These days, it seems like everyone is talking about keeping employees engaged. Of course there are many ways to keep employees excited about the work they’re doing, in fact, we’ve discussed this on our blog in the past. In this post, we talk about a different approach to fostering inclusion by focusing on the people behind the great contributions in your organisation.   

Check in

The most important thing you can do for your employees is to check in with them. Maybe an employee is having a bad day, or a bad string of days. Or somebody else isn’t being given enough work, and finds themself bored and disengaged. When you regularly check in with your employees, you foster a sense of belonging and gain a greater understanding of their needs. When you can meet these needs, employees become more engaged with the work they’re doing.

For example, a regular check-in could enable you to:

• Balance an overworked employee’s workload with an employee who is underutilised
• Understand the reasons why performance might be lacking
• Give your employees a chance to express their evolving needs

What would a check-in look like? Some ways to check in with your employees include:

• A regular 15-20 minute meeting where you touch base with each other
• Take notes using the check-in functionality in your Performance Management System
• Set some short term goals for underperforming employees

Encourage gratitude

Expressing gratitude is beneficial for everyone involved. Employees who are thanked are able to understand their significant contributions to the team and to the organisation as a whole. Employees who thank others get a boost from being able to share how others have helped them. 

One way you can do this is setting up a 360 degree feedback activity in your performance management system. If your system has a feature where you can anonymously submit responses, then your staff can anonymously submit compliments to their colleagues. A performance management system like Totara Perform will allow you to have total control over how long an activity like this is available for, so you can have it open for a week, a month, or all year round.

Another way for employees to express their gratitude is for employees to publicly express their thanks. At Androgogic, we have a specific channel in our communication workspace for compliments. If we get great feedback from a client-partner, someone does a great job internally, or just a general thanks to someone who always seems to save the day, our compliments workspace is a great space for us to come together and be grateful for the entire Androgogic team. 

Get feedback

As a manager, you’re always going to have to pivot based on the needs of your team and the needs of the organisation. Consequently it’s necessary to get continuous feedback on how you and your team are working. Make a list of the people who have stakes in you and your team, and ensure they have the opportunity to give you regular feedback. 

If you’re using a performance management system like Totara Perform, it’s easy to create a performance activity where your manager and/or your team can provide feedback on how you are doing and what they need from you. Keep responses anonymous, or allow responses to be linked to a name, so you can follow up to make sure you’re performing at your best.

So, what are you waiting for? Start fostering inclusion and belonging today!