Why engaged employees mean success in business

The team at Avanti discuss why engaged employees mean success in business.

We’ve previously  mentioned the importance of a culture statement and putting procedures in place to ensure that busy employees are also productive employees, but how do you maximise your employees engagement?

Having an engaged employee is so much more than having an employee who can do the job. An engaged employee will be enthusiastic about the work that you do and want to see the business progress, they will attack all tasks with passion and the reputation of the business, as the driving force behind what they do.

SMEs might not have the budget for swanky corporate away-days, but their size is to their advantage here. As the Director of any SME, you’ll quite likely have the opportunity to interact with your employees on a regular basis. There are simple steps that you can take to have regular contact with your employees and make sure the infrastructure of your business is accessible to your employees;

The premises – open plan premises create an open-door attitude. This will force face-to-face interactions between employees of all levels and make it easier to spot potential issues before they become bigger problems for you and your business.

Achievements – Celebrate your employee’s achievements and developments. If your employees are excelling within their role, recognise them. The Avanti Group (UK) Ltd celebrates employees achievements through our Employee Of The Quarter scheme, chosen by colleagues. Our staff are recognised for everything from outstanding customer service, staff support and positive attitudes to professional examinations passed and targets met. If you have the budget, reward your employees with a bonus scheme. Financial incentives are always a great way to drive employees to reach their targets.

Feedback – Offer employees the opportunity to provide you with feedback, this can be done through multiple channels; Use regular face-to-face meetings and hold periodical reviews, where the employee also has the chance to discuss business matters and how things may be affecting them.
Provide opportunity for anonymous feedback, maybe with suggestion boxes. Sometimes employee feedback may be negative –  having an avenue for anonymous feedback will allow your employees to share all comments openly and honestly.

Time out – Giving your employees the chance to bond together away from the office is as important as ensuring they are happy within the office. The key is to give your employees the chance to choose the activities, rather than forcing team building on them which isn’t to everyone’s liking. The Avanti team attend boxing events, dinner dances, bingo and everything in between, reflecting the diversity in our office.  This should be handled sensitively however – people’s lives are increasingly busy, be careful to not make employees feel like it is another work commitment.

Corporate Social Responsibility – You may have a CSR policy. It’s not compulsory, but it’s nice to give back to the community that buy your products and use your services. Make your employees aware of your policy and see how they may like to contribute to it. If you can afford to let staff have a half day a month to do charitable work, let them choose charities close to their heart so they really believe in what you are doing.

You may have read the above and been left thinking about the costs to you and your business, but what about the benefits? Did you know that it is widely viewed, a business with engaged employees will have a lower staff turnover, with increased productivity and efficiency levels. And it does not have to be a big expense – a small recognition like a meal out, or their own personalised mug, cake Fridays or even just saying THANK YOU! – can be just as appreciated.