How to Increase Your Employee Engagement in One Easy Step

Posted by Megan Habel on Feb 22, 2018

Employee Appreciation Leads to Higher Employee Engagement

In 2016, only 33% of U.S. employees were actively engaged in the workplace. Why is this important? Businesses with high rates of employee engagement see higher productivity, workplace morale, and revenue. Simply put — high engagement rates nearly double the odds of an organization's success. It's no wonder companies around the world work endlessly to improve their engagement rates. One simple step towards producing a more engaged workforce is providing recognition.

The Gallup Q12 employee engagement survey measures four levels of employee performance and development needs: basic, individual, teamwork, and personal growth. When these needs are met, employees become attached to their work and workplace, resulting in higher performance both at an individual and team level.

One section of the Q12 survey asks participants to rate their agreement with the following statement: "In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work." Only three in ten employees surveyed strongly agreed with this statement. In fact, those employees who don't feel that they are regularly recognized for their work are twice as likely to say they'll quit within a year.

By providing regular recognition and praise to employees, organizations will see exponential improvement in quality and reductions in their employee absenteeism. Great recognition is individualized; learn how others like to be recognized. Start praising good work and providing encouragement on a regular basis. Watch employees start to flourish as small changes create drastic improvements.

To learn more about employee engagement, read First, Break All the Rules by Gallup Press.