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A human resources department is crucial to any business or organisation. If you’re a small or newly founded business, it’s likely that you won’t have a dedicated HR department, but you will have a role or group of roles responsible for HR tasks. The human resources department could be responsible for managing everything from payroll to employee satisfaction, but typically, they are expected to oversee recruitment, health and safety, training, and performance management, amongst a number of other responsibilities too. HR is often overlooked in businesses. Sometimes, this is because HR isn’t directly involved in generating sales or serving customers. Other times, it’s because HR is a relatively new department within many organisations, so its role and impact are still often underestimated.

Arguably, one of the most important responsibilities of an HR department is managing employee satisfaction, and how teams choose to involve themselves and engage with other employees and the company. When employees engage with their teams and the overall company, productivity levels tend to increase, as teams feel motivated to perform well for a company they value and appreciate. 

Additionally, employees who are satisfied with their workplaces are far less likely to leave, improving the employee retention rate for businesses. Here are the most effective HR strategies that boost employee engagement.

Consistent Feedback

The first step towards a motivated and satisfied team starts with gathering feedback. It’s often the step that many businesses avoid, mostly because it can bring up operational or communication issues that senior leaders need to make time to improve. Whether you enjoy receiving feedback or not, it’s important to regularly encourage feedback sessions from your employees if you want to improve engagement.

You can choose to gather feedback in a number of different ways. Some employees continue to respond well to annual feedback surveys or meetings where they’re given the opportunity to share their opinions on how the company operates. Aside from surveys and questionnaires, some businesses choose to incorporate feedback mechanisms more regularly and subtly, for example, in monthly check-in meetings where they can ask employee-focused questions. For the most accurate and honest feedback, businesses can also make surveys anonymous, allowing employees to feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts. 

Another way to encourage employees to share their opinions is to prompt them with closed questions rather than broad, open-ended requests for feedback. This type of questionnaire will save time and collect more data than other forms because it’s easier for employees to complete.

Employee Recognition

It’s no secret that the best way to encourage anyone to be more interested and engaged in their work is to give out clear recognition for things that they’ve done successfully. Employee recognition works best when it’s on a regular but manageable basis. If employee achievements are rewarded too frequently, the novelty of the award or recognition will quickly wear off. Employee recognition boosts engagement as it gives teams something to work towards and a reason to be involved.

Different businesses choose to reward employees in a number of different ways, so it’s a good idea to ask your employees what types of incentives and rewards they appreciate receiving so that your schemes actually pay off. The most popular way to give employees regular recognition – one that’s actually used by successful coffee franchise Starbucks – is through choosing an employee of the month. The chosen employee could receive a personalised gift from Snapfish or an extra day’s paid holiday if that’s what they’d prefer. 

Many successful businesses ask their teams to nominate a colleague who they think deserves recognition, which is often a fair and unbiased method to choose.

Career Growth Opportunities

It’s rare to come across a single employee who isn’t interested in progressing in their career. After all, it’s common for promotions and career progressions to come with higher salaries. Like employee recognition, investing in career development can have a positive impact on performance. Providing opportunities for employees to take on new roles and responsibilities helps increase motivation and long-term commitment to the business. 

Even though the majority of teams are interested in advancing their professional careers, it’s important that businesses don’t assume that employees will raise these requests themselves. Career growth opportunities can be offered in annual appraisal meetings or once vacancies and roles become available in the team.

Employee Benefits

The standard of employee benefits that individuals expect is rising, with many people looking for specific incentives before they even consider a role. The most important employee benefits to team engagement are flexible working schedules and well-being-focused incentives. Flexible working options, such as working from home or at variable hours throughout the day, can boost work-life balance and encourage employees to feel more motivated to perform and engage at work. Some businesses also see success with wellness programmes that support employees’ physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. 

When employees feel supported by their companies both during and outside of their professional life, they are much more likely to be committed to their work and contribute actively.