Employee engagement is the extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to the organisation and put discretionary effort into their work.

And it’s essential. Unlike employee satisfaction which indicates how happy or content your employees are, employee engagement drives performance.

Engaged employees:

• Understand their purpose within the company
• Know where and how they fit in
• Make better decisions
• Outperform their competitors
• Earn more
• Recover faster after recessions and setbacks

Of course, there are several ways to measure employee engagement with wide-ranging surveys that allow the freedom to explain issues (rather than box-ticking). Regular surveys will make employees feel valued and help you understand what is happening at your resort.

But in a time of home-working, furlough and threatened redundancy, how do you improve employee engagement. Here are some top tips from the team at Builtin.com:

1 Emphasise your mission and core values

Ensure employees understand the company’s values, how they positively impact the business and what’s expected of them. Lead by example and hold every member of your team accountable.

2 Prioritise feedback

As employees crave feedback, schedule check-ins for each employee and encourage middle management to hold regular review sessions as an ongoing initiative to improve employee engagement. 

3 Concentrate on engaging management

Employees report that 75 per cent of great managers are passionate about their work. This attitude is contagious, so focus on this.

4 Include volunteer opportunities

Employees want to know their company cares about society. Volunteering unites employees, encourages a deeper connection and improves morale.

5 Prioritise physical and mental health

Employees will engage when they believe the company wants to enhance their overall well-being. 

6 Recognise top performers and reward achievements

Employees want to know that leadership sees and appreciates their efforts. Make positive recognition a part of your day-to-day activities, consider incentive programs and promote acknowledgements to the whole business.

7 Plan company outings

Opportunities such as on-site happy hour, game night or potluck dinner will help employees connect on things outside of work – and make sure they are varied to promote inclusivity.

8 Effective onboarding

Let your new hires know they have a place in your company and culture with effective onboarding.

9 Offer professional development and career paths

Outlining a career path will keep employees engaged and help you retain top talent. Supporting their personal development shows you value them and ensures their skills are up-to-date and relevant.

10 Provide flexibility

Flexible work schedules without penalty and home working (post-pandemic) all increase employee engagement.