The grind. The old 9-to-5. Even the general term “labor market” implies toil, drudgery, a slog.

However, going to a job shouldn’t feel like a relentless chore. Rather, as an employer, there are steps you can take to increase your workers’ emotional connection to their tasks. By doing this, you can add joy to the process and encourage a more proactive approach to the act of working.

To do this, look for ways to increase employee engagement. That way, you get your team invested in their roles — increasing retention and providing a host of other benefits.

How Employee Engagement Can Improve Retention

Employee engagement can lead to significant short-term benefits. For instance, a study conducted by Gallup found that strong engagement was linked to an 81% difference in absenteeism. Meanwhile, the same data set pointed to a 14% difference in productivity.

At the same time, higher employee engagement can lead to significant long-term upside as well. By increasing buy-in from your top team members, you raise the chances that they will stay with you over the long haul. Here are some of the ways engagement can contribute to improved retention:

Enhanced Employee Satisfaction

Engaged employees will get more out of their efforts. This isn’t just true in terms of productivity. The process also works on an emotional level.

If you’re able to promote significant buy-in from your team, you can also inspire a positive psychological response. Your staff members will receive a strong sense of accomplishment, improving employee satisfaction and promoting a long-term connection to your company.

Intensified Team Spirit

When they invest in their jobs, your employees will also invest in each other. They will build bonds with their coworkers and the overall sense of excitement will foster strong relationships. Over time, these friendships and fruitful working partnerships will encourage your top talent to stay together, thereby increasing retention.

Clearer Long-Term Vision

Your employees will work harder for you if they feel it bolsters their long-term career prospects. Engagement plays into this dynamic. Workers who feel invested in the process of their day-to-day roles also plug into the organization as a whole. They see themselves as part of the long-term plan for the company — a fact that will make them want to stay part of the team for the long haul.

The Value of Engagement Beyond Retention

Retention represents just one of the benefits you can gain through higher engagement. By getting your staff heavily involved in your organization, you generate a broad list of potential windfalls. Here are a few of the other ways you benefit from an engaged workforce:

Higher Productivity

Engaged workers get more done. When your team members buy into your overall mission, they push themselves to complete tasks faster. As an added benefit, you’ll see fewer errors, as employees feel motivated to stay concentrated on their tasks.

Improved Innovation

Beyond the day-to-day completion of routine tasks, you want your team to improve over time. That means generating ideas and putting them into action. High engagement makes this more possible, as workers apply higher-level thinking to their jobs.

Upgraded Employer Brand 

Increased engagement also helps your recruiting. Word gets out that you take the steps necessary to spark passion in your workforce. You’ll connect with higher-level candidates and, with your improved retention, keep them for a longer period of time.

Want to Boost Retention Efforts for Your Team?

Retention starts by having the right team in place. A top recruiter, like ABLE Associates, can bring you a team worthy of the highest retention efforts.

Contact ABLE today to upgrade your recruiting efforts.