How to Create a Culture of Engagement: Five Tips

1. Show Employees the Path to Career Growth

Career development is an essential component of employee engagement — when employees see a clear path for growth and advancement in their careers, they're more invested in their work and motivated to stay with the company long-term. Those who receive professional development opportunities experience 15% higher levels of employee engagement than those who don't. They’re also 34% more likely to stay with their companies, according to Harvard Business Review.

You can provide your employees with training and development programs that help them build new skills and advance in their careers. This might include on-the-job training, mentorship programs, or tuition reimbursement for continuing education courses. Companies can also offer clear career paths and employee development plans that outline the steps required to move up in the organization.

2. Provide Meaningful Recognition

Authentic employee recognition goes beyond just a pat on the back — it's about creating a culture of appreciation where employees understand how their actions help propel the company forward. Employee engagement goes up nearly threefold when team members believe they'll be recognized by their company, according to research from Quantum Workplace.
 

To show appreciation for employees, companies can implement initiatives like an employee spotlight or employee of the month program. These programs highlight employees who go above and beyond in their work and provide them with public recognition for their efforts. They offer a chance to say "thanks" for a job well done and for the entire company to celebrate a stellar teammate's contributions. You can also encourage public shoutouts in meetings or on a collaboration platform like Slack to get everyone involved and boost engagement further.

3. Listen to Employee Feedback

When companies acknowledge and act on employee feedback, it sends a powerful message that they value their employees' contributions and are committed to creating a positive work environment. It's important to remember that employees are the ones who are on the front lines of the business — they know what's working and what's not, and their feedback can provide valuable insights into how to improve the company. But to truly make an impact on engagement, companies should strive to turn that feedback into action to improve the employee experience.
 

To gather and apply employee feedback, you can try implementing regular engagement surveys or suggestion boxes where employees can share thoughts and ideas. Communicate openly and transparently about how the feedback will be used and what changes might result from it. 
 

You can also hold town hall meetings around specific topics or ask managers to source feedback from their reports in one-to-one meetings. The key is creating a workplace culture of transparency where employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions without fear of retribution.

4. Make Work Fun

Adding some time for fun and team-building can go a long way toward boosting employee engagement. When employees have opportunities to socialize and bond with their coworkers, they're more likely to feel connected to the company and invested in its success. Fun activities can also help break up the workday and reduce stress, leading to a more productive and positive work environment.

Sometimes, this might look like creating a space to inspire connection between employees, like an employee resource group that's centered around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.  You can also create a sense of friendly competition and foster camaraderie between employees by organizing a fitness challenge, trivia day, or Family Feud-style contest between teams. To help employees connect outside of work, you could try sponsoring a volunteer event or setting up a social outing.

5. Offer Flexible Working Options

Offering flexible working options can contribute to employee engagement. When employees have the option to work from home, adjust their schedules, or work part-time, it increases their autonomy, and they'll likely feel more valued and trusted by their employer.
 

Hybrid work options, for instance, have been shown to boost employee engagement. When employees spend 60% to 80% of the time working remotely, they're the most likely of any group to feel that their engagement needs are being met, according to Gallup research. And the ideal "flexibility window" only seems to be increasing — their research from 2012 showed that employees who worked from home only 20% of the time experienced optimal engagement rates.

There are many ways to offer flexible work options to their employees. This might include allowing employees to work from home one or two days a week, offering flexible scheduling options, or implementing a four-day work week. 
 

However, it's important to keep employee engagement in mind throughout. Regular check-ins for employees working remotely can help them build connections to the team and the company culture. You can also offer remote or hybrid employees ways their own opportunities for engagement, such as virtual volunteering opportunities or water cooler chats with teammates.

Wellbeing Strategies Keep Employees Engaged

Prioritizing wellness is an important tenet of a thriving, positive culture — and it helps keep employees engaged. Our work lives are closely tied to both our physical and mental wellness outcomes (and vice versa). By supporting your employees in these areas, you can keep them happy, healthy, and ready to focus when they’re at work.

About 85% of companies say that wellness programs have helped improve their employee engagement, according to a survey conducted by Virgin Pulse. These initiatives are a great way to show your employees you care, while putting them in the best position to contribute to company culture, customer satisfaction, and business results.

Learn more about how a wellness program can cultivate a culture of engagement by speaking with a Wellhub wellbeing specialist!

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