to solicit feedback.
These attempts to listen to employees’ needs, challenges, hopes, and whatever else is necessary to ensure workers perform help employees feel valued. And when they see you implementing their feedback, it helps them feel heard, resulting in increased engagement and connectedness to the company.
Give your team a reason to engage
Your team won’t have high engagement levels if you don’t give them a reason to be enthusiastic about their work. For your employees to perform well, you must create and foster an environment where high performance is achievable. Otherwise, you won’t have employees who are ready to work, and that factor alone will hurt your company’s success. So start implementing strategies to increase employees’ engagement. With the right tactics, your employees will be excited to achieve every goal you set.