The United Kingdom is facing an employee satisfaction crisis.
The United Kingdom is facing an employee satisfaction crisis. According to a recent Qualtrics study, just 48% of workers in the UK felt engaged at their jobs, compared to 62% of workers in the United States and 56% in Australia. While none of these numbers comes close to representing a "grand majority," the UK still finds itself towards the bottom of a troubling list.
What are the facts?
The study revealed a number of interesting trends. On one hand, people who were most likely to leave their jobs worked in the financial sector, didn't feel that their company acted on employee feedback, and had little to no trust in their team or their superiors.
On the other hand, people who were more likely to stay in their current role said they had good career advancement opportunities and the chance to explore new tasks of interest in their field.
In short, here's what was most likely to keep people around:
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Acting on employee feedback
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Career advancement opportunities
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The chance to try new tasks within one's field
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Trust between leadership and employees
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Good work/life balance
However, these points are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to effectively motivating employees and retaining them long-term. Here are a few tried and true strategies for engaging teams in the workplace and making sure they feel genuinely fulfilled while they're on the clock.
Make personal connections
As a manager, the onus is on you to get to know your employees. The most outgoing people may approach you on their own, but in general, you'll be the one to break the ice.
Making each employee feel like an individual allows them to feel seen and heard which, in turn, shows them that their work is also going to be seen and heard. And when people know that their output is valued, their work quality is much more likely to impress.
Say hello in the hallway, ask them a few questions about their family and hobbies and if you want to go the extra mile, follow up on little anecdotes they share with you whenever you can.
Recognise and reward hard work
Nothing motivates people like clearly stated goals that are associated with real, tangible rewards. Whether it's setting incentive-backed targets for your sales team or a rewards structure for individual employees, sweetening the pot with a reward usually gives people the boost they need to make it across the finish line.
Incentives come in many forms, and they can differ depending on who you're working with. Some people prefer rewards like travel vouchers or gift cards, while others would be happy with a big team lunch or a fun group outing. Knowing your employees and what they like is the key to making them feel engaged at work through incentives.
Provide opportunities for personal development
As revealed in the Qualtrics survey, employees who had the chance to explore new interests at work and further their careers were happier and more engaged in their current roles.
There is no limit to the types of opportunities you can provide to help your employees grow and thrive; it simply depends on the individual. While some people might get the most value out of a weekly mentorship session with one of their superiors, others might appreciate the chance to try on a more creative hat (i.e. someone from the finance department does a small job for the marketing team). This brings us back to our first point: knowing your employees is the best way to motivate them on an individual level.
At Power2Motivate, we know what makes people tick. When you partner with us to build out an employee incentive and rewards programme, you're tapping into years of professional expertise and know-how. Contact us today to start upping your employee engagement!