With changes in technology, lifestyle, and demographics, workplace dynamics have radically evolved over the years. The organizational culture from a few years ago compares drastically to that of today. And one of the prime factors for this change is the factoring of employee experience into the workplace culture.
In line with this, keeping the workforce engaged and happy at work has become one of the top priorities for organizations and HRs today. If you too are focused on this goal, check out the latest employee engagement trends below to learn more.
Top 10 Employee Engagement Trends In 2022
While there are several tried and tested methods for engaging employees, here’s a curated list of the employee engagement latest trends that can help you reap the results that you are looking for. Let’s quickly browse through them.
1. Flexible working arrangements
With the pandemic hitting us, there have been several changes in the way we lead our lives. Employees have now re-aligned their workplace goals and are looking forward to spending more time with friends/family and the fulfillment of personal goals.
This has called for divesting flexible working arrangements at the workplace. As one of the new trends in employee engagement, it is key for employers to lay emphasis on providing better work-life balance to employees.
Employee Engagement Handbook
4X your employee engagement with these 5 proven steps
2. Gender equality in the workplace
Gender equality and women empowerment is still a continuing priority and a crucial part of employee engagement. While organizations are taking several steps in the right direction, there’s a lot that needs to be addressed in terms of gender equality in the workplace.
Representation of women and the LGBTQIA community at the leadership level needs to be checked and accounted for. Companies further need to ensure that employees feel safe and have solicited channels to raise incidents of discrimination and harassment.
3. Wellbeing initiatives at work
The pandemic has put several things in perspective, and one of them is the imminence of health. In addition to working from home and other flexible arrangements, employees are now looking forward to accessing wellness initiatives at work.
Unwell employees can hamper overall productivity and impact organizational goals in the long run. Employers should thus conduct regular pulse surveys, organize wellbeing events at work, and keep an overall tab on wellness at the workplace.
Workplace wellness playbook
Effective and easy to implant strategies to reduce absenteeism
4. Focus on diversity and inclusion
Another popular engagement trend on the list is diversity and inclusion. Companies are therefore focused on recruiting and promoting talent covering all ethnicities and orientations.
According to various studies, diverse and inclusive organizations reported higher a level of employee productivity. It is, therefore, high time that companies include (and provide representation too) employees from all walks of life into the workforce.
5. Interaction of employees with the brand
One of the best ways to improve employee engagement is to transform employees into brand ambassadors for the organization. Elevate your best people as vehicles for corporate branding. However, this must be done organically.
To ensure that employees spread the word about your company and all the great things it stands for, it is important to make them feel cherished and provide them with ample things to be grateful for.
Employee branding can help in attracting talent and building social repute. It can also let you know if you’re in the right direction as far as your employee engagement efforts are concerned.
6. Opportunities for career progression
More than anything, employees seek career progression at their work. There is no dearth of options in the market and to retain the best people, it is key for organizations to provide them with the right kind of opportunities.
This isn’t limited to salary hikes and promotions alone. Organizations now need to step up and account for employee learning and development as part of their culture. Divest and provide your workforce with opportunities to upskill, cross-skills, and shift verticals. This is a great way to win employee trust as well.
7. Importance of mental health
While remote work has brought with it a host of benefits, it has also caused isolation and other mental ailments to appear. The pressure of work and personal issues further account for poor mental health for many.
While physical health is accounted for via health insurance policies at work, mental health is often ignored. To avoid this, employees should have access to mental health resources and anonymous helplines to better navigate mental woes.
Employee Wellness Handbook
A quick and easy-to-read guide for improving your employee wellbeing efforts
8. Use of technology, including AI
It’s time for the transition to tech! With millennials and gen-z’s now dominating the workforce, it is imperative for organizations to build better technological abilities. This includes AI, machine learning, and NLP or Neuro-linguistic programming.
Staying technologically fit can help companies retain and hire better talent and showcase their ability to adapt and grow. This can also help reduce the burden of mundane tasks and enable employees to reduce workplace fatigue.
9. Avenues for corporate social responsibility
Believe it or not, recent trends in employee engagement call for enhanced CSR programs at work. Employees are on the lookout for avenues to do their bit for society and are increasingly relying on their companies for the same.
Organizations can address this by expanding their CSR footprint. They can provide employees with the means to contribute either monetarily or physically towards societal/charitable initiatives as part of their existing CSR model. Alternatively, they can consider redesigning their current CSR capabilities to meet employee needs as well.
10. Introducing/upgrading an employee recognition/rewards program
An employee recognition program is one of the best ways to improve employee performance. Companies need to appreciate the effort of their best people and do so frequently.
Sending personalized notes, award nominations, or monetary rewards can help boost employee morale and make them feel valued. While age-old, this stands as one of the top trends in global employee engagement as of today.
Make the Most of the Current Trends in Employee Engagement
An organization’s success is correlated to the level of employee engagement within it. With the help of the above tips, you can provide a better employee experience to your people and, in turn, reap better results in the longer run.
At Loop, we help you meet wellness parameters at the workplace with customized health insurance plans and more. Similarly, we can also enable you to drive higher employee engagement with our mental health and wellness offerings and more.
To explore the above, visit our resource library or contact us now.
