Physician Recruiter

inSights

In your work and life, what helps you remain connected? Do you find yourself more satisfied with your job when you’re engaged?

As you think about the answers, consider what could help your new hires and employees feel a sense of purpose and satisfaction in their roles. When your employees are present and connected, it increases the joy they receive from their job and can carry over to their peers, creating a healthier and more positive work environment.

So how do you achieve better engagement in your employees?

Ways to promote employee engagement

1. Training

If you’ve ever felt lost in a new position, you know it can be uncomfortable. You might feel out of place or unsure of your responsibilities.

You want your new hires to feel confident, so setting them up with proper training will help them adequately perform their duties. You can also consider mentorship programs to pair them with a well-respected senior employee who can answer their questions and guide them in their role.

2. Resources

Along with training, your employees need the proper tools to do their job. Providing resources gives them the ability to do what is expected without worry of improvisation or finding their own alternatives, which can help decrease stress and make them feel better about what’s available to them.

3. Attention

In large organizations - and even smaller practices - some hires can begin to feel like a number, especially if they seem to be in a cycle of coming in, doing what is needed for the day and clocking out. Giving individual attention to an employee lets them know you are also engaged, present and value them.

You can even incorporate post-mortem meetings when appropriate to give your hires and employees a way to provide feedback on what happens within the organization.

4. Recognition

There are a multitude of ways to acknowledge employees when they perform well or go above and beyond. It doesn’t always have to be a large, expensive gesture to be effective - even saying "thanks" more often or giving sincere compliments can make a big difference. Compliments are more than "good job" but rather sharing what the employee specifically did well to deserve recognition.

You can also write thank you notes, give gift cards, have a recognition or peer recognition program or publicly praise employees in meetings when they do an extraordinary job.

5. Listening

A big part of being appreciated is feeling heard, so it’s important to not only let employees share their thoughts and opinions, but also to truly listen to what they have to say.

Confirming you’ve listened is even more important so they know their suggestions are taken into consideration and can bring about positive change. If they tell you something that requires action, follow up and let the employee know what steps are being taken.

Benefits to increased engagement

When you increase engagement within your staff, employees will be happier in the workplace, which will spread to their peers.

This can also improve retention, making hires more satisfied with their job and work culture. When your organization is seen as a positive, enjoyable workplace, more candidates will want to work there, and more current employees will want to stay.