Today employees are seeking to grow. And growth happens only in a positive and nurturing environment. This growth is directly tired with employee satisfaction and engagement. So now to make your organisation positive and nurturing there are a few things HRs will have to keep in check. The need for a better salary, lack of work-life balance, and monotonous lifestyle is some of the unavoidable issues that need an eye for attention. 

According to a study conducted by Gallup, it was found that in 2019, the percentage of “engaged” workers in the U.S. (those who are highly involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace), reached 35%, highest since 2000.

Cut to 2022, HRs are struggling to retain talent and provide a bespoke workplace (remote/office) that will power employee strategies and engagement. For companies with a modern age workforce, especially with the gen-z crowd, HRs not only need to focus on the basic policies but they need to game up a bit and make it a place worth hustling for. 

Here is a list of some of the trending employee satisfaction and engagement strategies that could be a part of your company in 2022

employee satisfaction and engagement
Company team photo created by drobotdean – www.freepik.com

Employee benefits

These days, companies are no longer sticking to the conventional salary structure but also including employee benefits for their workforce. Although the benefits can contain varied possibilities from free gym membership, food allowances, gadget allowance, and healthcare services to free flight tickets; but the game has changed post-Covid. Covid has shaken the world to such an extent that everyone understands the importance of sound health and mind. Hence, companies have started providing healthcare benefits more than ever by implementing group health insurance, Covid insurance, free doctor consultations etc. for their employees. Offering these employee benefits are a deal breaker for talent acquisition, retention and satisfaction.

Work culture

A healthy work culture means a more efficient workforce. Many times, employee satisfaction can be disrupted within the company by a lack of respect and fairness. An employee with respect to his/her position would definitely appreciate some trust and integrity leading to more attention towards a growth mindset. Employee engagement would boost with better work culture and transparency. After all, who doesn’t like glory in their own shell right?

One-on-one feedbacks

One major reason behind the loss in employee satisfaction is the lack of communication. An employee can deeply feel unappreciated without proper feedback. Sometimes with the lack of communication, employees end up in a dilemma regarding their existence within the company. Often, one-on-one feedback can lead to better productivity and results. It can also boost team morale. However, many organisations do get feedback but fail to address the concerns placed. Remember that you will be remembered based on how you address the concerns and not for how many feedback surveys you conduct.

Clear communication

A company is a hub for diverse personalities to work together as a team. That also raises the possibility of communication gaps leading to a hindrance in employee satisfaction. This has become of a significant struggle in remote workplaces. Team bonding activities or a communication-friendly structure could do the magic! How you want to set up the communication structure could be based on the culture of the company.

Leave policies

This is a crucial part of building a company. Many companies these days have changed their way of implementing leave policies to keep them open. Open leave policies give employees the liberty and motivation to be more proactive in their work routine by removing the feeling of being restricted to a few days of leave. Again, companies can devise a leave policy that suits their employees and culture the best. You can offer paid vacation leaves, period leaves for women, covid leaves etc. apart from the basic leaves.

Fun-activities

After a long period of working from home, people have adapted to a comfortable working environment within their residences. But as companies are calling their employees back to the office, they also need to understand the importance of attracting them by breaking their momentum of working from home. Employees would definitely seek a welcoming yet motivating environment to return to their cubicles. Introducing some fun activities could do wonders. How about a day out or a fun Friday?

Rewards and recognition

What could be better than having small-term goals? Rewards and recognitions are a great way to engage employees to perform better. Declaring an employee of the week or recognizing certain achievements can be a great way to direct employees towards a satisfying work attitude. 

Appraisal cycles

Appraisals are the time of the year that employees wait eagerly. While appraisals can be stressing and exciting at the same time, employees love it’s incoming anyway. Companies promising regular appraisals yearly or half-yearly could really hype up employee satisfaction. 

Free merchandise

Employees enjoy free stuff! Who doesn’t right? 

Companies these days are making sure that their employees have a surprise gift once in a while. Be it festival hampers, an onboarding kit, employees love to be pampered and likewise, it tends to boost their motivation for work more effectively. Employee satisfaction comes hand in hand with employee engagement. Adopting the right strategies can really make your company the best place to work in.