There’s no doubt that hybrid working is a popular option. Over a quarter of UK workers have now adopted a hybrid arrangement, splitting work between in-office and home. And the trend continues to take hold. It’s becoming clear that hybrid working is the future of the workplace, and we’re all the better for it.
However, this flexible working model can present some challenges. Employers now need to consider the entire employee experience, both office-based and remote, in the new business landscape. They need to connect effectively with both segments of the workforce and adapt to the variable arrangements that can impede the smooth flow of communication channels. This is where employee engagement comes into its own.
In this blog, we look at the benefits of employee engagement in the new hybrid office environment. We explore the business benefits of employee engagement for both remote and office-based workers. Ensuring every individual is as engaged and motivated as possible will deliver a wide range of advantages for your business, from staff retention to improved productivity.
Let’s take a look at those employee engagement benefits…
Benefit #1: Your employees will be more productive
Let’s get straight down to business. While having a happy, cheerful workforce is all very well, it’s probably not top of the CEO’s agenda. However, a highly productive workforce who generates good profits… well, that’s definitely going to be number one on the list.
Why is employee engagement important? The answer is right here. Employee engagement has a very real impact on profit margins. According to Gallup, companies with a highly engaged workforce are 17% more productive and, in turn, deliver 21% higher levels of profitability. Convert those percentages into pounds, and you’re looking at a serious level of return. It has to be one of the most compelling business benefits of employee engagement.
The Hybrid Perspective:
A more surprising outcome of Covid was the discovery that remote working does not lead to a downturn in productivity. In fact, many employees found that working from home made them more productive because they were better able to create an environment that suited their working style. One of the key employee engagement trends for 2022 is the shift to hybrid working as a lasting solution.
To make hybrid working a viable option, you need to have the right infrastructure in place. While staff may have been happy to put up with a quick fix in the short term, you’ll need a robust plan moving forward. This is where it’s worth exploring the advantages of employee engagement software, designed to connect with every employee, wherever they’re based.
Benefit #2: Your employees won’t be looking around for another job
Do you realise that the majority of your employees would jump ship, given the right opportunity? According to a study by Hayes, eight out of ten employees would consider leaving their job for the right offer.
When an employee leaves, the impact on a company is considerable. Not only does the organisation suffer an instant drop in productivity and knowledge levels, but it also leads to lowered morale across the team. Add on top of this the additional costs to recruit and train new staff, and you’re on a losing ticket. Employee engagement and retention are closely linked. A highly engaged employee feels a strong bond to the company’s overall mission and purpose, making them much less likely to be tempted by another offer.
The Hybrid Perspective:
In the early days of the pandemic, the main focus for employees was how to ride out the storm and retain their roles at work. However, with the days of lockdown long behind us, the outlook has changed. Now, companies have to work harder to promote employee engagement and motivation in the face of the new business landscape.
The risk of the employee turnover rate increasing is high if employers ignore the changing needs of their staff. Many workers now expect hybrid working arrangements and other benefits, and they will consider competitors if your company is not offering these options. Now is the time to revisit your employee engagement strategy and make sure it’s meeting the changing requirements of your staff.
Benefit #3: Your employees won’t be at risk of burnout
Burnout is a problem that has been around for a long time. It refers to the state when employees reach their limit. They feel exhausted on many levels, physically, mentally and emotionally. Whether your employees feel just one of these types of exhaustion, or all three at once, the outcome is often the same. They’ll be demotivated, less productive and more likely to leave.
How to avoid the dreaded burnout? Put in place employee engagement initiatives that tackle stress and overload. By ensuring employees are fully informed about their objectives, providing adequate training and promoting a healthy work-life balance, you’ll be helping staff to keep on top of their roles. The benefits of employee engagement for employees are as numerous as the benefits for their employers. It’s a win-win situation all around.
The Hybrid Perspective:
Burnout became an issue during the pandemic. Bloomberg research revealed that people were working on average three more hours when working from home. By early April, 45% of workers said they were burned out. After a week of virtual meetings, many remote workers struggled to turn off from work and felt emotionally exhausted.
This is what we need to avoid in the current hybrid environment. Companies need to explore ways to increase employee engagement for remote workers and help them recover that work-life balance. The first step is to make sure you know when things are going awry. Conducting a regular employee engagement survey can help you keep on top of employee issues before they become terminal.
Benefit #4: Your employees come up with new ideas
There’s nothing better for a company than a workforce that actively contributes to the bigger picture. When it comes to employee engagement, the benefits to the organisation couldn’t be greater. One of your key employee engagement objectives should be to encourage this kind of proactive involvement.
Highly engaged employees will continuously come up with new ideas that build the company’s reputation and profitability. To do this, they must be fully informed about the organisation’s overall strategy. This is one of the critical drivers of employee engagement, as employees who can see beyond their personal contribution will be motivated to deliver above and beyond.
The Hybrid Perspective:
While companies struggled to keep on top of the daily crisis, innovation was essentially put on hold. There was no time to explore business-changing ideas when the very foundations of the company were under threat. However, now is the time to start widening our thinking once again. Hybrid workers are well-placed to deliver new ideas, gaining a wider perspective than solely office-based staff.
The best way to encourage innovation is to provide a platform. This is where an employee app will help you push out your initiative. It will connect seamlessly with remote and office-based workers, making sure everyone is given a chance to speak out. The app will effortlessly capture ideas, promoting that all-important ethos of innovation and improvement.
Benefit #5: Your customer relationships will improve
Engaged employees are immediately apparent to customers. It is reflected in their attitude, their general demeanour and how they deal with their clients. The benefits of employee engagement for customers should not be underestimated. Just a smile goes a long way in building strong customer relationships. And an overall positive experience will ensure your customers feel valued and keep coming back for more.
Your employee engagement model should place a strong focus on delivering a positive customer experience. Engaged employees are proven to deliver more up-sales and cross-sales. They will drive higher returns on customer success management. And in return, your satisfied customers will generate positive PR for your company by talking up their experience at the hands of your happy employees.
The Hybrid Perspective:
Take the same principle of making customers feel valued and appreciated and apply it to your employees. The relationship between a company and its employees is not dissimilar to that between employees and customers. Employee engagement benefits are particularly relevant to hybrid workers, who can feel distanced from the central hub unless you put in the extra effort. With practical employee engagement activities in place, you can ensure your employees feel that positive vibe of appreciation.
Focus your employee engagement initiatives on the following three areas to give a boost to morale across the company: public recognition for a job well done, improving knowledge and expertise, and inviting employee feedback. The resulting benefits of employee engagement will be reflected in the happiness of your customers.
Benefit #6: You’ll enjoy a positive company culture
It may not be as enticing as soaring profit margins, but a strong, positive company culture is an immeasurable asset to an organisation. With the focus now on mental health, it’s more important than ever to create a healthy work culture that puts its employees first.
Good work culture is one of the crucial benefits of employee engagement. At the heart of every positive culture is a sense of belonging. When staff feel part of the organisation, rather than outsiders looking in, engagement levels instantly take an upward trajectory. The key to this is two-way communication, ensuring that the employee voice is encouraged and acted upon. The results of a strong company culture are impressive, affecting employee motivation and productivity and improving the customer experience.
The Hybrid Perspective:
With so many employees working remotely, it’s no surprise that many felt distanced and isolated from their organisations during the pandemic. In fact, according to the Harvard Business Review, 75% felt more socially isolated. Now is the time to bring employees back into the fold (physically or virtually) and get the company culture working its magic once again.
When you tackle a widely dispersed workforce, it’s key to ensure that your culture-positive messages reach every employee. You don’t want this vital messaging to be a hit-and-miss affair. An employee engagement app will assist with this, improving your reach and making communication more reliable. It offers social spaces where employees can meet, chat and share ideas, almost effortlessly promoting a healthy company culture.
What are the other benefits of employee engagement?
They are almost too numerous to mention. Employee engagement has far-reaching benefits that affect virtually every level of business. From customer satisfaction to improved efficiency, better health and safety performance and reduced absenteeism, it’s a true game-changer. And in this new hybrid business world, where employees are having to adjust to dramatically different ways of working, organisations would do well to make employee engagement one of their top priorities.
