Does your organization have trouble with employee engagement? Then it isn’t the only one. Employee engagement is a growing pain for every business. Keeping employees alert and engaged is almost impossible nowadays. Or at least that is what most managers think. With a few effective content strategies carefully followed, your work environment can become a hive of activity in no time. Here are our suggestions that guarantee employee engagement.
Introduce Weekly Employee Blog Posts
You have probably realized by now that your employees are the voice of the company. Their personal values and those of your brand in most cases fully align. The easiest way to engage employees is to allow their voices to be heard. For example, you can introduce weekly employee blog posts. Every week, one member of your staff should write a post for your company’s blog on a certain topic. The topic doesn’t necessarily have to be work-related. It can be whatever they want or like. From current global events, movements, to DIY or tutorials.
For instance, employees like to take a stand regarding the Black Lives Matter movement, gender equality, or feminism for that matter. Their standpoint is your company’s standpoint as well. Whatever the blog post is about, it will not only engage employees but also shed light on the growing industry and social problems.
Give a Warm Welcome to New Staff Members
As much as starting a job at a new company is exciting, it is also a huge change. To make your new staff members’ first days easier, you should give them a warm welcome. The best way to do so is with the help of intranet solutions. This way everyone in the company will not only be informed of the newest additions to the team but also have the opportunity to welcome them in the company themselves.
If you decide to welcome new employees this way, don’t forget to be creative. It is okay to include details such as name, job title, previous experience, but those details won’t stick in anybody’s mind. Therefore, include some fun facts, hobbies, favorites, or other interests. This way, your existing employees will immediately start bonding with the new ones which will speed up the adaptation process.
Let Employees Take Over Social Media
Your business probably has social media profiles as a part of your marketing strategy. Now you can use them to increase employee engagement as well. For example, you can organize social media takeovers during which different employees manage your company’s profiles on social networks for a day or so. They can film a video showing what their day at a workplace looks like, tell a bit more about their assignments, or give a virtual tour of the offices. Similarly, they can post engaging pieces of content that will also reflect values the brand fosters. Additionally, they can give shout outs to team members and recognize their hard work or share memories and impressions from team building activities and corporate events.
Besides, your employees often spend coffee or lunch breaks together. They can take pictures during their small get-togethers and post it on social media. It will show how your company values professional relationships just as much as work. Don’t forget to remind them to share content on their personal social media profiles. With social media takeovers, not only do you engage employees but also share bits of company culture with your audience.
Create Newsletters
Newsletters are the best way to share information with not only employees but also stakeholders, vendors, and customers respectively. In most cases, the HR department or the management is responsible for creating and distributing newsletters to everyone. While that is a common practice, you can still adjust it to fit your company’s needs.
Since you are looking for ways to improve employee engagement, you can ask them to participate and create content for company newsletters. You can even form a committee made up of more experienced employees to oversee content creation and publication. Employees always have fresh and innovative ideas which they can use in creating engaging content. The recipients of the newsletter will enjoy reading every content piece.
Make Interactive Videos
No matter which audience your business targets, they all have one feature in common. Instead of reading lengthy content pieces, they all like watching videos. If your staff consists of Gen Z or Millennials, it is more likely they like to make videos and post them on social media. Their favorite pastime is the ideal opportunity for enhancing their engagement. All you have to do is ask them to make short and interactive videos, post and share them across all personal and corporate platforms, including social networks.
The videos can show what they workday in a quarantine looks like, how they like to dress when it is a casual Friday, how much fun they have at corporate events, etc. Every employee or team can participate in this activity. This way they express their creativity and promote the company.
Organize Hackathons
Although hackathons are primarily organized by and for programmers, other businesses can use it as well. Gather your employees, present them with a complex problem, ask them to come up with a solution, and leave them to brainstorm. Before you start with the hackathon, remind your staff there are no wrong solutions. Only the most effective one.
Hackathons are great for numerous reasons. Firstly, they connect all employees, get them to work together thus creating a strong and united team. Secondly, your employees can share opinions and ideas which bring them closer as a team. Thirdly, every member fully participates in the activity which immediately increases their engagement. Lastly, your business reaps the rewards of the hackathon in the long run.
On the whole, employee engagement is a common problem most companies face. Even when you organize any of the abovementioned activities, your employees won’t become fully engaged overnight. It will take continuous effort and time to see and feel any results. But when you do, your organization will thrive.
Author Bio:
Morgan Rose Elliott graduated marketing from The University of Sydney. Hobbies include yoga, reading, home renovation. . Rookie blogger who loves writing about business and lifestyle equally. She is happily married, stay at home mother of three.
