Five Employee Engagement Ideas - Your Career Intel

Five Employee Engagement Ideas - Your Career IntelPassion Drives Profitability Five Avenues to Employee EngagementOne person with passion is better than forty men merely interested. E. M. ForsterAs an executive recruiter, Ive learned that a passionate workforce is invaluable to an organizations success. Yet, fostering employee engagementdoesntalways receive the time and consideration it deserves. Particularly in todays candidate-driven employment market, employee engagement drives growth. Optimize your teams potential with these five employee engagement ideas.Five Employee Engagement IdeasInvite innovation. If there is one approach guaranteed to increase engagement, its this one listen to your employees Dedicated employees should know that their voices are being heard, that their expertise is valued, and that they are integral to the companys success. These individuals are more likely to invest emotionally, intellectually, and strategically in the organizations long-term goals. Inclu de employees in long-term planning to the greatest extent possible. Reward new approaches and smart risk-taking, and invest in professional development.Foster real leadership. Employee engagement begins with great leaders. The most engaging managers are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, open to new approaches, and good at communicating not only what needs to be done, but also why each task is important. Train managers to provide constructive feedback and how to gauge the pulse of their teams effective communication goes both ways.Build an employment brand. Learn to tell the story of your organization where it came from, where its going, and why. Everyone should know where he or she fits into the big picture, and why each individual role is important to the organizations achievement. Show your employees what sets your company apart from the rest, and why its a special place to work. Then, make sure that your corporate culture reflects that philosophy.Develop a smart recrui ting strategy. One of the best ways to increase employee engagement, not surprisingly, is to hire employees who are most likely to be engaged. Look for intellectual flexibility, curiosity, and a commitment to professional development in new hires. Make it clear that your organization values those qualities, and show candidates how they can grow their career potential at your company.Dont manipulate. Your employees are smart thats why you hired them They can tell when they are being manipulated with gimmicky incentives and tedious corporate retreats. Engagement strategies should reward commitment and innovation while fostering a positive corporate culture. Drive collaboration rather than negative competition. Appeal to employees intellects and curiosity, rather than fixating on the bottom line.Devoting thought, time, and resources to employee engagement can bring huge rewards at every level of your corporate structure. With these five tips, youll help your employees perform at the h ighest level.How do you build employee engagement? What results can you share?