Employees are a business’ most valuable asset. This is something that rings true for companies in every sector, and for SMEs in particular it is especially important.

It’s essential to create the right conditions for your employees to thrive within your organisation. Engaging with employees at all levels is a vital part of success but something that is often over looked.

Mike Edwards, Head of People at business electricity comparison site Love Energy Savings discusses how an employee engagement programme not only shows your staff you care and develops individual goals but offers much more, contributing to wider success and growth.

Retain the very best 

Workforce retention is an issue for many businesses. Having a suitable employee engagement programme in place will ensure you retain the employees that are key to your business. Engaged employees have greater job satisfaction and loyalty, which significantly lowers the risk of them jumping ship and taking up a position elsewhere.

Attract qualified employees 

Your happy workforce won’t just be admired from within. Prospective employees will take note of how appreciated and engaged your existing workforce is. Businesses that put employee engagement high on their list of priorities tend to find it easier to attract new employees that are qualified, passionate and enthusiastic, making recruitment a breeze.

Provide a better service for all 

The quality of service offered to customers is a primary focus in everyday business activities for all companies. The motivation, enthusiasm and commitment shown by your engaged employees will make all the difference to your customer service success.

Create a harmonious work environment 

The negative atmosphere created by those who are disengaged can have a detrimental effect on your work environment. As the saying goes, one bad apple is likely to spoil the whole bunch, but with better engagement you can keep team morale high.

Develop your workforce

Employee engagement doesn’t just work wonders for company success. Individual successes will also become apparent. Your employees will have the rewarding opportunity to develop new skills and enhance their existing ones, a prospect that will only add to their self-confidence and enthusiasm.

Outperform your competitors 

The employee engagement experts at Best Companies revealed that firms with highly engaged employees financially perform as much as 3.5 times better than FTSE 100 businesses. Success for you, your business and your employees is an all-encompassing benefit of introducing an employee engagement programme.