Meaningful ways to increase team engagement as a leader
A good project manager is a team player who believes that people can reinforce each other. It is by working together that team members develop their fullest potential. So, it is indeed no surprise that the market is full of games that offer cooperative modes: team sets, clans, alliances, etc. And the number of people who want to play them is only growing.
And here, we can draw a parallel with work as well. However, sometimes the involvement of people in teams does not always go as expected. But every problem has a solution. And if you want to know the best ways to increase team engagement as a leader, this article is for you.
And here, we can draw a parallel with work as well. However, sometimes the involvement of people in teams does not always go as expected. But every problem has a solution. And if you want to know the best ways to increase team engagement as a leader, this article is for you.
How to Increase Employee Engagement
According to a Gallup study, if a company has high team member engagement, its profitability increases by 21%. Furthermore, the best employees stay with such organizations for an extended period. They are not going to change their place of work because they are satisfied with everything.
In addition, a pleasant bonus is the fact that the satisfaction of their clients also increases by 5%. So, what is the reason for such high rates? The short answer is good team member engagement, which a competent leader provides. And below, you'll learn how to achieve this in the best possible ways.
1. Employee Support
Traditional support services are almost useless in solving employees' problems in all departments. So, you should consider a more innovative approach. The recent one is to use the "one-stop-shop" principle. It implies that everyone can get help on a single platform. Instead of agents, it uses conversational AI to help in the early stages. Chatbots understand questions and can offer customized solutions by scanning the organization's database. In addition, workers can also direct appeals to help desk agents.
2. Competent Onboarding
Successful onboarding allows employees to become fully engaged with the organization. So, your priority is to provide them with all the resources needed, especially in a remote work environment. For instance, sending welcoming emails detailing company policies, team member responsibilities, and teammate contacts would be a great solution. This approach makes employees feel comfortable in their new work environment.
3. Proper Training
When a staff member completes his trial period, he should receive an individual training program prepared by a particular expert. It may include courses directly related to the field of work, foreign language learning, software products, and external or internal practices.
Consider that workers' most crucial point in this activity is understanding how they will apply what they have learned at work. So, this program is pervasive. It implies a career development plan and is made for years, although you can adjust it. Once again, it shows what career development opportunities are available at the company and helps interest the team members and make them more competent. As a result, people gain more motivation when they feel that the company is making them stronger as professionals.
4. Effective and Transparent Communication
It's one of the essential principles of team engagement. Establishing an organized hierarchy and structure for communication in the company is necessary to avoid confusion and convey messages in the best way possible.
In addition, effective communication allows employees to speak directly to management and vice versa, which promotes a comfortable work environment. Moreover, the company's management should share their decisions with employees and consider their opinions on important issues since it increases job satisfaction and makes employees feel valued.
5. Implementing Support Ticketing Tools
The support ticket software allows employees to solve their problems automatically. In such systems, a support service can easily create and manage requests. For example, the worker can request the chat room and send it to an agent. In addition, systems for handling customer requests inform employees about essential cases with periodic notifications.
Once the issue is resolved, the request is automatically closed without effort from the team member. Thus, this problem-solving approach allows staff members to build a healthy relationship with the organization and increase engagement.
6. Recognition of Effort
No one likes to work without receiving proper recognition or praise in return. So, to increase team member engagement, it's important to value their efforts and achievements. It's not just about monetary rewards. Small gestures such as a personal email thanking a team member for their contribution are also important. This makes employees feel valued and motivates them.
7. Mental Well-Being
A good mental state allows employees to commit to their work. Thus, monitoring all employees' emotional and psychological well-being is critical to increasing engagement. In addition, you should be attentive to the problems faced by your colleagues.
8. Respectful Attitude
Generally, the company and its management should treat its employees with respect and value their contributions. They can only be committed to the work process if they feel part of the professional family.
In addition, a pleasant bonus is the fact that the satisfaction of their clients also increases by 5%. So, what is the reason for such high rates? The short answer is good team member engagement, which a competent leader provides. And below, you'll learn how to achieve this in the best possible ways.
1. Employee Support
Traditional support services are almost useless in solving employees' problems in all departments. So, you should consider a more innovative approach. The recent one is to use the "one-stop-shop" principle. It implies that everyone can get help on a single platform. Instead of agents, it uses conversational AI to help in the early stages. Chatbots understand questions and can offer customized solutions by scanning the organization's database. In addition, workers can also direct appeals to help desk agents.
2. Competent Onboarding
Successful onboarding allows employees to become fully engaged with the organization. So, your priority is to provide them with all the resources needed, especially in a remote work environment. For instance, sending welcoming emails detailing company policies, team member responsibilities, and teammate contacts would be a great solution. This approach makes employees feel comfortable in their new work environment.
3. Proper Training
When a staff member completes his trial period, he should receive an individual training program prepared by a particular expert. It may include courses directly related to the field of work, foreign language learning, software products, and external or internal practices.
Consider that workers' most crucial point in this activity is understanding how they will apply what they have learned at work. So, this program is pervasive. It implies a career development plan and is made for years, although you can adjust it. Once again, it shows what career development opportunities are available at the company and helps interest the team members and make them more competent. As a result, people gain more motivation when they feel that the company is making them stronger as professionals.
4. Effective and Transparent Communication
It's one of the essential principles of team engagement. Establishing an organized hierarchy and structure for communication in the company is necessary to avoid confusion and convey messages in the best way possible.
In addition, effective communication allows employees to speak directly to management and vice versa, which promotes a comfortable work environment. Moreover, the company's management should share their decisions with employees and consider their opinions on important issues since it increases job satisfaction and makes employees feel valued.
5. Implementing Support Ticketing Tools
The support ticket software allows employees to solve their problems automatically. In such systems, a support service can easily create and manage requests. For example, the worker can request the chat room and send it to an agent. In addition, systems for handling customer requests inform employees about essential cases with periodic notifications.
Once the issue is resolved, the request is automatically closed without effort from the team member. Thus, this problem-solving approach allows staff members to build a healthy relationship with the organization and increase engagement.
6. Recognition of Effort
No one likes to work without receiving proper recognition or praise in return. So, to increase team member engagement, it's important to value their efforts and achievements. It's not just about monetary rewards. Small gestures such as a personal email thanking a team member for their contribution are also important. This makes employees feel valued and motivates them.
7. Mental Well-Being
A good mental state allows employees to commit to their work. Thus, monitoring all employees' emotional and psychological well-being is critical to increasing engagement. In addition, you should be attentive to the problems faced by your colleagues.
8. Respectful Attitude
Generally, the company and its management should treat its employees with respect and value their contributions. They can only be committed to the work process if they feel part of the professional family.
Conclusion
Increasing the engagement of a team is one of the supreme disciplines in management. Yes, this long-term work does not produce immediate results. But an investment in employee satisfaction will invariably pay off. And this is primarily the merit of a qualified and experienced project manager or leader.
Author: Frank Hamilton has been working as an editor at essay review service Rated by Students and an author at custom writing company Top Writing Reviews. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing, and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German, and English.
Key words: Project management, Team, Psychology, Guide, Tips