Employee engagement is one of the building blocks of a company’s success. Engaged employees bring their best to the workplace daily and promote positive vibes for everyone. They are more productive, efficient, creative, and loyal, which, in turn, benefits the organization.
To achieve it, you need to craft a winning employee engagement strategy. So, how can you do it?
Many experts suggest following the 5 Cs. It is simple and effective. The 5 Cs include care, connect, coach, contribute, and celebrate. However, you can call it a strategy or a general understanding because if you apply these 5 Cs to any employee, they will be motivated and more productive.
So, we’ll delve into each in detail to learn more about them. In the end, it will help you form a winning company culture and achieve sustainable growth. Let’s start!
· Care
When you hire an employee, they are under your watch. So, caring for them is the first step towards employee engagement. If you do not care for your employees, they will soon lack the motivation to give their best, and it will start showing up in their performance. With time, it will ultimately lead to what many call “quiet quitting”.
To care for employees, you must first learn about their needs and desires. You can do this through a survey, by holding meetings, or by interacting with them on a daily basis. By giving support and looking after your employees’ needs. Some ways to care for your employees include offering flexible working hours, giving mental support, and promoting work-life balance.
· Connect
The second C is – Connect. And we all know how essential building reliable and meaningful connections are in a workplace. It involves building strong and positive relationships with your employees. Many studies and research show that people who have a friend or someone they like at the workplace are more engaged.
To build and nurture strong connections, you must welcome open communications and freedom of speech from your employees so they can interact and engage with anyone and everyone. It will encourage them to get to know each other and help if need be. There are several ways to bridge the communication gap and get everyone on the same page. These include meetings, chat groups, events, and social gatherings. However, sometimes doing this is hard, as in the case of hybrid or WFH employees. Still, it is not something a monthly gathering or a virtual chat room can’t fix.
· Coach
Sometimes, all an employee wants is a helping hand to guide them in the right direction, which brings us to our third C, i.e., Coach. Coaching can be a powerful thing to do for someone. It can bring out hidden talents and further develop an employee’s skills. Also, it can help employees in troubled times or when they feel exhausted or stressed. When employees feel that someone wants them to learn and do more, they are engaged and motivated to go the extra mile for the organization.
You can launch a coaching or mentorship program to invite employees or use a review and recognition system. It can be a great way to water the employees’ growth and drive them to achieve their potential. Also, it promotes employee satisfaction, after which they are likely to remain loyal, committed, and engaged for a long time.
· Contribute
If you didn’t know already, nowadays, employees actively seek personal growth, value, and meaning. So, in the light of our fourth C, Contribute – it will highly motivate and engage employees if they see their performance and work connecting with the organization’s goals. It makes the employees feel valued and that their work means something.
You can set up a Reward and Recognition or R&R program to do this actively. It will motivate employees to align with the company’s goals and help increase employee engagement. Also, it will make them feel that they have a contributing part in the organization’s growth.
· Congratulate
Who doesn’t love an occasional pat on the back? That’s right, everyone wants recognition, even if it comes without any reward. So, let’s move to our fifth and final C – Congratulate. Recognizing employees’ work efforts and congratulating them on their best days can inspire and encourage them to do more. Congratulations are vital in increasing employee engagement, and it doesn’t cost anything.
Employees who feel acknowledgement and praise are likely to stay longer in the organization. It is just simple human nature. You can do so by celebrating achievements or recognizing someone’s ability to complete their tasks on time. Also, you can think about handing out gifts on milestones or team rewards on complex projects. It can boost morale and create a positive work culture, which leads to higher engagement levels.
Final Takeaway
In conclusion, the 5 Cs we just discussed, i.e., Care, Connect, Coach, Contribute, Congratulate, are essential in lifting employees’ spirits and encouraging them to do more. It is a tried and tested employee engagement strategy that works in every organization or industry and is bound to create a positive work environment.
You can implement this strategy to increase employee satisfaction levels, contributing to employee retention rates. Before that, it will help improve employees’ performance and dedication. Still, as they say, “It takes two to tango”. So, employee engagement goes both ways. We discussed what an organization should do, but as an employee, you must also recognize your strengths and do your best before HR or senior resources can jump in to support you. Also, you must remain committed, dedicated, and loyal to your work.
Nowadays, it is certainly hard to find good talent, let alone retain it. So, if you think a particular employee has what it takes to be successful or what your company wants to succeed, you should definitely invest time and effort in lifting that employee. Prioritizing employee engagement is a necessity and a masterclass way for workplace success.