This is a user generated content for MyStory, a YourStory initiative to enable its community to contribute and have their voices heard. The views and writings here reflect that of the author and not of YourStory.
7 Ways to Keep Your Employees Engaged
This is a user generated content for MyStory, a YourStory initiative to enable its community to contribute and have their voices heard. The views and writings here reflect that of the author and not of YourStory.
There are many articles floating around and many HR policies being put in place by the top management that promise employee engagement. Our blog, Employee Engagement and Office Workspaces, also highlights how your office design influences employee performance and how our upbeat yet pocket friendly serviced workspace inventories can help you achieve that.
Although a conducive workspace is critical for employee productivity and engagement, the buck doesn’t stop there. Apart from creating a kickass workspace with world class facilities, ensuring state-of-the-art amenities to enhance productivity, and keeping incentivized reward programs that go by “do good, get rewarded” policy, you need certain “non-work” ways to keep your human assets engaged and motivated.
We studied how companies like Facebook, Google, Infosys, NetApp, etc., rank high in employee retention and engagement and prepared a list for you –
1) Morning yoga sessions – set aside 30 minutes in the morning for yoga/meditation. A large breakout room, terrace or the canteen area could be used for this. This will not only help establish a healthy and positive mind, but also charge up your employees before they hit their desks.
2) In-house gymnasium – yoga/meditation may not be everyone’s charger, it isn’t mine most of the times. For them, working out in a gym can be a better alternative. Gymming and exercising can be engagement boosters that ensure employee productivity. Also, rigorous exercising gives people the rush that charges them up and gets their gray cells ticking with amazing ideas. Restrict the number of hours they spend in the gym to maintain discipline. Infosys campuses are known to have world-class in-house gyms.
3) Gaming room – many employee-friendly companies have indoor games like table tennis, chess, badminton, pool/billiards, etc., which are known to increase focus. Again, maintain time limits for their visits to the gaming room. Psychologists say that when facilities are available, people tend not to over use it because they know that these facilities are there for them to enjoy. So soon, your employees will themselves keep a watch on the time they are spending in the gaming room or gym.
4) Office food festivals – getting people to form teams and cook for either a cause or a competition can be fun. Organize food fests or fun fetes and get them to cook/bring either their regional cuisine or local street food. Spending fun time with food is a mood-uplifter too, which has the power to destroy any tension between team members, thereby promoting the spirit of team building and camaraderie.
5) Visiting the organization headquarters – this instills a feeling of oneness with the top management and colleagues who they may have communicated with digitally. Such trips induce the feeling that they belong and are important to the organization. Also, face-to-face meetings helps understand the challenges that their counter-teams face which helps instill compassion. Visiting their “organizational family” gives them a chance to interact and understand what works and what doesn’t. Linkedin plans such trips every year where teams from different locations visit their head office.
6) Holiday trips – arrange “phones off” team outings. These are relaxing and guaranty high performance upon returning. Such trips needn’t be expensive – an extended weekend away at a quiet resort with well organized discussion, breakout and brainstorming sessions will do just right. Microsoft follows this philosophy.
7) Random acts of kindness – organize cleaning-the-lakes, planting saplings, visits to orphanages, old-age homes, disabled animals’ homes, differently-abled children’s school, etc. These events are important to get perspective and compassion.
It great you have read so far. Where do you find such offices and serviced co-working spaces? Pick from our range of large event spaces, open spaces, team offices, discussion/training halls, conference/video conference rooms, call center space, executive offices, business lounges, hot desks and corporate guest houses at OfficingNow.