Nothing says “engaged employees” more than people who would do their jobs for free. Here are the best ways for you to engage employees so that feel that way.
It’s not really a coincidence that very successful people tend to say things like, “I’m so lucky… I love my job and I get paid to do it.” Or, “Don’t tell my boss but I would come to work for free.” As a matter of fact, I recently heard Amy Adams utter similar words at an event to promote her latest film Big Eyes. She was beaming when she said it, and it made you wish you could create a feeling like that in your own organization.
Not surprising, this is usually a sign of engaged employees. They are easy to spot. They are people who love their job, do it well, and if asked, would likely share Adams’ sentiment. Now how do you get your women employees to feel like that?
It’s easier than you imagine. Much easier. Moreover, it’s not even that costly to turn your team into engaged employees.
There are no magic ways to engage employees
Now, if you expect to find some magic formula that would result in engaged employees overnight, you can stop reading now. There are no magic solutions. Only an insightful, well-thought-out approach that fosters multiple levels of connections that result in heightened engagement. (For more insights check out Anna Giraldo Kerr’s What is Employee Engagement, Really?)
One of the most powerful ways to engaged employees. A careful sequence of connections
You want engaged employees, who grow and stay with your company? It all starts with tapping into self-motivation, which is the only sustainable, long-term approach to retaining talent.
First, every woman on your team connects with herself so that she understands what she wants and what she needs to get there. Then, she connects with other colleagues to provide mutual support. And finally, they connect with a much larger network of powerful, professional women who function as a sisterhood. A community that sees them through their career growth.
It’s pretty straight forward, right? Yet, how often do organizations skip the first step? Women are pushed in directions they aren’t keen on, and naturally, they resist. They either get stuck in middle management or they leave the company. It makes sense. Why would you put time and energy into something you don’t care about?
The reality is that unless you know what makes your employees tick, you are wasting precious resources trying to get them where they don’t care to go. And the worst part? You keep trying ways to engage employees and to accelerate their growth up the ranks with little result.
When you want engaged employees, the RSM Step Up Program Plus takes away the guesswork
We experience this approach ourselves with our RSM Ambassadors who go through a process of self-discovery by aligning their interests, their purpose and career goals. This is a necessary first step so we can offer women exposure to the right people, opportunities, and resources to achieve their objectives. You see, once they achieve this alignment, people put all their passion into their work. They become happy, productive, engaged employees who start expressing themselves like Amy Adams.
In the last two years we’ve created events and programs to help organizations interested in finding ways to engage employees. We brought the excitement women feel for the RSM to companies so they could use it to fuel their team’s enthusiasm. With the RSM Step Up Plus Program we go a step further— Year-round professional development, coaching, and a cheerleading squad for your team.
An effective way for women to go through the self-discovery process, acquire the necessary knowledge, and develop the appropriate skillset while feeling backed by a powerful network of professional women. A network always ready to help your team tackle the next challenge so they can accelerate their growth.
What’s unique about this approach is that it not only empowers women to drive their own careers but it also amplifies their intentions and impact.
The RSM community is by their side along the way while they figure out what they are passionate about and while they set their objectives. We are there to encourage them to take risks and challenge themselves to the next level.
You see them flourish, share, support each other, and yes, tell everybody that they love their jobs so much they’d do it for free.
