Ensuring that employees are employed is a key part of the business, as it enhances the company’s high morale and quality of work. Moreover, lack of engagement can be a clear sign that something is wrong.
For companies where their employees aren’t hired – be it during meetings, feedback sessions or fun social trips – there are ways leaders can be motivated. Below, 10 members of the Young Entrepreneur Council discuss some simple things companies can do to further employ and engage employees.
Members of the Young Entrepreneur Council share suggestions for further hiring employees.
Image courtesy of individual members.
1. Build trust and make connections
Even when we don’t think so, most people are motivated enough. They want to do their job well and support the people around them. However, everyone has a unique personality and can be as simple as feeling uncomfortable or uncertain in different situations. Especially at this critical moment when people are adjusting to new workplace arrangements, new employee mobility and a combination of other factors, building trust and connections is often a missing element of employee engagement. Consider doubling people-inspired and isolated-beliefs and connections rather than picking them up in separate camps. You may be surprised by the results. – Marshal Mosher, Vestigo
2. Ask them about it
When I don’t see a lot of employees busy, my step is simple: ask them about it. Instead of trying to motivate them, I like to set up an open conversation about why they were less busy, starting by requesting feedback or asking if I could do something to be more engaging. My go-to questions to ask after a meeting, feedback session, or social event are: “Did you feel the X was productive, fun, or valuable?” “Could I do anything to make it more attractive?” “Are you comfortable with the work you’re doing or the team moving?” And “Is there a special reason why you were quieter than at other times?” Not often, your team will tell you what is happening and what you can do to improve. – Louisiana Safdi, Spot Meeting, Inc.
3. Encourage daily collaboration
I’ve always found that the encouragement from everyone on a daily basis creates a more parting team. People do not communicate if they do not know each other. Thus, creating an environment where they communicate every day and get to know each other results in much more fruitful meetings and feedback sessions. – Zach Binder, Bell + Ivy
4. Host more interactive meetings
Because our staff works almost entirely remotely, increasing motivation and engagement can be uniquely challenging. This prompted us to host a monthly virtual all-hand meeting in which we welcomed our new employees and encouraged them to introduce themselves. Furthermore, to increase staff engagement, we invite team members to present informative and relevant topics, which are both enjoyable and stimulating. At the end of each meeting, we encourage our team leaders to shout at the high-performance, helping to improve overall motivation and morale. Our virtual all-hand meetings have been effective in bringing our remote teams together and ensuring that everyone feels part of the same well-oiled machine. – Jack Perkins, CFO hub
5. Give equity to the company
One way to get more shopping and engagement from our employees at Clickly is to work hard on equity. Providing equity in the company encourages employees, evokes a sense of business ownership and investment. When the whole company works towards a shared vision, it makes it easier for everyone to be inspired for a great result. We see this as a huge factor in the overall involvement and motivation of our employees. Offering equity to your employees creates long-term personal buying opportunities, including company-wide benefits. – Cooper Harris, clickly
6. Rearrange expectations
To inspire engagement, I restructure expectations. I started a lot of all-team meetings, reminding the team that I was there as a dreamer. Any problems on our list for their discussion and solution. I will weigh in, but not before others contribute. Sometimes, lack of engagement is a sign of over-reliance on you. Try to attend the meeting and keep quiet. Or, remove yourself from a meeting where you do not need to make a decision. We need to empower our teams to play their role and make decisions even if they are not in the room. Our job is to encourage them to get involved, to experiment and to try to solve problems collaboratively. They do not always have to rely on us for the final answer! – Trivinia barber, priority VA
7. Experiment with different types of events
I think it’s important to have a variety of events to engage more of your employees. Those who get nervous during social meetups may feel more comfortable in virtual conferences or open up more during an online team game. Consider creating a variety of feedback sessions and events that include written, oral, and experiential activities. You will give people more opportunities to shine with what is good. – Syed Balkhi, WP Beginner
8. Decide-Build a team effort
As boss, your No. 1 job is to ensure that the team is productive, collaborative and happy. To be successful in this department, you need to allow employees to feel part of the decision-making process. If you organize regular meetings and feedback sessions to make sure everyone is getting important information, be sure to make it a team effort. This will usually make the employees interested in providing their input in case of their focus. In addition, try to get feedback from your employees in a more spontaneous way. This means, when you have a formal meeting, it should often be with a smaller setting and less structure. Maintain the right balance between what works for your culture and what works for your team. – Candice Georgias, Digital Day
9. Invest in an employee experience platform
One way to increase employee engagement at meetings, feedback sessions or general social events is to invest in an employee experience platform. There are various tools like Nectar that can help you do this. Using these tools, you can involve all your employees in celebrating the small and big achievements of their peers. They can publicly commend their teammates and even receive awards for their own accomplishments. It’s a great way to keep employees motivated and increase their engagement. – Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster
10. Make sure employees are actually available
When you set up meetings and feedback sessions, you want to make sure your staff is actually free to attend. Business owners often set up events and meetings but neglect to reduce the workload of their employees. It is possible that your employees are not active or participating because they are worried about what they will do next. You can deal with this by stunning the event for different groups, reducing or removing some tasks, or doing your events in a slower time. When employees feel that there is no work waiting for them, they will be more present and participate in the activities of the company. – Blair Williams, Member Press