There is increased pressure on the job market, which has been further strengthened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially in high-skilled and niche jobs, there is a shortage of talent among companies. A good example is the software industry, where large corporations are offering attractive salaries and it is increasingly hard for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to attract the right talent. This has forced companies to think about the creation of the best work environment possible. But, how to achieve this?
Listen to the needs of your employees
Attracting employees is one thing, but keeping them and having them productive and satisfied is another. To do so, employee engagement is a key pillar for all types of organizations to take into account. With engagement, we refer not only to the satisfaction of the core activities but also the organisation. We need to create organizations that are in line with the values of the organization. For example, how do the employees feel about your strategy?
Organizational principles and strategy
Research shows that employees who are engaged with the organization’s mission tend to be more productive, creative, and satisfied with the hours they put in. They are willing to go the extra mile and are less likely to leave the organization. This is the reason why it is important to have a strong strategy, not only for shareholders but also for your employees.
Start to understand how employees feel
How can you best approach the endeavor of employee engagement? The idea is simple: start engaging with your employees. How do they feel about their work? What are their challenges and what is going well? By having these one-on-one conversations, you can understand how employees feel. Next, you can take actions to mitigate challenges and create a better overall work environment.
Larger organizations
Having one-on-one conversations is not always the right way to go. In terms of larger organizations, it can be better to gather data more systematically. Several companies are offering surveys that help to support this initiative. Once you have sent the survey out, you will be able to leverage reporting and dashboards to understand how employees feel. The upside of working with such a partner? They have a lot of lessons learned that they can take with them. Based on these lessons, a strong action plan can be created that suits your organisation’s needs. This will help you to get to the desired result faster.
A world of knowledge is available to you
Want to learn more about the engagement and satisfaction of employees? You can visit the website of Effectory, a leading player in the field of engagement. Next to their tools and services, they have a large database of knowledge on the subject. Besides that, they are benchmarking organizations based on their engagement initiatives, which gives you a glimpse of what is important in different industries. Industries and companies are not created equally, meaning that it is important to take this into account.
Talent stock photo by REDPIXEL.PL/Shutterstock
