how to improve employee engagement levels
Studies showed that companies spend more resources trying to re-engage an employee who has already lost interest in working for the organisation.
It would be a more cost-effective strategy if companies adopt robust employee engagement strategies and tactics right from the beginning of the employee’s journey with the company.
1. plot out comprehensive career progression paths
The importance of plotting out comprehensive career progression pathways cannot be overstated.
When employees have clearer career progression visibility, they will be motivated to work harder to meet their targets as it can help them with promotion and pay raise negotiations. Consequently, employees are also more likely to stay longer, so that they can take advantage of the learning and growth opportunities in store for them.
Managers should meet up with their team members on a regular basis to discuss and align their goals, before mapping their career development plans. This helps them better achieve short-term targets, as the company supports them in their long-term growth development.
Besides promotion milestones, employers should also include upskilling and training programmes as checkpoints, so that their employees are better prepared for their next role.
2. the importance of employer branding
Employers can also brand themselves better to see better engagement levels. Employer branding is not just about how your employees rank you as an employer or how well you think you have done your job. It is how others outside of the organisation see you as an employer.
Do job seekers think that you treat your employees well and trust that you will do the right thing to help them develop professionally? Does your stakeholders think that your workforce is highly-capable to strike a meaningful working connection?
Companies with a positive employer branding receive twice as many job applications, giving them a wider selection of talent and better chances of hiring the candidate with the best boss, culture and job fit. Furthermore, 50% of candidates would not work for a company with a bad reputation even when presented with a salary increment.
Organisations with a strong and positive reputation are also able to better retain their employees. These companies tend to have a collaborative workforce, robust career development roadmaps and attractive remuneration packages. When employees wake up every morning feeling positive and motivated about their day ahead, it is unlikely that they will leave their employers.
retain your people by focusing on employee experience
Many factors come to play when building a positive employee experience. Salary, employee benefits and work-life balance are quickly becoming hygiene factors that employees expect from their employers.
Today, workers look to their employers to fulfill their personal aspirations; they seek purpose in their jobs and want to feel like they have made a positive impact on their communities. It is the employers’ responsibility to set their employees up for success, by giving them the tools and resources they need to optimise productivity and be at their best.
Randstad conducts a global annual Employer Brand Survey to rank the most attractive employers in Singapore and seek to understand the factors that motivate employees (across different generations) to stay or leave their employers. Visit our employer branding library for more resources on creating a positive employee experience that will impact your bottom line.