Do you want to improve company culture and boost employee engagement, but aren’t sure where to start?
You’re not alone!
Most company leaders recognize the value of this work and they're willing to invest in it – if they can. With a budget, companies can utilize top-notch surveys and bring in culture experts to make the abstract easy to understand and provide a clear path for improvement.
If you don’t have the budget necessary for expert guidance with your culture renovation right now, don’t give up hope. While it may feel confusing, and you may be unsure which actions you can take to make the biggest impact on employee engagement, the most important first step is to identify this as a top priority.
If you don’t yet have the budget to make sweeping improvements, here are some things you can do right away to increase engagement without spending a fortune:
Notice when someone does something well and be specific. Let them know what you saw and what you liked about it. Providing recognition for a job well done makes people feel valued and more committed to their work.
Work with each individual to establish growth goals and identify strategies to maximize their talents, then spend time coaching them so they reach their full potential.
Feedback should be frequent, positive, specific and conversational. Ask what they felt went well, what they would do again, and what ideas they have to make it better next time.
Care about people by learning what is important to them. Ask questions that will help you understand their motivation, style of learning, personal goals, and what they enjoy most about their work.
Building trust is the most important thing you can do as a leader. Never make promises you can’t keep and adhere to your commitments.
Investing in your people is key and the ROI is huge when it comes to investing in employee engagement.
A Workplace Research Foundation study found that increasing employee engagement investments by 10% can increase profits by $2,400 per employee, per year. It’s clearly important to invest in your people and constantly work to improve company culture, but if you don’t yet have the budget to make across-the-board improvements, these tips can help you to make a big impact right away.