Could it be that word choice – the language employers and managers use in their daily office communication – can affect employee engagement in the workplace? It’s true. In fact, word choice can actually make or break employee engagement, and the effects can be more widespread than many employers would believe.
Making sure that employees are engaged boosts their productivity, increases their output quality, and improves the overall corporate culture, turning it into one that’s bubbly, robust, and innovation-focused.
With the right word choices, a company can increase employee engagement and reap all the benefits it brings to the table.
While HR initiatives are generally both carefully structured and implemented, they often fail to fine tune the language that supervisors and managers use with their employees. This results in poor end results, even with the most promising of beginnings – something that often has HR experts scratching their heads.
Business Management Daily has come up with a list of 10 words and phrases that can boost employee engagement. These words nurture a relationship of trust, and provide tangible respect for while boosting the corporate identity of each employee through the simple action of shifting or strengthening an employee’s state of mind. These phrases urge employees to engage in a qualitative, substantial manner with their company and all it represents.
“Thank you”
This expression of gratitude and acknowledgment can be a tremendous help to an employee because it makes them reconsider their approach to their office, their co-workers, and their managers.
With praise, employees feel the satisfaction that comes from knowing their hard work is rewarded and acknowledged and this gives them further momentum to benefit the company by being more productive, more active, and ultimately more hard-working and diligent, with the goal of getting that praise again in the future.
“What do you need from me?”
Asking for help might not be part of your company’s culture. Maybe there’s an unconscious attitude that employees are expected to already know – or figure out themselves – how to complete new tasks or confront new challenges.
This question helps employees open up and ask for help. It gives them the reassurance of knowing that support is there if they need it.
Most importantly, when an employee knows that they have someone they can go to for advice and support, it makes them more confident in their daily activities. It can even encourage them to take up more initiatives on their own.
“What would you like to do here?”
The answer to this phrase gives managers a great deal of information on many different levels. It helps them identify the aspirations, limitations, and fears of their employees, and even allows them to discover an individual employee’s personal passions. In turn, this will help managers to find ways to leverage the employee’s talents and skills in different departments or job posts if that would be of the most benefit to the company.
According to Business Management Daily, other phrases HR managers could use to open up the communication between themselves and the staff include, “How is your family?” and “I need your help.” The phrase “This task is in your hands – I’m stepping back” is one of the most powerful, as it shows the employee that they have the capabilities to succeed, and that the company trusts them to work independently.
Will you be using any of these phrases with your employees? If you don’t find ways to use them, remember that simple words that can also drive up employee engagement include the magic word, “Please,” and phrase that shows that you respect the employee and their workload: “Can you spare a few minutes of your time?”
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