5 Practical Techniques to Increase Employee Engagement

This article first appeared in the July 2019 issue of Hotel Management Magazine.

According to a Gallup survey, organizations with a high level of employee engagement outperform others by 147% in earnings per share. That makes since because when your staff is highly committed, customer satisfaction levels rise and there is proven positive impact to your bottom line.

In my role at Marcus Hotels and Resorts, I coach leaders in the Transformational Leadership style. One key feature of that style’s effectiveness is ensuring employees are engaged. Here are five practical ways you can increase employee engagement and help your teams and your organization achieve competitive advantage.

1. Create and communicate a clear vision.

This is your vision, not your company’s vision. It is the rallying cry of your team and department. And it is even better if your team takes part in creating it. To get started, gather your team together and ask them to answer two questions:

• Why do we do what we do?
• What does the hotel means to you?

Next, pull out key words and phrases from those answers and combine them into a coherent vision.

2. Provide inspirational motivation centered around the vision.

Explain the why behind the vision and ask each team member how they can positively affect the vision.  Post the vision in the department and discuss how the team is working toward the vision on a weekly basis in a team meeting. Use incentive-based recognition strategies to bring the vision to life and to further reward and motivate employees around the vision.

3. Set clear expectations.

Many leaders set these first, but adults are less likely to buy in to an expectation unless they buy in to the vision first. Once your team is onboard with the vision, as long as the expectations fall in line with it, they are more likely to embrace and know what is expected of them.

4. Treat everyone consistently and show you care.

Nothing destroys motivation faster than employees seeing favoritism occurring. Ensure all employees are held to the same standards, given the same chances to take part in special projects, and are recognized equally for their efforts. 

5. Build strong teams with high potential.

Courageous leaders surround themselves with people who fill skill gaps that currently exist in the leader and the team.  Only hire people who raise the overall skillset or potential of the team. And then train them properly to set them up for success.

Engaged employees actively look for areas where they can add value to the organization because they feel part of it. Use the tips above to increase employee engagement, customer satisfaction and see a positive impact to your bottom line.