The Best of Employee Engagement in 2017

It’s that time of year again. Time to wax nostalgic.

Don’t worry. We won’t go too overboard. 2017, we believe many will say, has been a strange year. So we’re going to end it on the up-beat, sharing our favorite blogs, a few of the most interesting change makers in business, and interesting trends.

There’s a lot of work for 2018. But let’s relax and look back at what worked and what made us smile.

Employee engagement’s best of 2017:

1. Google’s done it again. It might be the great gourmet food, free haircuts, parent-leave, ongoing training, Project Aristotle , gyms, tracks … who are these people?? Work there? Most of us would live there. Basically, if you want a checklist of what to do right, look at what Google is doing. Behind every action, there’s something a lot simpler than it appears. It all boils down to kindness and respect: being inclusive, supporting minority groups, raising people up, and teaching them to shoot for the moon isn’t high enough.

2. Building positive relationships at the workplace has blown open doors that were, beforehand, wedged shut. Finding ways to create meaningful connections humanizes the work environment and can boost employee engagement.

3. Redefining work-life boundaries. Most people can’t compartmentalize their lives. And where, at one time, work tried to keep life from leaking in, organizations are finding creative ways to bring life to work. We especially love the laundry service!

4. Nice guys don’t finish last. Are you a giver or a taker at work? Adam Grant gave this TED talk in November 2016 (Yes, we’re cheating a bit here … but, well, it was November … close enough to the cut-off. And, a great idea is a great idea!), and it’s resonated with almost 4 million viewers. Time to re-evaluate the idea that “every man is for himself.”

5. Thank you! These two powerful words build an organizational culture that thrives on gratitude. Gratitude implies more than a simple thank you. It goes deeper than a high-five. It’s about respect. It’s about reflection. It’s about genuinely working for others’ success. So, STOP (Stop. Take a few breaths. Observe. Proceed), and be mindful about the gratitude in your workplace and life.

6. An apple a day … Workplace wellness is more than just having a fruit basket in the kitchen. (Though that’s a good place to start.) Mental health, occupational health, and providing opportunities for employees to exercise and eat well through innovative programming and partnerships are all ways to keep employees healthy and absenteeism down. So, start thinking health – holistic health – to improve employee engagement. 2017, more than anything, has shown us that employee engagement thrives on kindness and respect and the idea that if we succeed, we do so together, as a team.

CustomInsight wishes you a New Year filled with promise, health, prosperity and peace! To end this, we want to end with a smile. Enjoy Shawn Archor’s TED talk (We can all be unicorns!)