Employee Engagement Mistakes & How To Fix Them

April 18, 2023

Employee engagement is critical to any organisation, and as a rule of thumb, the better the employee engagement, the higher the morale within the workforce.

Engaged employees are more productive, loyal, and likely to stay with the company long-term. This is especially important in the current recruitment climate, with low employee engagement leading to high turnover, higher recruitment costs, and disruption to your organisation.

Recent research has found that prioritising employee engagement can pay your organisation dividends, with as much as 17% higher productivity, 20% higher sales, and 21% higher profitability.

Companies commonly make some employee engagement mistakes, but by identifying and fixing them, you can boost your employee engagement and retain your top-performing staff members.

Mistake #1: Lack of Communication

One of the most significant employee engagement mistakes that organisations make is a lack of communication. Employees want to feel informed about what is happening within the company, especially when they spend a large portion of their time there.

When communication is lacking, employees can feel disconnected and unimportant. To fix this mistake, organisations should prioritise communication. Regularly scheduled meetings, newsletters, and open-door policies can help keep employees informed.

Mistake #2: Lack of Recognition

A significant employee engagement mistake is a lack of recognition for their contributions to the company. When employees feel like their hard work goes unnoticed, they can quickly become disengaged and start looking for a role where they will feel valued.

Research has also found that disengaged employees take more than double the number of sick days as engaged employees, directly impacting your organisation’s productivity.

To fix this mistake, organisations should prioritise recognition. Simple gestures like publicly acknowledging an employee’s hard work and offering a range of employee benefits can go a long way in boosting engagement, confidence, and morale.

Some employee benefits that you could offer include:

Mistake #3: Micromanagement

Micromanagement is a common employee engagement mistake that many organisations make. Employees who feel like they are constantly being watched and criticised can become disengaged and demotivated.

To fix this mistake, organisations should trust their employees to do their jobs; remember why you employed them in the first place. Giving employees autonomy and the freedom to make decisions will help them feel valued and trusted. If they make a mistake, that’s ok, too – you can’t treat employees like they must always be perfect.

Mistake #4: Lack Of Feedback

Employees want to know how they are doing and how they can improve; if they have something to work towards, they are less likely to become bored within their workspace and start looking for a new challenge.

To avoid this employee engagement mistake, start to prioritise feedback. Regularly scheduled performance reviews and ongoing feedback can help employees feel valued and supported.

Mistake #5: Lack Of Diversity And Inclusion

Fostering a positive workplace that promotes diversity and inclusion is critical to employee engagement, as every staff member deserves to feel supported and included at work.

By showing that each employee is vital to the business, your team will thrive, with team members enjoying their work. Organisations should prioritise diversity and inclusion and have effective hiring practices that prioritise diversity.

Boost your employee engagement by introducing the HIVE360 benefits app to your staff – see what we can offer here.