Your employees are back from their summer vacation – how do you keep them engaged?

As a business owner, you want your employees to be effective ambassadors for your business. You want them to promote your business, its products and services, uphold company values and in turn, protect the reputation of your business. To do this, you need to be strategic and design processes whereby employees are both fully absorbed and enthusiastic about their work and your business in general.

Sounds like a lot of work but here are some simple steps you can take:

• Ensure your employees understand the importance of their job in your business

• Ensure your employees also know the expectations of their role and how to seek clarification if they are not sure (having position descriptions, policies and reliable systems assist with this)

• Ensure employees are regularly provided with feedback – focus on being positive but be prepared to provide corrective feedback adopting a coaching and encouraging style

• Ensure working relationships are optimised and communication within work teams and in the broader organisation is open, honest and helpful

• Ensure values and expected behaviours of all employees within your business is well known and consistently practised and where these are not complied with, taking corrective or disciplinary action that is consistent

• Ensure communication is clear and employee feedback is seriously considered

• Ensure employees are kept up to date with business offering, products, launches, new innovations etc.

Employee engagement is not a single step taken by a business’ owner or a manager within the business.  It is a continuous process to support your brand and business reputation and requires regular attention.