According to research, managers account for 70% of the variance in employee engagement.

We’ve all heard about the importance of employee engagement, but it’s a common misconception that the burden of high employee engagement falls entirely on the shoulders of an HR team. Consider that a lot of managers are promoted from having great work ethic and technical competency, but those attributes don’t necessarily prepare someone to lead in today’s business world.

Great managers great the ideal environment for engagement, but not every team is led by a well-trained, capable manager.

 To reverse the trend of a disengaged workforce, organizations should be empowering management with the right skills and tactics to foster employee engagement.

Focus on these areas when training management for employee engagement:

Recognition

A simple “good job” can go a long way. A survey done by World At Work found that 40% of employees who don’t feel meaningfully recognized will not go above their formal responsibilities. Basically, if you want your team to do great work, and go above and beyond when necessary, you need to recognize their efforts.

Make sure the managers in your organization understand 3 things:

• What behaviors or results should be recognized – consistency is key!
• The recognition should occur as close to the performance as possible – this will reinforce the behavior
• Recognition can vary in degree – for small wins, a hand-written, personalized note can go a long way. For bigger accomplishments, make the recognition more public or do some digging in to the employee’s hobbies – Get them tickets to that hockey game, concert, or art show. 

Regular check-ins

Depending on your industry, or the time of year, our day to day schedules can get hectic.

Still – communication is key. Don’t wait for performance reviews or larger department meetings to provide employees with feedback on their performance. Make sure managers in your organization know to schedule regular (ideally weekly) check-ins with their team.

Employees like to know where they stand, and giving feedback or providing pointers shortly after a project is completed is the most effective

Avoiding micromangement

Surveys show that of employees who say they’ve worked for a micromanager, 68% said it decreased morale and 55% said it lowered their productivity.

As a leader, knowing you are partly accountable for the success of your team, it can feel natural to watch closely over your team – Make sure your managers do not do this by setting clear boundaries around performance reviews, and opportunities for check-ins.

Regular check-ins and recognition should also be a part of your broader performance management strategy - For more tips on performance management, check out one of our free resources below!