As companies continue to adjust to the changing workplace, it's critical for leaders to understand the role that communication plays in attracting and retaining employees.
TLDR? You need to learn the art of communication if you want to unlock a vital ingredient in the recipe for employee engagement. We can help you learn how.
Introduction
Communication is an essential skill to any workplace, and to any leadership position. In today's working world, where hybrid and remote work models are prominent (and here to stay) you can be okay at communicating, but it's better to be great. This is especially true if you are looking to transform your business and its culture in a big way.
As experts in organizational change management with over 15 years of experience helping companies create meaningful change for their people, we're kicking off a blog dedicated to helping you learn how to transform your business and energize your people. The best part? It's not rocket science.
In change-management-focused articles like this one, we'll start to guide you on your path to leading change in your own unique way. Let's jump in!
Defining The Buzzword
First, let's define what employee engagement really means, since it seems to be a buzzword that is tossed around quite a bit these days.
If you're unfamiliar with the term, "employee engagement" describes the level of dedication, inspiration, and involvement that employees have for the objectives and values of their company. The desire to improve engagement rests on the idea that engaged employees are not only excited about their work, but feel aligned with the company's mission and vision, and this in turn helps boost productivity, retention, and quality.
Engagement and The Value of Communication
Employee engagement depends heavily on communication. If you've been reading into employee engagement, you likely already know that a big part of engaging employees means communicating in meaningful ways. Building strong relationships between employees and their leaders, fostering trust and transparency, and creating a positive work environment are all made possible by communication.
So what is meaningful communication? It's more about how you are communicating than what you are communicating (though we'd still advise against using ChatGPT to give your team feedback on their report) so start by making sure your communication habits are open, honest, and transparent. This tends to be an effective practice because employees are much more likely to feel engaged and committed to the organization's goals when they perceive their leaders to be present, truthful, and straightforward when interacting with their teams.
In most cases, the input equals the output. Investing time and energy into your communication and relationship-building? You should start to see employees who reciprocate that effort by investing themselves into their coworkers and their work. Modeling patient listening, candid feedback, and direct communication can help give employees a better sense of purpose and direction, in turn helping them understand their roles, expectations, and performance.
An important note: to derive the most value from your communication efforts, remember that communication is a two-way street. Make sure you are taking note of employee sentiment and really listening to the feedback you receive.
Motivated = Engaged
Creating an environment where employees are engaged means creating a workplace where they are motivated. The good news is that effective communication is also an essential component of employee motivation. Employee motivation is the internal drive and desire that employees have to accomplish their objectives and succeed in their roles. In general, employees are more likely to feel motivated when they believe their leaders are communicating clearly with them and giving them the tools, resources, and support they need.
There are plenty of ways for managers to increase employee motivation, and different people will respond differently to each strategy, so it's really up to you as a leader to experiment with motivators to determine what your team needs the most. Does your team thrive from receiving compliments on their work? Does their sense of purpose feel renewed when they are reminded of the company's mission and vision? Or are they more energized by growth and development opportunities like training and mentoring programs?
Take the time to get to know your employees so that you can figure out what motivates each person, since everyone may be motivated differently.
I'm Results-Driven. What About Performance? Retention?
The performance of employees depends on effective communication as well. Performance is the degree of accomplishment and productivity that employees exhibit in their positions. Employees are more likely to perform well and succeed in their goals when they believe their leaders are effectively communicating with them and giving them the resources and support they need.
To improve employee performance, leaders can employ a variety of communication techniques. To help employees understand what is expected of them, for instance, they can give clear and detailed instructions, deadlines, and expectations. They can also offer regular coaching and feedback, which can aid employees in identifying their areas of strength and need for development. The use of technology, tools, and training can all help employees carry out their jobs more successfully.
Leaders can also offer resources and support in these areas.
Employee Retention and Communication
Communication is, as we have outlined, critical to employee engagement, motivation, and performance. Tied to these outcomes, is improved employee retention. The term "retention" describes an organization's capacity to keep its employees. Employees are more likely to stick with the company for a longer period of time when they feel motivated, engaged, and valued. Building strong relationships and fostering trust and transparency through effective communication all contribute to a productive workplace.
Conclusion
The key to employee engagement, in summary, is effective communication. However, this isn't the only outcome of improved communication efforts. The best communicators will find
Employees can be motivated, engaged, and retained with the help of clear and frequent communication. Employee productivity, performance, and job satisfaction can all be significantly increased through effective communication. As companies continue to adjust to the changing workplace, it's critical for managers and leaders to understand the role that communication plays in attracting and keeping employees.
Businesses can increase employee trust and sense of community by promoting open and honest communication, which will result in a more motivated and effective workforce. Despite appearing to be a small component of the overall picture, communication can significantly affect employee engagement and overall business success. Businesses can develop a culture that values and prioritises the needs of its employees by putting a priority on communication and investing in the tools and resources that support it. This will ultimately result in a more successful and long-lasting organization.
A team or organization can benefit from effective communication by increasing trust, transparency, and collaboration, which can increase output and lower turnover rates. Businesses can create a more positive work environment that encourages employee satisfaction and loyalty by actively listening to employee feedback and addressing their concerns.
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