Boosting Employee Engagement: Innovative Training Techniques for the Modern Workforce
The fast-based environment that most businesses must deal with has made a lot of managers and CEOs realise that employee engagement is crucial to maintaining a productive work environment. However, the pressures of the work week can often get to certain employees, and there are plenty of managers that don’t know how to stimulate their workers in a positive way.
For example, studies have shown that negative reinforcement, more often than not, does not work, and leads to subpar productivity. On the other hand, positive reinforcement is a lot more effective, and company managers that choose to go that route often get a lot more out of their employees. In the 21st century, we’ve also seen some innovative techniques for driving up employee engagement. In this article, we will look at some of the proven methods managers can use to boost employee engagement.
Building Colleague Relationships
Experts believe that work relationships are integral to maintaining employee engagement and cooperation. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to find that a positive relationship with a colleague leads to higher levels of productivity. After all, if you enjoy spending time around somebody, you are bound to be more cooperative with what they are trying to do. Also important to note is that the relationship between employer and employee is stronger when there is mutual respect.
Because of that, a lot of people holding managerial positions are now trying their best to establish positive work relationships. However, there are good and bad ways to approach the task. Many try to force friendships between colleagues, which often doesn’t work out. After all, some people simply aren’t compatible as friends, but they may work great as colleagues, or vice versa. Then, if building friendships isn’t the solution, what is?
The goal should be to nurture respect among your employees. The first thing every business-owner should learn is the importance of respect in the workplace. If the boss doesn’t respect his employees, their engagement will dwindle. The same is true if the employees don’t respect the boss. Most important, however, is the respect between the team members, as these are the people that will most frequently be collaborating on projects. So, if you, as the manager, nurture respect between your employees, the business will very likely thrive.
Longer Breaks
Many might find it surprising that the secret to doing more work is, spending less time on work. Studies have shown that a longer break results in more productivity, as well as higher employee engagement. In a sense, it isn’t all that surprising. When people are working, their minds become focused on a single goal. The constant engagement can be quite draining on a person’s mental fortitude. However, if said person is free to take breaks between work, they get some time to recharge, and start over again.
What employees do during their break should be their business. For example, some might enjoy taking a coffee break, a cigarette break, or maybe some might even want to spin a few rounds of slots. With online casinos, daily free to play games are available with a mere push of a button. There are also real money slot games, that let you place wagers as well as streaming services that enable us to watch sports and other events live from anywhere. The best part about longer breaks is that employees get a chance to get to know each other. Studies show that good work relations are a great way to boost engagement.
Flexibility and Autonomy
The internet has impacted various walks of life, including the job market. Today, it is possible for many of us to perform work remotely. At a time when public transport is viewed as just another unnecessary expense, remote work is viewed as a dream come true. However, that isn’t always the case for bosses. Many believe that remote employees are likely to do less work, and slow down productivity. However, all of the available data shows the contrary.
According to a study published in 2022, remote workers have reported 29% higher productivity rates, and over 50% greater capability to focus on the task at hand. The data seems to bear this out. Yet, many managers are still not on board with remote work. They believe that it is harder to have confidence in their employees, if they are not under constant supervision. The problem with that is that constant supervision has been shown to slow down productivity, and make employees less engaged with their work.
The solution is clear; it is up to the manager to establish clear expectations and a method of communication. If an employee working remotely manages to meet those expectations, then there really shouldn’t be a problem.
Celebrating Achievements
We mentioned at the start that positive reinforcement has shown to be a lot more effective in business-like settings. This means showing appreciation when an employee achieves a certain goal. Perhaps they’ve performed their duties in a timely fashion, leaving a lot more time to handle any problems that may arise, or work on other tasks. Or maybe they’ve shown diligence and dedication to their work that has not been rivaled. Even a simple “Congratulations” is enough to brighten up somebody’s day.
However, it shouldn’t stop there. If your goal is to make the business feel like a safe and friendly environment, a good idea would be to celebrate work anniversaries, organise office parties, and build up a sense of community. As we said, the idea shouldn’t be to force friendship among the team. However, friendliness is almost a must. People that work together will almost definitely share some stuff in common, so it is not that difficult to start up a conversation. Giving them the opportunity to do so is bound to drive up employee engagement.
Key Takeaways
In the hustle and bustle of the 21st century, every business is looking to try something new in order to get on ahead. Luckily, we live in one of the most information-rich periods in human history. Bosses, CEOs, and managers have access to excellent studies on driving up employee engagement. The strategies and approaches brought up in this article have proven extremely effective and conducive to a productive work environment.
At the Institute of Supply Chain Management we deliver flexible leadership and management training courses which are tailored to every learner’s individual needs. Every course level includes leadership development training modules as well as covering a range of leadership training topics. Whether you’re looking to build upon your existing management qualifications or gain confidence within your current leadership role, the IoSCM Management Academy is here to help you with the next steps in your career.