With the holidays fast upon us it’s time take advantage of the down time (hopefully you’ll have some) and start making some concrete employee engagement plans for 2016. No more abstract conversations about “how people are doing”. No, it’s time to schedule that kickoff meeting with the right people in the room so that you can formally tackle (and launch) a robust employee engagement strategy. Want a few ready-to-go ideas to get you started? Take a look below:
Ask them with a survey
Want to know what drives your people? What keeps them engaged? What makes them tell their friends that this is a great place to work? Ask them. Start crafting a survey to ask those pertinent questions. Better yet, ask your leaders to ask them. If you need a guide to help get you going start by reading this.
Thank them with a note
A little appreciation goes a long way. Set up a time to meet with your staff to say thanks! Whether it was a banner year, or one of those years that has you scratching your head and wondering what happened, plan a time to honestly and sincerely thank the people who work to make your business what it is. Don’t wait until you have figured out your next moves; just take a moment and share your gratitude. At the least, consider writing an email to your staff thanking them for a great year.
Encourage them with value
Is it time to take a hard look at your compensation structure? Make sure you are in line with current benchmarks for your industry and region. And don’t stop merely with pay. Go all the way down to the employee handbook level and take a look at workplace flexibility and benefits, too. Go beyond financial incentives and think about wellness plans, reading groups, team-building activities, etc.
Empower them with opportunity
A big organizational revamp is always more palatable at the beginning of a new year. Now is a good time to look at your reporting structure. Ask yourself: Does it still make sense? Have we evolved into an organization that would work better with a different organizational structure? Do we have folks who are ready to take on new leadership roles? Do we have managers who may be better suited to more boots-on-the-ground roles? If you’ve been delaying that organizational revamp, January is a great time to launch it.
Need some help with starting your organization on the right foot for 2016? Smart HR is here to help. Let’s work together to make 2016 a fantastic year. From our team to yours, Happy Holidays.
– Mark Stevenson, President & CEO
