Employee engagement typically involves a positive work environment and job satisfaction. It’s what makes an employee feel a connection to their workplace and loyalty to the organization. Engaged employees, therefore, tend to not only be more productive but also create higher-quality work. Companies with highly-engaged employees can be more successful than their counterparts.
The question facing organizations, then, is how to improve employee engagement. The answer is technology; HRIS systems offer organizations a number of different ways to strategize how to improve engagement.
What Improves Employee Engagement?
Employees who are fully engaged tend to be those who are fully satisfied and happy with their jobs. They feel valued by the organization they work for because they’re compensated appropriately for their skills, efforts, and experience. They’re trusted to do their jobs without micromanagement and are recognized for their achievements.
One of the best things you can do to improve employee engagement across the board is to invest in software that makes that process easier for you. HRIS platforms offer many tools and features to make HR tasks easier. They don’t just parse resumes and sync data. They can also be used as part of your strategy to improve engagement.
Using your HRIS System to Improve Employee Engagement
Employees may see investment in HRIS software as a sign that a company is keeping up with modern technology. Even if the features and tools mostly benefit HR, there are some, such as employee self-service portals, that aid employees as well. Using an HRIS contributes to a company’s brand and good reputation, both internally and externally.
HRIS Strategy: Find the Right HR Software
While using HR technology can boost engagement, it’s not enough to just get any HRIS. It’s important to take the time to look for the software that will best suit your organization’s needs. Using a software match tool like Matchr.com’s is a great way to narrow down your search.
Hiring the Right People
While compensation and benefits play important roles in engagement, they aren’t the only factor. Employees who are well-paid but who don’t feel satisfied with their jobs for whatever reason won’t be as engaged as those who do. Hiring people with not just the right skills but whose values align with the company culture and whose career goals fit the position can improve engagement.
HRIS Engagement Strategy: Track Applicants and Parse Resumes
HRIS and ATS platforms typically allow you to set up specific qualifications that you’re looking for to filter applicants. You can search for candidates and parse resumes based on these criteria. Once you’ve found applicants that you want to consider, both types of systems generally have interviewing and onboarding features that can make the hiring process run more smoothly.
Communicating and Collaborating
Humans are social creatures. Whether we work in an office or from home, communication is vital to key to not just improving collaboration but also increasing socialization. Some employees may prefer working in isolation, but even these will likely need to work together on projects or communicate regarding deadlines or other work-related matters. Those who work better as part of a team can still feel like they’re a part of one.
HRIS Engagement Strategy: Maintain Teamwork With Chat and Videoconferencing
With more people working remotely or across the globe than ever before, digital communication is a vital part of any workplace. HRIS systems offer chat tools and video conferencing as well as collaboration tools so that employees can continue to work together no matter where they are.
Providing Training Opportunities
Some companies won’t provide training opportunities beyond the bare minimum that is needed for employees to do their jobs. Companies that do this fear that they’ll invest time and money into training employees, only for them to take those skills to a competitor. However, it’s a risk worth taking. Employees who receive more training from their employers tend to be more loyal, stay longer and are more engaged. They recognize that the company is investing in them and will therefore invest their own time and energy back into the company.
HRIS Engagement Strategy: Use an LMS to Develop Courses
Some HRIS systems may have LMS features. Alternatively, you could invest in a standalone LMS platform. Using technology to offer training courses can save you money and time in the long run because all employees can access courses from anywhere. LMS tools can also track which employees have completed which courses to aid in succession planning.
Creating a Healthy Workplace
Employees aren’t machines. They have health and wellness needs that they have to prioritize in order to be their best selves at work. An employee who is coming to work sick or burnt out will have lower levels of engagement and productivity. Therefore, the company can improve productivity simply by investing in employee wellness. This will also show employees that the company cares about them, increasing loyalty to the organization.
HRIS Engagement Strategy: Develop Employee Wellness Programs
Many HRIS platforms offer tools that you can use to develop and track an employee wellness program. Your organization can use these features to gamify a wellness program and offer rewards to employees who have completed each step. You can also track employee hours to ensure that no one is working too much overtime or coming to work sick.
Valuing Employee Opinions
Employees who feel like they’re replaceable or just another cog in a machine aren’t going to be very engaged. It’s important for managers to ensure that their staff feel valued and appreciated. They can do this by seeking out and listening to employee feedback and suggestions.
HRIS Engagement Strategy: Create Anonymous Surveys
It can be difficult to know how your employees are feeling without asking them. Some may not feel comfortable telling their bosses if there is a problem. Anonymous surveys to check in with your staff can help you to discover problems that could impact engagement and productivity and address them.
Trusting Employees To Do Their Jobs
It’s said that employees don’t quit jobs, they quit bad managers. Micromanaging is a common complaint from employees and can not only decrease engagement but also reduce productivity significantly. Trusting that your employees know how to do their jobs and can do them without strict oversight unless it’s proven otherwise will go a long way toward increasing engagement.
HRIS Engagement Strategy: Analyze Reports
HRIS systems typically have robust reporting capabilities. These reports give managers and HR professionals the information they need regarding employee performance. They can leave their employees alone to get their jobs done and then confirm that expectations are being met by analyzing reports. HR can also use data from the HRIS system to identify micromanagers and retrain them before they can negatively impact engagement and performance.
Recognizing Employee Achievements
Another way to improve employee engagement is to recognize their achievements. Employees like to know that the organization they work for sees their accomplishments and considers them of value. Even a simple acknowledgment of a job well done can go a long way. Rewards for achievements can also help by ensuring that employees have something to work toward.
HRIS Engagement Strategy: Set up an Awards Program
Using an HRIS to track employee performance can help to ensure that no achievements are missed. Managers can set goals that have specific rewards attached to them. Such software can also communicate accomplishments to other staff members so that everyone can acknowledge each other’s hard work.
