Employee engagement is one of the most important parts of a company culture, and yet many organizations don’t measure it or even make any impactful efforts toward increasing it. Employees who are engaged stay longer with their empower and are more productive while there. They are generally happier and also better at collaborating and cooperating. There’s only upside when it comes to cultivating more engaged employees. In this post, we’re covering some specific drivers of employee engagement that you can put into practice with your team. 

What is employee engagement anyway?

Employee engagement is the emotional and psychological connection that people have with their job, their overall organization, and the goals they work toward. Job satisfaction can certainly be part of it, but employee engagement goes beyond just being content with your job. Engaged employees have a higher level of commitment, motivation, and involvement with their company and their job. Positive relationships, alignment with corporate goals, active participation, and continuous learning are all flagships of successful employee engagement. For even more ideas on measuring or  increasing employee engagement, make sure to follow our blog! 

Key drivers of employee engagement

1. Effective communication

One of the biggest and most prominent factors of employee engagement, communication makes a huge difference in most organizations. It’s essential to share information on the company goals, strategy, and even setbacks. Communicate transparently with employees whenever possible, and make sure there are paths set up for two-way communication between managers and their reports. Providing feedback on performance, as well as addressing any questions and discussing future career paths should always be on the table for leaders. This helps employees to feel seen and valued by their organization, as well as feeling connected with others in the business. Plus, effective communication can limit workplace turmoil and reduce turnover. Frequent town hall meetings, open-door manager policies, interactive team meetings, and occasional team retreats can all contribute to stronger communication and better employee morale. Enhance your team's communication skills with activities from our article on communication games.

2. Recognition

Recognizing and appreciating employees’ hard work is one of the most critical factors of employee engagement. This sort of recognition heavily influences the relationship between a manager and an employee, and those relationships are the foundation of most work teams. Employees who feel valued at work and feel as though their contributions make a real difference are more likely to be productive as well as loyal, and look for ways to help advance the company’s overall goals. Make it a point to regularly demonstrate your appreciation for your staff. Even small but meaningful gestures can make a big difference. Another upside is that regular recognition encourages high-performing employees who always deliver - boosting work quality and improving morale across the board. A hand-written card, extra day off, or small bonus are just a few of the ways that you can recognize your employees, but don’t stop there. Team-wide celebrations can also cultivate a positive culture and create a celebratory atmosphere. It’s ok to be creative in how you approach recognition: the important thing is that you are putting thought into actions that show your employees how much you appreciate them.

3. Professional development

Professional development opportunities are often key drivers of employee engagement. When you offer employees the chance to learn new skills, become more proficient in their field, or advance their careers, you show them that you’re committed to their growth. That commitment pays dividends when it comes to more employee engagement and motivation, as well as bringing new skills which can help the entire organization. Plus, when people see the resources and opportunities that are available to them, they’ll be more likely to take advantage which offers another chance for engaging with your team. Encourage continuous learning through things like workshops, conferences, and seminars. You can also set up tuition assistance for further education or internal mentorship programs where more senior members of the organization help newer ones. Don’t be afraid to innovate and see what makes the most sense for your unique business and the skills that are most relevant. Explore more strategies in our article on professional development activities.

4. Autonomy

We will touch on this a bit more below, but empowerment of employees is a big driver of overall engagement. Providing employees autonomy whenever possible gives employees authority over their work and a sense of ownership and freedom. They will know that you trust them to achieve great results in the ways or on the schedule that works best for them. You can show them that you trust them to make decisions that will contribute to the organization’s success. The truth is that when employees feel like their voices are heard, they are more likely to be productive and motivated. Give employees meaningful responsibilities and have transparent conversations about what they can do to reach the goals that you’ve set. Additionally, it’s important to do what you can to foster a culture where all contributions are valued and acted upon. This will continue to inspire ownership and commitment, which can only lead to good things for your business over the long-term. 

5. Empowerment

Do your employees feel as though they have ownership over their work? How much say do they get in their projects or clients? Do they have the authority to make daily decisions, or do they constantly need to ask someone else in order to move forward? That type of culture creates constant bottle-necks, and also suggests to employees that you don’t really trust them to make good decisions. The more ownership that team members feel over their own work, the more motivated they’ll be to do a great job and prove to you that your trust was well-placed. Give employees the control and freedom over various parts of their daily work whenever you can. Limit cumbersome processes that require committee decisions or approvals. Work with people to set up goals that make sense, and then schedule transparent conversations where you can talk about how things are going, what the team member’s current needs are, and what can be done to continue to improve. 

6. Sense of purpose

Create a more positive work environment for everyone by making sure people have a sense of purpose. Employees who feel that their work is valuable will do more to support other colleagues and be generally cooperative. Do employees understand how their work connects to larger goals? Do team members have a good understanding of the company’s overall mission and vision? Without these things it can be difficult to remain motivated on a daily basis. A good place to start is by aligning individual roles with the broader organizational mission. Then, take the time to highlight each employee’s impact and contributions to develop a shared sense of purpose. 

7. Personal/professional life balance

Work-life balance is one of the biggest areas for improvement for a lot of companies. It’s also one of the most meaningful factors to employees, regardless of industry or role. Having a balance between work and a life outside of work is very important to most people, and can go a long way toward encouraging engagement and employee satisfaction. In what ways does your organization support this balance for employees? Everything from flexible work arrangements to family-friendly benefits and extra wellness perks can be helpful to employees in achieving this all-important balance. Can you offer your staff remote work arrangements or the opportunity to flex their daily schedule? Even if you can’t offer broad-scale arrangements like that, maybe you can provide an extra PTO day or gym memberships? Don’t be afraid to get creative in order to help your team feel great about their job when they’re at home (and vice versa). 

8. Impactful leadership

People pay a lot of attention to leader integrity and availability. How do your organization’s leaders stack up? It’s essential to demonstrate that company leadership is committed to the strategy and success of the company. Simply put: employees want to know that leadership is working just as hard as they are. If they can’t see that, you can be sure motivation will take a hit. Do team members find their managers dependable, reliable, and approachable? Anyone in a leadership position should be empathetic and able to cultivate trust with their team. Great managers are not just good at the functions of their job, but at cultivating a positive culture on their team and supporting transparent communication. Without this form of leadership, overall engagement is sure to suffer. 

9. Inclusivity

A supportive community is essential for improving employee engagement. Healthy differences of opinion can foster more success in the workplace and create more pathways for a collaborative mindset. Ideally, your teams are composed of people from different ethnicities, backgrounds, ages, and experiences. The ability to recognize and appreciate these differences are what sets impactful teams apart. Diversity on its own is not enough though; encouraging an open and communicative workplace is paramount if you want to gain value from differing perspectives. Plus, when you show that you value differences in opinion, people will feel safe to bring forward concerns or ideas for improvement, which can better the entire business. For tips on fostering this environment, see our post on 20 activities to encourage diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI).

10. Cooperation

Measuring collaboration is an important endeavor if you want to improve employee engagement. That’s because research shows there is a very strong correlation between collaboration and engagement. It just makes sense that sometimes employees need to work in groups rather than as individuals. What does your organization do to cultivate those working relationships? Good cooperation can lead to better communication, creativity, and productivity. It’s also critical for building trust and respect among your entire workforce. Encouraging cross-functional collaboration and providing platforms for idea-sharing will help people to cooperate with colleagues, teams, and partners more effectively. 

11. Positive relationships

Employee relations with each other, with company leaders, and with the overall organization are crucial. This also includes relationships with managers and superiors, vendors, partners, and other office staff. Engaged employees are more likely to advocate for their organization and their team, and to feel satisfied with their overall job. It’s essential that your business does what it can to foster a culture of mutual respect, appreciation, and open communication. The more that employees can form strong bonds, the more likely they are to find fulfillment in their work relationships and their actual job. To enhance these relationships further, consider integrating our strategies from our blog post on relationship-building activities.

12. Work environment

Your work environment heavily influences your ability to do your job - in either a positive or negative direction. The environment can support your work efforts, or hinder them. This particular engagement driver is likely to be higher if the work environment is conducive to employee productivity. On the other hand, if the environment is hostile or otherwise not conducive to teamwork, then productivity will suffer. Therefore, it’s really important to do what you can to create a positive work environment that everyone feels great about. Consider the physical aspects of your workplace as well as policies that support comfort, safety, and organization. 

13. Innovation

Some of the best performing professionals are those that take the initiative. Creating a more dynamic work environment by encouraging people to engage and share new ideas can go a long way. Create a culture in which people feel encouraged to come up with new ideas, products, and solutions. Additionally, look for ways to allow people to provide contributions in their areas of creativity and knowledge. 

14. Feeling safe

You might be surprised to learn that one of the most crucial drivers of employee engagement is safety - both physical and psychological. When employees have what they need to do their job, feel secure, and feel comfortable to share their thoughts and ideas, then you’re more likely to get engagement, loyalty, and new ideas. An environment that is safe allows employees to take risks, experiment and try new things, and learn from mistakes and challenges. This will provide an overall more productive and innovative workforce. To help with this process, make sure to research common workplace issues and conflict resolution. 

15. Proper mental health

It’s hard to be engaged at work when you don’t feel healthy. That doesn’t just pertain to physical health: your work environment can either help or hinder general mental health as well. Mental health can be affected by job performance, stress, job insecurity, or poor relationships with others in their work environment. Does your organization offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)? If not, you may want to look into one. Additionally, other measures like providing plenty of time for employees to relax and enjoy hobbies, and providing resources for mental health support can be great for employees. When people feel mentally healthy and have space to de-stress, they can put in more effort at work and are more likely to be engaged. Discover more in our post on 52 mental health activities and wellness games at work.

16. Robust feedback

Engaged teams have a strong feedback loop at their core. Regular and constructive feedback can support overall growth, accountability, camaraderie, and innovation. Employees who feel heard and valued are much more enthusiastic, which naturally lends to stronger engagement. Plus, strong communication from both sides (manager and employee) means that expectations and aspirations can be better aligned. In that way, people are more likely to understand their goals and meet them, and let managers know if something is hindering them or they are experiencing challenges. A truly engaged workforce will welcome constructive feedback that helps them to improve, leading to continuous learning and higher productivity. Meanwhile, leadership that truly embraces feedback will also find better ways to run the organization and remain an employer where people want to work. 

17. Flexibility

Flexibility is great for empowerment. If you are looking for employees to take more ownership over their role and their contributions, try helping them to feel like owners. Hybrid and remote set-ups have become more common, and most people see that they can be just as productive - or more so - from home or in non-office settings. Many people find the constant conversation and distractions in an office can really limit how much progress they make on work in a day. If you have employees like this, why not try being a bit more flexible and letting them adjust their work schedule or location? Obviously not all jobs are conducive to this. Only you know whether a more flexible arrangement can really make sense for your team. However, many managers have a knee jerk “no” reaction when employees ask for more flexibility. If that sounds like you, ask yourself: what’s the worst that could happen? It’s worth a try, and not only will your employees be grateful, they’ll be more engaged - and you may even find they are more effective at their jobs. The truth is when people find a job that caters to their preferences and actually helps them to protect work-life balance, they aren’t quick to give it up. Being more flexible can really pay dividends in the long term. 

18. Sense of community

Feeling like you’re part of a larger group with an important goal has become harder in recent years. With more remote teams and people spread out all over the country or the globe, it can be difficult to help each contributor to see how their little piece of the puzzle is an important part of the whole. It’s important to try, though. People with a sense of community at work are more likely to thrive in their workplace. Having a sense of community makes people more engaged and more likely to stay in their current job. Plus, they have lower stress and are more likely to thrive in non-work situations too. How can you cultivate a sense of community in your own organization? One of the best ways that experts suggest is to create mutual learning opportunities. For example, creating internal training programs where people can learn about topics they care about. Learning from one another is an important aspect of community-building. Eating (and even cooking) together is a powerful way to bring people together, too. Can you institute monthly team lunches or put together some optional cooking classes? Additionally, finding new ways to plug into the larger community in which you do business can help people to gain a sense of community. 

19. Community involvement

Engagement can go beyond the workplace. In fact, engagement tends to flourish when you look beyond the walls of your own office. Community involvement is not just fostering a sense of community like we just mentioned, but it involves volunteering, philanthropic efforts, and putting action into the communities where people work and live. This helps your team to feel a part of something bigger, and see the mission and values of the company brought to life. When they feel that their employer practices what they preach, people are more proud of their workplace and more engaged. Getting involved in the community is also a great way to get people excited and enthusiastic while encouraging socializing. Working on charity efforts together can inspire and reinvigorate a team that’s been tired or stressed out. 

20. Virtual shared experiences

In many cases in today’s modern work landscape, it’s just difficult to bring people together. How can you create that sense of community and caring about one another when you hardly see each other? If you have a remote or hybrid team, it’s crucial that you carve out those opportunities. Look for shared experiences that your colleagues can have even from their home office. Think outside the box and get creative about what might bring people together in conversation. For example, maybe one week you encourage everyone to try the same recipe and then send pictures and thoughts on how their creation turned out. Or, you could have team members take turns in suggesting a music album that everyone listens to and discusses. A book club, online exercise classes, or a virtual paint and sip event are all ways that your team can bond, no matter where they are located. Even starting each online meeting with an icebreaker can help people get to know each other better. Fun and playful questions can give you a lot of insight into how the people you work with see the world. 

5 Best practices for driving employee engagement 

As you consider the drivers we mentioned, keep in mind some general best practices. These concepts will help you to make the most of the employee engagement drivers you choose to focus on, and are good overarching guidance for anyone who hopes to create a more engaged team. 

1. Ensure you have a strong strategic direction. It’s not very fun to root for a losing team, and the same is true for work. Your staff wants to feel like they are part of a group who is doing the right things and really going somewhere. Trustworthy management and a sound plan for moving forward are essential if you want your team to be fully bought into your strategy. A purpose-driven strategy that is well articulated and shared with everyone will help them to align their own daily work with the company’s larger goals. What is your company striving for besides increased revenue? What is your overall vision, and mission? How do the organization’s values line up with those objectives? Help employees to see how their role in the company is central to the bottom line. It’s important to periodically reflect on how successes in the company move everyone toward central goals. 

2. Provide (and support) opportunities for growth. Companies with abundant growth opportunities will see more engaged and more loyal employees. That’s because people know that even as they grow personally or professionally, there is space for them to grow within the company. Often, people leave jobs when they are ready to expand their skill sets, because they don’t see how their desired role fits into the current structure. When employees can’t see an opportunity for growth, they’ll decide to look elsewhere. Make sure your team is inspired to think about the future within the company. What roles might be great for them as they continue to grow? What are the skills they need to advance in the business, and how are you supporting them in learning these skills? If your company doesn’t currently have career pathways established, it’s a good idea to change that. Start building out paths for growth, training, and advancement if you want to keep your best employees. This ensures your top talent grows with you, instead of apart from you. 

3. Create a system of effective rewards. Employees want rewards that reflect their value to the company. To begin with, you need to assume that people are educated about the market value for their role. They have done research and are likely familiar with not only the financial compensation that’s fair, but also perks that other companies offer. Creative incentives and flexibility in their job are highly sought after rewards that can be part of a whole package. Then, your compensation packages need to be direct, transparent, and competitive. Start by looking at your current compensation models. Are they fair and compelling? Will they help to draw or retain the top talent? If not, you have some work to do.  

4. Allow autonomy when possible. As we just mentioned, flexibility has become highly sought after for today’s employees. And, research shows that people thrive in their roles when they have some ownership over their time and how things get done. Employees value not only having a say in their own work, but in the direction of the company and strategic elements. Simply put: they want to be a real part of the company’s success, and know that you trust them to do the right things. Make sure you have multiple paths for people to share ideas and feedback. It’s also a good idea to formalize a program where leadership can listen to employees and engage. Finally, leaders at the individual management level should reward their staff with flexible working arrangements when they make sense, and take their preferences into account when planning work and projects. Consider how, where, and when your employees are most productive and let them make those decisions when you can. 

5. Develop a supportive and inclusive community. A productive workplace is highly bolstered by a collaborative environment. Some of the biggest factors for creating such a culture are respect and inclusion. It’s important to not only allow for, but to encourage, differences in backgrounds, opinions, specialties, and perspectives. These differences can present strengths that make your whole organization better. If inclusive hiring is one of your company’s values, don’t be afraid to dig into the data and see if that’s happening across the board. You may also want to challenge your leadership team to look for new ways to assemble a diverse workforce. Whichever way you move forward, you can expect much higher levels of employee engagement when people feel heard and respected for who they are. 

Set a schedule for driving engagement

In addition to all of the tactics listed here, you may want to set up a few team retreats each year. You can offer whole-company retreats as well as specific team-building ones. We recommend bringing everyone together at least once per year, as well as having team-specific events at least twice per year. During these events, focus on culture creation as well as driving employee engagement.

An effective team building retreat offers a mix of social activity, learning and training, and overall employee engagement with leadership. If you’re not sure what would work best with your team, let our staff support you. At Surf Office, we help companies of all types and sizes to plan compelling team retreats with impactful agendas. Reach out to our team to start planning a retreat that checks all the boxes for employee engagement.