Michele Haugh, SHRM-SCP of EarlyEngage discussed how HR professionals can enhance workplace connections in hybrid, remote, and onsite work environments, while focusing on intentional strategies to boost engagement.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE PRESENTATION:
- Dispelling the Financial Myth: Employee engagement doesn’t require a huge budget or team. Success stems from intentional efforts, especially in smaller organizations.
- Importance of Engagement in retention & recruiting: Engaged employees are critical for retaining top talent. Yet, global engagement is low, with only 21% of employees worldwide feeling engaged at work.
- Five Actionable Ways to Enhance Engagement:
- Clarify Success: Define clear expectations and outcomes to your team. Focus on outcomes and how those outcomes will be measured. Provide clear and consistent feedback.
- Build Better Leaders: Leaders must be developed; as managers directly impact engagement, it’s key they be trained. Investing in frontline managers is crucial.
- The Little Things Matter: Create opportunities for employee appreciation and make it personal. Building relationships is key to a positive culture, so weave opportunities into daily interactions.
- Personal and Professional Development: Prioritize continuous learning opportunities as they are essential for employee growth and satisfaction. 9/10 millennials say professional development Is important to them in a job, and career growth is the primary reason people change jobs.
- Measure Engagement: Utilize diverse methods to understand employee sentiments and adapt strategies accordingly. Feedback forms, anonymous surveys, stay interviews and focus groups are a few methods to measure engagement.
- Strategies for Implementation:
- Utilize OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to clarify success and expectations.
- Regularly seek feedback and follow up on the findings and insights.
- Personalize appreciation and recognition to enhance employee morale.
- Consistently and transparently communicate company performance and goals that align with and engage employees.
- Managerial Impact: Managers play a pivotal role in employee engagement, with 70% of engagement variance attributed to them. Providing professional development opportunities and leadership training is key in ensuring a manager’s success.
Michele Haugh, a seasoned HR professional, boasts a wealth of expertise spanning specialist, generalist, and senior leadership roles over several decades. Transitioning from corporate HR to HR consulting a decade ago, Michele cofounded Early HR Solutions. Recognizing the challenges organizations face with employee engagement, she introduced Early Engage, which addresses professional development and fostering engagement for resource-limited organizations. With a BS in Business and SPHR certification, Michele is on the verge of completing a graduate degree in HR and Organizational Development. Connect with Michele on LinkedIn today.