Across America 45% of workers say they are either satisfied or extremely satisfied with their jobs; only 20% feel very passionate about their jobs; 33% believe they have reached dead end in their careers and 21% are eager to change careers. Older workers are the most satisfied and the most engaged in their work. Younger works are the most distressed and they feel the least amount of loyalty to their employer.
In the United Kingdom, 61% of the workers showed disengagement, which is costing the economy GBP 340 billion annually in absence, employee turnover and retraining new recruits.
It is good to highlight that job security, health care coverage and professional development are valued above additional compensation. It will mean not just offering bonuses or commissions for sales – instead, it is really effective to reward and recognize employees from across different departments and levels of responsibility for achieving a variety of work-related goals.
As the CEO of Delta Airlines Ed Bastian says: “Hire, Train and Empower your employees to represent the brand in the best possible way.” When asked to sum up his job in five words, Ed’s reply is: “Taking care of our people.” His answer shows that if you take care of your people, they take care of your customers, whose business and loyalty allows you to reward your investors.
Also, a quick fix to ensure employee engagement could be provision of freebies which are a great incentive as everyone loves freebies! Benefit from gym/ leisure centre membership discounts and gift cards, as well as monthly offers such as free hot drinks from your favourite coffee house. Little and often, it all adds up.
Discounted cinema tickets are one of the more popular rewards, which can be an ideal location for a social event with colleagues outside of working hours.
One initiative that small businesses are adopting is communal technology and gadgets. Many companies are introducing gadgets like tablets or Kindles that employees can share and use, saving them the need to buy their own. These initiatives are also very handy for a quick, temporary replacement if your personal gadget is broken, lost, or running on empty. Kindles allowing sharing books, so everyone can enjoy the online library at no extra cost.
Whatever you choose, your colleagues can reap the benefits and rewards from a number of platforms, all at no extra cost. So be the most popular person in the office and introduce your colleagues to the schemes available, turning your workplace into a perkplace.
