In an effort to improve retention rates and productivity, companies often try new things they assume their employees will like. After all, it seems to work for Fortune 500 Companies that offer perks like free lunches, exercise classes, and a playground-esque campus. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll see that true employee engagement has less to do with being able to bring your pet to work and more to do with feeling valued. Even money isn’t always the solution when it comes to making and keeping a happy, engaged workforce. How, then, do we find a way to engage employees in a meaningful way? As it turns out, software created for exactly this purpose is getting serious consideration over traditional benefits. Is another software purchase worth the investment? Let’s take a closer look. Here are five benefits to adding employee engagement software to your business. Increases employee engagement Employee engagement software is designed to do exactly what its name suggests, but it’s more than simply allowing employees to chat online throughout the work day. When people can react to one another and to clients immediately (collaborating on solutions, solving problems, and clarifying communications), they feel more like part of a team. More importantly, they feel part of the bigger picture that makes up your company’s mission. If employees go weeks without a check-in from management or feedback from peers, they start to disconnect. Gives employees a voice Employee engagement software helps employees and managers to gauge, in real time, how everyone really feels. Most platforms have the ability to conduct surveys, provide feedback, offer support and encouragement to co-workers, and coach new hires as they develop. Beyond feeling heard, this makes employees feel valued, especially when their feedback or suggestions are utilized and implemented by management. Improves onboarding Being the “new person” is intimidating. Not only do you have an overwhelming number of things to learn, you have the added pressure of acclimating to your team and that nagging feeling it’ll be months before you’ll add real value. It can mean a lot to a new employee to be asked for feedback and reassured that their past experiences and personal opinions are valuable to the team. This can make the difference between, “Do I want to stay here?” and, “I already feel like part of the team.” Improves retention rates Take a look at the top reasons people leave their jobs, and you’ll see most of those reasons have little to do with salary, free coffee, or even health insurance. People leave because they lack recognition for job performance, they have poor relationships at work, or they can’t contribute to business goals with their skills. Through employee engagement software, employees can find more ways to connect with their team and their leader consistently, receiving the feedback and recognition they crave. This process will also help employees see how their individual role fits into the broader goals of the company. Increases productivity An engaged employee is a productive employee. When people know their value and how their work impacts the organization, they’re more likely to contribute at a higher level and push themselves beyond the minimum requirements of their position. Employees will feel more invested in their responsibilities, and they’ll drive more growth and success for the business. Employee engagement and satisfaction may be simpler than you think. As you look at ways to improve retention and productivity, consider the value of an engaged workforce and the software that can help align them with your company’s mission. What are the benefits of employee engagement software? 1. Increased alignment Employee engagement software provides tools that increase communication and alignment across the entire organization. And this is important because aligned companies are 72 percent more profitable than misaligned companies. With a system that streamlines employee-manager conversations, elevates goals to the entire organization, and provides a platform for company-wide recognition, your employees are able to garner a stronger sense of connection and alignment with the organization. 2. Improved company culture In times where retention is an issue, leaders should prioritize their company culture. Employees want to work in a positive, inclusive, and motivating culture that helps them reach their full potential. In fact, almost 70 percent of American workers prioritize culture aspects over salaries. With tools that help you get a pulse on employee perceptions, you can take employee feedback and implement it in the workplace experience. By understanding your workforce as a whole and taking action accordingly, your culture will improve to make work better everyday. 3. Greater productivity Strong productivity is critical to the health of your organization. But when employees aren’t motivated, their productivity plummets and your business metrics suffer. And many organizations are experiencing this, as the average worker is productive for less than 2 and a half hours per day. That’s why organizations should use tools like goals, recognition, 1-on-1s, and feedback to motivate employees toward business objectives. Your platform should increase accountability, address roadblocks, coach performance, and increase morale to drive optimal performance. 4. Ability to make strategic people decisions Understanding your workforce as a whole is almost impossible without the right tools. And if your leaders can’t visualize your talent across the entire organization, they can’t make smart people decisions. With tools that help you identify who’s at risk for departure or burnout, you can intervene before it’s too late. And by identifying high performers, you can give recognition where it’s due to boost employee morale. 5. Increased business success When employees are engaged, organizations provide a better customer experience, produce a higher quality of outcomes, experience higher sales, and have higher profitability. In fact, highly engaged organizations have 21 percent greater profitability than organizations with disengaged employees. The motivation that employees get from a workplace that listens to and meets their needs is unparalleled. Prioritizing the employee experience is a first-class approach to maximize business success. 6. Uncovers obstacles and opportunities Employee engagement software provides a suite of tools, giving valuable insight into possible obstacles or opportunities to make work better. With a streamlined employee survey tool, you can understand what’s missing in the employee experience and get insight that helps you improve upon those shortcomings. Plus, employees typically have an understanding about how to improve big picture business metrics to improve profitability and growth. In addition, two-way feedback gives employees an opportunity to provide their perspectives, helping leaders understand where opportunity lies. With this information, better action can be taken toward employee, team, and business success. Check out Mutant's EEP. Explore our vast and flexible functionalities. The Mutant EEP is fully customizable for your company's hr needs. Check it out on https://www.mutant.ae/eep .