4 crucial factors for employee engagement and retention

4 mins, 24 secs read time

When your employees are engaged, they are more likely to stay with your company. And a high retention rate is good for business, saving you time and money.

When you don’t have to rehire, you don’t need to invest in job advertisements or onboarding. Plus, you’ll be able to upskill your current employees knowing they’re likely to stick around.

But keeping your team engaged isn’t always easy. In 2021, only 34% of employees said they were engaged and 16% of employees were actively disengaged.

If you want to build a strong, productive team, employee retention and engagement should be a priority. To get you started, here are four crucial factors to put at the top of your list:

1. Focus on training

Successful companies know that ongoing training is essential to retaining the right people. When you give your employees the right skills to do their jobs, they’ll be more satisfied at work.

Thorough training starts with a positive onboarding experience, so be sure to share the resources your new hires need and set up learning exercises. Keep in mind that research shows that inclusive onboarding contributes to employee wellbeing.

Once your new team members have settled in, think about other opportunities to boost their skills. For example, your company might have a mentorship program for potential management candidates.

Are there any specific skills that could benefit both the employee and the company? Maybe you need team members with more leadership skills, computer skills or accounting skills. Or there could be company-specific software that employees need to learn to navigate.

Whatever it is, ongoing training is an employee investment that’s worth making.

2. Create engaging resources

You want your employees to be engaged, so you need to keep them informed. Your list of helpful and appealing resources may include the company blog, internal newsletters, social media posts and learning tools.

But what is considered engaging content for your employees? Anything you share with them should be relevant and interesting – and make them want to be one of your employee advocates. Take your content to the next level with custom graphics and video.

For example, if you have an exciting company announcement, you can share it in a blog post with details and images that they can then share on their own channels. Or, if you have an employee recognition program, you can send an internal newsletter with a video to celebrate the employee of the month.

Engaging resources can help your employees stay connected to your employer brand. Just remember, your content should always be inclusive and fit with – or, better yet, highlight – your company values.

3. Give them flexibility

Since the start of the pandemic, remote and hybrid work options have replaced the 9 to 5 office workday.

When you give your employees the opportunity to manage their work and life commitments, they’ll be less stressed. You’ll improve morale and make them feel valued.

Here’s an example. Cisco Systems was voted the best company to work for – the company prides itself on its employee wellbeing. It fosters an inclusive and diverse workforce, and a large percentage of workers do some, or all, of their work from home.

Of course, your options will depend on your business type. A remote workforce isn’t always practical. But you could have different shift starting times to cater to parents or offer dedicated wellbeing days.

4. Build a positive company culture

If you want to find top talent and keep them engaged, create a place where people want to work. “Culture” is an elusive term, so it’s important for you to make it tangible, understandable and aligned-on at your company. Your company culture will consist of the different values and behaviors in your workplace, developed by a diverse group of people and shaped and led by company leadership.

Then, make sure that your actions reflect your culture and values. For example, if one of your values is “equity,” ensure that you’re paying your employees fairly.

You can use content marketing to communicate and promote your company’s culture to potential candidates and current employees. For example, using employee testimonials and business case studies on your website gives visitors a sense of your company’s values.

When your employees are engaged, they will help your business thrive. And happy team members who feel connected to your company are more likely to stay.

The four steps outlined above can help you boost employee retention and engagement at your company. You should focus on training, a positive onboarding experience and long-term upskilling opportunities.

Then, you can develop engaging resources such as internal blogs, newsletters and learning guides.

Remember, when you offer flexibility and a great company culture, your team members are more likely to have better work-life balance and thrive in an environment where people want to work!

Learn more about how to improve employee engagement and retention through the use of employee surveys in this article.

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