Having Problems Getting Your Team to Step Up?

Even the most ambitious company can fall short of its goals if employees are discontent and disengaged. According a Gallup survey, only 33 percent of employees in the United States are engaged at their jobs, which places a major strain on productivity and morale. To avoid the pitfall of disengaged employees, here are a few ways to motivate your team to start taking action.

Refine Your Hiring and Firing Practices

Employee engagement starts in the interview room. Pay attention to how passionate and excited a candidate is about working for your company. Hiring the first qualified candidate who fits the job description is tempting, but holding off until you find the right employee is more beneficial in the long run. However, if a current disengaged employee doesn't start acting, despite your best attempts, you may want to let that worker go. This prevents you from wasting future efforts while ensuring that person's negativity doesn't affect your other employees.

Find What Drives Your Employees

Bonuses and pay raises are a popular remedy for disengaged employees, but money rarely solves the problem. To choose the best employee incentives, take time to discover what each employee values. Weekend getaways, child care, flexible hours and transportation reimbursement are a few options. Use these employee incentives to reward teamwork, dedication and the meeting of incremental goals, and ensure every employee has an equal opportunity to earn them.

Create Clear Goals

Setting both individual and team goals that are specific and attainable can help disengaged employees focus their efforts. If all employees know what's expected of them, managers can better hold them accountable while creating a good measuring tool for bonuses and other incentives. Take time to make sure all workers understand their goals and are committed to meeting them. Goals should be ambitious without feeling overwhelming.

Give Purpose to Employees' Work

Employees want to make a difference in a company, which is why completing seemingly meaningless tasks day in and day out can leave them with low morale. Take time to speak with smaller teams, and even individual employees, about how their daily tasks add up to the big picture. Instead of simply throwing out numbers and data, explain how each role impacts people's lives and the direction of the organization. For example, sales floor employees at a retail shop aren't just folding clothes. They're creating a more positive experience for customers while ensuring a positive first impression of the company as a whole.

Provide Learning Opportunities

The chance to develop as a professional is a major motivator for employees, so offer skills courses and on-site workshops to help boost employee engagement. You could even offer tuition reimbursement to qualified employees. New skills and experience can benefit your company's bottom line while encouraging disengaged employees to step up.

With these simple tips, you can transform disengaged employees into passionate workers for a more positive, productive workplace. What are a few other ways employers can boost engagement? Share your ideas bellow.

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