One of the important aspects this pandemic has shown us is that employees are the greatest asset of any company. It is their efforts and hard work that drive any business forward and take it to new heights.
While the global pandemic, COVID-19 has forced human beings into isolation, every business has shifted to a new working model called work from home. Now, this shift has acutely changed employee’s work dynamics. From mingling with colleagues at the water cooler, we are now sitting alone at home and interacting over video calls. Amid these changes, companies have also invested in employee engagement software to simplify the whole process.
At this point, every company has a different take on how they continue to engage and connect with their employees at this difficult time. But the prolonged shift from in-person to virtual has got startups thinking harder on how to maintain employee engagement in these uncertain times.
In this article, we will provide some brilliant tips for startups to engage better with their workforce factoring in the expectations as well as demands of the present circumstances. Let’s dive in.
Empower Employees By Allowing Them To Participate
Startups have one distinct benefit; their smaller size allows for a far more close-knit work environment, while giving every employee the platform and opportunity to grow beyond the scope of what their job description details. Now, giving employees the space to participate and make more significant contributions can improve their emotional and mental satisfaction. When they feel that their company values them and wants them to step up, they will always put their best foot forward.
Make Room For Errors, Innovation and Trust
We all know that the job market is crippled like never before. At this time, every employee is in constant fear of being the next in line for culling. This in turn leads many people to become risk-averse that ultimately stifle innovation.
Startups should be creative and find the best possible solutions to problems. But this becomes difficult if employees are working under the constant threat of dismissal. Therefore, employers should show employees that it is okay to make small mistakes. Let employees understand that errors are normal on the road to innovation. In addition to this, employees should also feel trusted by management to carry out the tasks in the best way possible without putting their jobs on the line.
Understand Employee Burnout
With work burden higher than ever in the race for recovery, employers should make peace with the fact that their workforce may, sometimes, start to burn out. Besides, they should also take measures to tackle it and slow it down along the way. Many organizations in India are experimenting with several initiatives such as “Zoom Free Fridays”, meeting free hours or no meeting days, and many more. That means just a slight redesign in workplace communication norms can help startups to decrease employee burnout.
Revamp Appreciation Practices
Today, employees are not just looking for better pay but also recognition for their hard work. Without a doubt, appreciation goes a long way in keeping employees engaged and productive. Taking this into consideration, employee engagement software now offers various splendid features such as badges, rewards and much more. These features can help startups to easily build a high-performing and engaging workforce.
Implement The Right Tools
We are living in an automation era. Today, beyond conversations, startups should explore the emerging human resources tech marketplace and get their hands on some effective interactive and engaging tools such as employee engagement software that are particularly designed to improve employee engagement and keep the workforce connected.
So, these are five tips that can help startups to improve their employee engagement as well as productivity in this unprecedented time. Also, how effectively startups weave in the aforementioned tips of employee engagement into their people and culture strategies, will shape their success in the coming years.
Also Read: What Are the Benefits of Using Project Management Software for Companies?