Unique benefits and programs that engage employees
Photo by Headway for Unsplash
Regardless of the size of your business, you cannot achieve growth and success without smart, motivated people who drive results. Even for businesses lucky enough to recruit mostly self-motivated, highly skilled people, you need ways to engage employees that support their best work.
Yes, money motivates your employees, and your total compensation package should reflect each individual’s value. However, we humans want and need more than financial rewards. That extra $100 in a holiday card might be nice, but have you thought about what really inspires your people to strive for growth and to set new goals?
Creating Culture Shifts
As you begin to craft an employee engagement program, some culture roadblocks could come to light. Antiquated systems or processes could inhibit your employees from creating more value for your organization.
For established companies, the status quo can become all too comfortable, but old ways don’t necessarily lead to new ideas. Business growth depends on new ideas, and you need employees who feel empowered to experiment, test and execute these innovations.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra worked in the company’s HR department prior to taking on the chief executive role. After GM filed for bankruptcy, she went to work editing and condensing the employee manual, as she explains in this video:
“It was right as we were coming out of the bankruptcy. We really wanted to drive a new culture, and we wanted to make sure we were really engaging people and empowering them.”
She added later that she approached the culture shift with the idea that “if we win the hearts and minds of employees, we’re going to have better business success.”
In that video, she discusses changing the company dress code from a 10-page document to two words: “Dress appropriately.” While that concise language baffled a few managers, it also empowered them to lead their staff in a way that best suited their specific roles throughout the organization. She placed her trust in the managers’ skills and knowledge of how their departments’ dress code would impact business.
Take a look at your own culture. Do you have any 10-page guidelines that you can whittle down to a few words? Where can you find opportunities to be less prescriptive with employees and offer them more space and freedom to try something new?
Unique Ideas for Engaging Employees
After you grapple with those questions about culture impediments, consider some unique and creative ways to engage employees. Use the list below for inspiration, but I challenge you to consider some other ideas that might work best within your own company culture:
Make space for innovation. People need enough down time to let their creativity flow. Whether you set aside a few hours per week for employees to work on pet projects or new ideas, or arrange interdepartmental brainstorming sessions, find ways to encourage new thinking. Clearly communicate that even off-the-wall ideas are welcome.
Offer flexibility. Your employees have lives beyond your office walls and some of their best thinking might happen at home, on a bike trail or while traveling. Creating flexible work arrangements can help your people work more efficiently and effectively because they have the time to pursue creative interests aligned to your business goals.
Coach; don’t boss. You hired your people for their unique sets of skills and qualities. Now, allow them to use their uniqueness. Nothing kills drive faster than micromanaging someone’s every move. Instead, coach your people on ways to utilize their unique skills, create valuable business results, and help them create a career path within the company.
Encourage learning and skill-building. Find ways to challenge people by giving them opportunities to learn new skills by cross-training within the company or by taking classes.
Build a community. Social gatherings and company-sponsored volunteer opportunities can help people feel more connected to their colleagues.
Create a formal mentorship program. Both mentors and mentees benefit from these programs with the skills they learn and the exchange of ideas.
Give recognition. Both informal and formal recognition help employees feel appreciated and see the value they create for your company.
Kill monotony. While some people thrive on routine and structure, many of your employees need real breaks from the same-old, same-old. Something as simple as a walking meeting could revive a person’s mood and productivity.
Need more inspiration? Take a look at why these large companies have made it onto the “Happiest Employees” list. Employees at these organizations point to company culture and unique perks as some of the reasons they love their jobs. These testimonials mention: support for new ideas, a positive atmosphere, fun, a sense of family, time for a personal life, a sense of belonging and purpose, commitment to problem-solving and much more.
All of these employees show up to earn a paycheck and to do good work, but it’s the respect for the whole person that truly engages them and helps them develop a commitment to their organizations.
Ready for a culture shift that helps engage your employees? Contact me for a free consultation. I have worked with multinational companies to small start-ups in developing effective and powerful HR strategies that boost employee engagement and results.