9 Ways to Increase Employee Commitment
Consecutive absences, frowning faces, and unproductivity—these are a few signs that your employees are cutting loose from your performance management. According to Harvard Business Review, researchers have found that negative perceptions of employees in their organizations equal to a company’s weak future. The next thing you know, resignation letters are already piled up on your office table! You don’t want this nightmare to happen. So, how does HR management keep employees happily committed? Before we discuss the things that you should and shouldn’t do to increase employee commitment, let us first tackle why their commitment is significant in the company.
9 Ways to Increase Employee Commitment
Why Commitment is Important
When employees are dedicated to the company, they will surpass even the management’s expectations from them. They become more effective and efficient and bring success to the enterprise. It is essential to keep their interests through healthy employee relations—not only in the recruitment period—but for a more extended period of time.
From employee onboarding to rewards and recognition, here is a checklist of the ways you can keep the enthusiasm of your workforce in the workplace!
Define Responsibility Clearly
Poorly defined roles and responsibilities overwhelm employees. Conflicts among workers happen when supervisors demand them to do tasks that are incompatible to their capabilities and job expectations. These unexpected demands cause confusion and discouragement to the workforce. Moreover, these unfortunate experiences lead to unproductivity. The workers need to get acquainted with the business, giving them the necessary information to be valuable assets of the company. Suitable job training also makes employees aware of job standards. Moreover, an organizational chart provides clarity to the workforce on whom they are accountable to, and where they can ask for help with work problems. Employees do their jobs better when they have a clear perspective on their individual positions.
Provide Feedback
Providing negative feedback makes employees know the areas they need to improve upon. However, not using this tool properly can harm instead of help. Managers need to inform the workers before giving negative feedback. Broadcasting a negative comment without prior notice will cause humiliation and jeopardize respect. Sounding collaborative in giving one will let employees know that they still have your support. Unlike negative feedback, positive performance reviews are encouraged to be done in public. Praises drive the workers to maintain their excellent performances. After all, commitments start with appreciation.
Create Career Growth Opportunities
Humans naturally look for growth in any area of life. Career growth opportunities give employees something to look forward to—something to work hard for. The great minds of the company’s top talents will also play an essential role in expanding ideas for innovations. By hiring potential leaders internally, the company can build a reliable management team. Create career roadmaps, position profiles with standards, and training for a defined career growth opportunity.
Respect Employee Needs
The Society for Human Resources Management in 2014 states that the majority of their survey respondents rated respectful treatment from employers as the most important contributor to job satisfaction. Respect contributes to a peaceful workplace, and a peaceful workplace makes happy employees. Employees need time off to give their brains a break. Breaks reduce stress and increase employee productivity in the workplace. Employees also need fair treatment from employee management regardless of their job positions.
Create a Challenging Work Environment
A stagnant work environment promotes nothing but boredom. Valuable employees always find ways to grow—they want brain stimulation. When they are ready for more difficult responsibilities, ask them if they are open to the challenges. Good employees appreciate it when employers see their potential. Giving rewards and recognition such as bonuses or incentives will also keep them motivated. Another way of creating challenges in the workplace is by letting them participate in non-routine assignments of their interests. Special tasks like volunteering to a charity or decorating will give them a fun break.
Communicate and Implement
Mutual understanding with the workers makes the operations smooth and effective. Employees need awareness of the company’s latest improvement schemes. Employers, on the other hand, need to listen to the feedback and suggestions of their workers. By communicating through surveys or meetings, the concerns and suggestions of employees are raised upward in an organization. Employees who feel heard by employers feel empowered and satisfied.
Recognize Your Employees
Recognizing your employees boosts their morale and pushes self-improvement. Being known is a beautiful experience. You can do this by arranging employee appreciation events and celebrating birthdays, work anniversaries, and other important life occasions. Another way to recognize your workers of their hard work is by putting up a recognition wall in your office. This idea will inspire other workers to be featured on that wall as well!
Encourage Team Bonding
Aside from letting the workers loosen up, company team outings break the ice between the new employees and the tenure ones. These activities improve communication and develop confidence. Fun ideas for team bonding are sports activities, field trips, and dining out. Once a strong connection is made through these events, brainstorming for a common goal becomes attainable.
Focus on Providing Benefits
Entrepreneur states that employee benefits and vacation perks let companies win in retaining top talents. Life plan benefits and health insurances offer practicality to the workers. These also drive employees to stay longer in the company. Glassdoor’s Employment Confidence Survey in 2015 even cited that 4 in 5 employees want benefits more than pay raise. Providing benefits gives employees the notion that the company cares not only for their well-being—but also for their future.
Through recognition, rewards, training and development, constant communication, exciting benefits, and personal interaction with the management—you keep happy and progressing workers. Employees are the company’s most valuable assets. Invest in ten good workers, and they will nurture a hundred more of your employees in the future. But fail to show them they are valued and they will gladly walk out your door along with the others. And, they will most likely look for their own worth somewhere else.
More in HR
