How to Get the Most Out of Your Employees
So you have hired the best people (hopefully through Fertility Talent!), now you have to retain the best people! There is a war for talent in the Healthcare market so you need to be savvy and look after your employees, employee engagement plays a key part in this. You want your employees to have an emotional and functional commitment to your organisation. When employees feel that there is a personal bond, beyond purely business necessity, they feel a much greater commitment and satisfaction level in their role. The benefits of employee engagement speak for itself, as companies with engaged employees outperform those without by up to 202%. The top benefits of an engaged workforce are:
Employees are happier – this means they are more likely to stay with your company longer.
They are more productive – they feel their work is important and therefore work harder.
They are enthusiastic – they have positive things to say about your company.
They become better communicators – communication is key! Whether with co-workers, others employees or with customers, they will engage in stimulating discussions that can lead to innovation.
They become more creative – they want to discover new and better ways of working. A switched on mind will achieve this much quicker than a switched off one.
Here are a few simple tips on how to improve employee engagement;
Communicate
It is important that everyone feels comfortable enough to express their own feelings and opinions in relation to the workplace. Providing a platform to do so makes employees feel that they are valued and they want to be heard. Here at Fertility Talent, we have monthly one to ones where employees get the opportunity to discuss what’s going well and what’s not. It’s a real open forum.
Socialise
Make sure to have non-work related activities! You spend a big part of your life with your work colleagues so it is important to socialise away from work too. Whether you have a staff party, a night out, organise an activity day, or even organise a fun activity in the office so that everyone gets away from their desks for a morning! Everyone enjoys some down time. We have recently celebrated our end year conference with a fun-filled day. Starting with a team breakfast followed by our work conference, an ‘Alan Sugar Your Fired’ inspired learning activity, bowling, a cocktail making masterclass and finally a meal – great fun!
Personal/Team Development
Make the hard work about more than just the money. If an employee is working towards something meaningful that is going to challenge them and potentially develop their career then they will be much more willing to give it their all. Here at Fertility Talent we have a collaborative approach to business. Everyone plays a vital role and supports all areas of the business when necessary. If our Healthcare team need support then our Medical Device team are on hand to jump in when needed (and vice versa). When success benefits individuals and their colleagues alike it provides an added incentive for everyone involved.
Develop a unique engagement strategy What works for one, might not work for another. Let your employees shape the way you engage. This could introduce new ways of engaging that other people may not have even thought of. It gives people an opportunity to open up and be influential. Here at Fertility Talent we have a monthly team breakfast. Everyone enjoys a breakfast of their choice and has the opportunity to chat freely as a team. Following breakfast one member of the team takes the lead and delivers a pre-prepared mystery activity aimed at increasing team engagement which links in to something related to our company.