Employee Engagement & the Small Business Owner

Employee engagement has become a topic of much focus in the corporate world.  Many organizational   and human resource experts have invested multiple hours and dollars to create a culture of engagement in the work place.  This might seem outside the realm of the small business owner (for this article we are defining a “small business” as those companies with more than 1, but less than 50 employees).  In addition to understanding what employee engagement is, it is important for small business owners to understand why it is necessary for them to take steps to develop it within their business culture.
What is meant by employee engagement?  I might be easier to describe what it is not.  Employee engagement does not mean employee happiness or satisfaction.  An employee might be happy and satisfied while at work, but that does not mean that they are engaged.  Being happy or satisfied does not mean that they are working hard or productively and operating on behalf of what they know is best for the company.  When an employee is truly engaged, they are emotionally committed to the company for which they work and are compelled to offer more of their capability and potential.  And what is the return on investment for a small business owner to put the time and finances into developing a culture of engagement?  Engaged employees provide higher quality service, which leads to, improved customer satisfaction which results in, increased sales and profits.
So how does one create a culture of engagement?  Here are 5 simple entry points to get you started:

1. Develop Meaningful Relationships
   1. No significant employee engagement will occur without building significant relationships with and among employees.  Provide opportunities for you and your employees to truly get to know one another.  There are many protocols that can be used during staff meetings and retreats to initially develop this.  The key is to make sure it is not a “frozen in time” moment of sharing.  Use what you learn about employees to authentically inquire about their life and how things are going and be sure to listen when they do.  This modeling will encourage others to engage in the same behavior.
2. Give Employees a Voice
   1. Design systems and platforms that truly allow employees to share what they are thinking or need and/or provide feedback to you and others.  Utilize discussion protocols to ensure that all voices, thoughts and ideas will be heard during a meeting.  The more you promote sharing of ideas, the better your business will benefit. One of the best ways to keep the inflow of ideas is to incorporate ongoing brainstorming sessions into staff meetings. Facilitate these discussions in such a manner that they promote open sharing of ideas/opinions without any criticism. Sometimes, an idea may spark something new or innovative, and you may miss out if you do not provide the platform for it to be born.
3. Promote Health and Wellness
   • This does not mean you need an onsite gym or pay for gym memberships.  You could talk with local gyms and see if they will offer a group discount for employees.  Work with a local health services or recreation department to see if there is anyone who could provide a presentation on healthy eating or stress reduction techniques
4. Provide and Support Opportunities for Continuous Professional Development and Growth
   1. Many employees aspire to advance their career by improving their existing knowledge and skills. Help your employees fulfill their aspirations. You can offer help to your employees by arranging site-based workshops or trainings that are in alignment with their interests.  You can also create a way to keep them informed of learning opportunities at local workforce development centers, community colleges, online learning platforms, etc.  Consider allowing your employees to take some time off from work and pursue whatever they are passionate about even if it may not be directly related to work. While you may lose some production time while they are gone, you are almost guaranteed to have a fully engaged employee when they are at work since they are being fulfilled as an individual.

 5. Practice Authentic Gratitude

1. Gratitude in the workplace should be practiced often.  When giving positive feedback or praise to an employee, make it authentic and specific.  While, “Nice work today!”, is a positive statement, it doesn’t specifically identify what it is that the employee did that you appreciated.  Try instead, “Nice work today with that client.  I could tell they were frustrated when they walked in, but your calm and supportive approach put them at ease.”  This lets the employee now that you are truly in tune with the efforts that they are putting into place to make the business successful.  Another very simple way to establish a culture of gratitude is to hand write notes to employees acknowledging positive contributions and behaviors.  After you have modeled how this process works, encourage them to write positive notes to each other.  Keep a collection of blank notecards at the work place in an area where anyone can access them or pass them out at staff meetings