A great company understands that employee engagement is directly tied to its success in relation to retention, customer loyalty and how well it functions, according to SHRM. But even if we can all agree that employee engagement is a top priority, how to achieve it is another story.

1. Make it Easy for Employees to Give Back

Every company faces employee turnover and some of it is necessary (low-performing employees for example) but you never want to lose your best employees. Offering opportunities for them to give back can go a long way towards keeping them engaged. Research by America’s Charities found that 71% of employees say it’s imperative or very important to work where culture is supportive of giving and volunteering.

You can foster that sense of giving back by:

  • Offering paid time off for employees to volunteer at their chosen nonprofit.
  • Offering company-planned volunteering events.
  • Setting up a program to donate to your employees’ favorite charities.

2. Conduct Frequent Employee Performance Reviews

Usually thought of as an annual task, performance reviews should really be done on a regular basis. Scheduling consistent feedback between you and your employees lets them know what they’re doing well and any ares for improvement. Plus, your employees get the opportunity to share their thoughts with you about their performance. According to Gallup, 21% of employees strongly agree that their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work.

3. Promote a Healthy Work/Life Balance

Work/life balance means finding a balance between the time and energy you spend at work versus your personal time. And while WorkLifeBalance.com states making each equal is unrealistic, it is more important to find achievement and enjoyment in all aspects of your life.

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4. Plan Employee Events

Strong company culture goes a long way towards securing engaged employees that remain loyal to your company. SHRM estimates the cost of turnover due to workplace culture is $223 billion over the past five years. Team events, like a weekly department team meeting or a company-wide building event, help employees stay motivated and engaged, plus it gives a better understanding of how each employee fits in with the rest of the company.

5. Offer Employee Development Opportunities

Companies that have plans in place for employee development have engaged and loyal employees. It has been shown that businesses with strong learning culture enjoy employee engagement and retention rates around 30-50% higher than those that don’t.

Some employee development ideas include:

  • Giving employees more responsibility in their current roles.
  • Asking them to do special projects.
  • Paying for them to take online courses.
  • Encouraging them to join professional associations or networks.
  • Offering feedback including 360-degree feedback.

BirdDogHR offers a Performance Management System to improve employee productivity and engagement, resulting in less turnover. With customizable reviews, managers can evaluate employees and promote practices that allow them to create a clear career path within the organization, driving engagement. Interested in knowing how your company is handling engagement compared to others? Take our free HR assessment.