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Employee engagement is at an all-time low. Gallup cites 88% of employees as disengaged*, and it is clear that organisations need to act. The international study showed that when engagement was improved then not only did key performance indicators improve, with sales +18% and productivity +14%*.  They also saw the decline of negative outcomes such as a 78% reduction in absenteeism and 63% reduction in accidents*.  Pretty compelling stuff.  But where to begin? The study identified the vital importance of strong leadership in developing employee engagement strategies and identified three key areas which support a resilient culture: 

  1. Prioritising the hire and development of managers who recognise the value of their teams and will provide the necessary support and mentorship. 
  2. Engagement should be embedded into culture and integrated into every stage of the manager-employee lifecycle. 
  3. Emphasis on wellbeing in the workplace. 

We know that impactful brand events can support these objectives, here’s how:

  1. Prioritising the Hiring and Development of Supportive Managers

Events such as leadership workshops, mentorship programs, and team-building retreats are instrumental in cultivating a culture where management values and supports their teams.  

Offer unique experiences that foster essential skills like empathy, active listening, and mentorship. This exposes managers to best practices and success stories, shaping them into supportive and nurturing leaders in a memorable way. 

Holding these events in destination locations and making use of AI technology to personalise activities like we did at this Ricoh event in Dubai will elevate content and promote staff engagement from the outset. 

Speaker at Event

  1. Embedding Engagement into the Manager-Employee Lifecycle

Use events to develop relationships, embed culture and communicate key values away from a corporate environment. No more brainstorming in a stuffy boardroom. We like to treat guests to cooking masterclasses with top chefs or bobsleighing at an olympic stadium. Activities like this with a team of colleagues will have everyone bonding and finding common goals on a whole new level. 

Reward schemes are also an excellent tool to formalise recognition and ensure that outstanding performance will not go unnoticed.  We love to support these whether it’s an individual high value gift or a group trip like the one we organised to Riga, Barcelona & Krakov for Rackspace. 

  1. Emphasising Wellbeing in the Workplace

All events should have the guests’ wellbeing at heart.  Whilst it would be typical to think of your classic R&R when someone suggests a wellbeing event, it is more effective to take a holistic approach, recognising that there are many pillars to strong mental health which can happily dovetail with your other objectives. Here’s a few examples: 

  • Mindful moments. Whether it’s breathing, ariel yoga or even sleep workshops that your guests take part in, an activity which encourages participants to slow down and be in the present will boost endorphins. 
  • Learning something new. Studies show that 73% of lifelong learners are happier and more fulfilled and 80% feel more positive about the future than those that didn’t regularly study. In the workplace there is often the opportunity for formal training to enhance performance, but why not combine this mood enhancing activity by introducing a fun social element? How about a dance class to really break down barriers and get people talking! 
  • Community volunteering. Aside from the obvious benefit of supporting the local community, those who volunteer and give back are found to be happier than those who don’t. 

Happy friends diving from sailing boat into the sea

With this top-down approach, using dynamic events you will have laid strong, meaningful foundations to build an effective engaged team.   

What do you think? What do you think are the most important elements for engaging your team? 

*Gallup : State of the Global Workplace