When you find amazing employees, you want to hold on to them as long as you can. When they inevitably leave, it can have you wondering why. The biggest reason your employees are quitting is that they’re just not engaged. A poll by Gallup found that only 33% of employees feel engaged at work. That means two out of every three workers are not happy to be at their job, and are likely actively looking for a new one. But why are so many employees feeling so unengaged? According to OC Tanner Research, they are under-appreciated and unrecognized. Their report found that 79% of employees who quit their jobs claimed a lack of appreciation was a major reason for leaving and 65% claimed they weren’t even recognized one time last year. Below are three crucial ways to build a better relationship with your employees and keep them engaged and feeling appreciated at work.

Make Recognition a Habit

You don’t have to throw a huge award ceremony to recognize greatness in your employees. Simple daily acts of recognition such as an email or memo calling them out and thanking them for something specific, or something posted on a bulletin board highlighting an outstanding achievement shows employees that their employer and leaders have genuine appreciation for them. Small gifts can go a long way, too. Buying lunch for the department after a big project has been completed is a great way for a leader to show their team collectively how much they are appreciated and recognize them in the moment.

Create Opportunities for Employees to Learn and Grow

Human nature makes us ambitious and driven, to strive for growth. If your company lacks a clear promotion track, your top performers are likely to start looking elsewhere for their next upward move. Promotions provide more than just a better title and bigger paycheck; they are tangible rewards for hard work and opportunities for your workers feel like they are growing within an organization, not out of it. If there aren’t a lot of opportunities for your employees to move up, you can create them. Adding levels to a position, such as Specialist I, Specialist II, Specialist III, and so can give employees something to strive for, keeping them engaged and motivated.

Foster an Environment of Community and Belonging

Employees spend a large portion of their day at work, and some spend more time at work than they do with their friends and family. A sense of belonging is what allows employees to feel like they can be their authentic selves without fear of retribution or different treatment, which majorly impacts performance and engagement. Aside from the above suggestions, employers can also foster belonging by giving employees the opportunity to express their thoughts and suggestions regularly, as well as allowing self-expression – as long as it doesn’t negatively impact the workplace.

Giving employees a safe workplace, fair pay and benefits is important, but that’s not enough. Employees need to feel a sense of satisfaction and appreciation in order to truly be engaged at their job. The longer your employees can look forward to coming into work each day, the longer they will continue to be a part of the team.

About Emplicity:
Since 1995, Emplicity has provided a smarter, more secure, and integrated platform of employer services to its 300 business clients and their 8,500 employees. As a Professional Employer Organization, or PEO, the California-based HR outsourcing firm simplifies the compliance, administration, and support businesses need in the areas of employee benefits, payroll, and human resources technology.

For more information about us, visit www.emplicity.com or call us at (877) 476-2339. We’d love to make your employee management more simple—and secure.

NOTICE: Emplicity provides HR advice and recommendations. Information provided by Emplicity is not intended as a substitute for employment law counsel. At no time will Emplicity have the authority or right to make decisions on behalf of its clients.

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