The Future Of Employee Engagement: Trends And Best Practices

In this article, we will list the latest employee engagement trends that may define employee engagement in the future. In addition to this, we will briefly see what employee engagement is, learn how technology benefits employee engagement, and discuss other matters concerned with employee engagement.

Let's first understand briefly about employee engagement.

What Is Employee Engagement?

Employee engagement refers to employees' mental and emotional connection towards the work they do, their team, and their organization. An employee is emotionally connected to his/her work only when an organization creates the right conditions. The right conditions motivate all the members of the organization to give their best each day and motivate them to contribute to the organizational success. Remember, employee engagement is based on two-way communication, trust, and integrity.

The Changing Landscape Of Employee Engagement In The Modern Workplace

It is a given fact that changes in the workplace are inevitable. We have seen this happen during the pandemic. During the pandemic, every organization was compelled to shift its workplace from office to remote working. While shifting to the modern workplace, organizations identified one challenge they faced which is employee engagement. To address this challenge, they have focused on three key areas, and organizations that are looking to thrive in this modern workplace culture also need to focus on these areas. They are as follows:

• Building human connections. In this age of remote working, building human connections is very important. To build these connections, organizations need to invest in collaborative technologies, offer feedback regularly, and create an element of fun in the work culture.
• Organizations need to address the overall well-being of employees in the workplace. The new ways of working have brought about anxiety and other mental health problems in employees. To address them, organizations have to focus on mental and physical wellness. They can encourage employees to open up about their mental struggles. In addition to this, employers can offer wellness programs that include mindfulness programs and therapies at affordable rates.
• Companies need to offer a flexible working environment. During the pandemic, employees got adapted to the new way of working - remote working. During remote working, they have experienced work-life balance, and now they want the same. For that to happen, organizations need to provide their employees with work-from-home facilities, and hybrid models.

Let’s have a look at the latest trends that are dominating the employee engagement space.

Top 7 Employee Engagement Trends That You Need To Promote

Here are the top 7 employee engagement trends that you need to promote in your organization.

People-First Culture

Promote people-first workplace culture in your organization. People-first culture means hearing the opinions and concerns of the employees. To hear their concerns, conduct surveys within the organization. Then, use the insights gathered from the survey and take the necessary steps. After addressing their concerns, share the progress with your employees. By sharing, your employees will feel that they are being heard and acted upon. 

Apart from hearing their concerns, you also need to recognize your employees for their work. Recognizing employees for their work translates into more engaged workers.

Adoption Of Technology

Post-pandemic, we have seen HR implementing technologies such as AI and cloud in their people management strategies. By employing such technologies, managers get access to insights that help them understand the drivers of productivity, and accordingly devise the right strategies to enhance employee engagement. Plus, AI and ML also help with better communication and collaboration, resulting in an increase in employee engagement.

Flexibility And Work-Life Balance

Flexible working has been the biggest trend that has emerged over a couple of years ago. This trend will continue to dominate in the future because it improves work-life balance. Flexible working not only gives employees time for personal commitments but also makes them more productive. Therefore, organizations that want to thrive in modern workplaces need to include flexible working in their people management strategies.

Purpose Driven Work 

Today, employees feel more engaged if their work is meaningful. If their job doesn’t meet their expectations, they would leave and look for an organization that aligns with their purpose. To meet their expectations, try to understand what “purpose” means to them and accordingly act upon them. 

In addition to this, employees want work that challenges them. Regularly check on your employees and if they feel bored at work, upskill or provide tasks that challenge them.

Develop Empathy

Employees believe showing empathy leads to employee retention. Although the world is advancing digitally, still employees want compassion and appreciation. And organizations that do that will be able to increase employee engagement. Going forward, you need to embrace technology and along with that invest in creating compassionate leaders who empathize with employees. Combining both will lead to ultimate job satisfaction.

Provide Ample Opportunities For Career Growth

Today, people seek career progression in their job. They want to work in an organization that helps them grow professionally and personally. Organizations that limit career growth can expect their employees to leave the company and seek better opportunities. Therefore, it is important for organizations to create an environment where employees can grow and enhance. For that, organizations can invest in learning programs and mentoring programs. Organizations should also make promotion a regular affair.

Focus On The Mental Health Of Employees

Poor mental health is one of the main challenges in the workplace today. Deadlines, meetings, and many other work-related factors contribute to the deterioration of the mental health of employees. Fortunately, today there is more awareness of mental health problems among employers than ever before. Employers also have many resources to tackle this problem. The best way to handle this problem is by openly talking about mental health, identifying the triggers causing mental health problems, and then taking the necessary steps to create a healthy environment.

How Technology Is Useful In Driving Employee Engagement?

Here are some benefits of using technology to drive employee engagement at the workplace.

• The use of digital tools simplifies tasks. Many jobs involve repetitive tasks and multitasking. Though employees are used to executing these tasks, offering digital tools can simplify tasks, and enhance productivity. As a result, it increases employee engagement.
• Gamification improves learning experiences. Employees seek enjoyable learning experiences. When their work environment is more like a playing game, they feel productive and engaged. Gamification does exactly that.
• The use of employee engagement software improves productivity. Employers should conduct engagement surveys using employee engagement software. The data gathered from the survey will help employers identify what disengages an employee. After identifying and solving it, the employee’s productivity would increase double-fold.

How To Foster Effective Communication And Collaboration In A Workplace?

To build effective communication and collaboration in a workplace, you need to:

• Set clear expectations. Clearly determine your goals and explain to your employees their responsibilities. This level of transparency will combat misunderstandings and will increase trust in you and the decisions you make.
• Foster open communication. Open communication makes employees feel heard and valued, resulting in greater collaboration among team members and increased job satisfaction.
• Encourage a two-way feedback mechanism. A two-way feedback mechanism means offering your honest opinions to your employees about their work and performance which will help them navigate future challenges. On the other hand, receiving constructive feedback from your team that will help in strengthening your decision-making abilities. A two-way feedback mechanism not only fosters effective communication but also increases collaboration within the team.

In Conclusion

As the workplace changes, employee engagement strategies need to be updated. For that to happen, you need to be abreast with the current employee engagement trends. Here, we have provided a comprehensive list of trends that you need to focus on to increase employee engagement in your workplace.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the best practices for employee engagement?

Here are some best practices for employee engagement.

• Prioritize regular communication with your employees.
• Create a feedback culture.
• Measure the current level of engagement.
• Define goals and responsibilities clearly.
• Identify what motivates your employees.

What are the 3 E’s of employee engagement?

 The 3 E’s of employee engagement are as follows:

• Engage
• Empower
• Enable

What are the 4 areas of employee engagement?

Here are the 4 key areas that drive employee engagement.

• Leader engagement
• Team engagement
• Organizational engagement
• Job engagement

How can I leverage technology to enhance employee engagement?

Below are two ways to enhance employee engagement using technology.

• Gamify your workplace setting. Meaning, add an element of fun in learning or training programs. By including a gamified learning portal you can make learning fun and exciting.
• Use collaboration tools like video conferencing and project management software to communicate better, provide feedback, and share ideas.

How can I measure the impact of employee engagement on our workplace culture and employee retention?

You can measure employee engagement by using the following methods:

• Perform annual engagement surveys. This is the popular format for gauging employee engagement which is done annually.
• Perform Pulse surveys. These are small surveys carried out regularly which give a real-time view of the employees' feelings.