Fresh ideas for boosting employee engagement this month

Employee engagement benefits

Employee engagement measures an employee’s mental and emotional connection to their work, team, and organization. The term was introduced in 1990 by William A. Kahn, a professor of organizational behavior at Boston University. Kahn found that employees were more engaged when they felt their work was worthwhile (psychological meaningfulness), felt safe expressing opinions without judgment (psychological safety), and had the necessary resources to participate fully (psychological availability).

1. Create psychological meaningfulness. To help build psychological meaningfulness for your employees, they must feel rewarded for their contributions. Employees want to feel seen and valued.

2. Foster psychological safety. Employees who feel they can be themselves, take initiative and risks, and try and fail—without fear of adverse consequences—will experience psychological safety. For example, suppose someone asks a question that seems straightforward. In that case, the moderator can take the opportunity to affirm that all questions are welcome, and either offer an answer or ask clarifying questions to better understand what the person needs.

3. Strengthen psychological availability. To increase psychological availability for employees, your organization must ensure they have the physical, emotional, and psychological resources needed to fully engage at work.

Ideas for employee engagement: Fostering connection & morale each month

Many factors influence employee engagement, such as an employee’s relationship with their manager and colleagues, personal life situation, and overall well-being. To help create a workplace culture that your employees want to be a part of, consider these initiatives to strengthen your employee engagement strategy.

January: Word of the Year Challenge

McKinsey finds that “…when employees feel that their purpose [aligns] with the organization’s purpose, the benefits expand to include stronger employee engagement, heightened loyalty, and a greater willingness to recommend the company to others.” At the start of the calendar year (or your fiscal year if that makes more sense), encourage employees to select a personal “word of the year”—aligning their individual goals with your organizational “why.” To foster conversation and connection, invite employees to share their ‘“word of the year” in a Teams channel or collect responses for an HR newsletter.

February: Encourage Specific Goals and Objectives

Encourage employees to set reasonable goals that align with the organization’s objectives at the beginning of each year or quarter. Goals can help employees stay motivated, focused, and engaged. Researchers find that “Based on hundreds of studies, the major finding of goal setting is that individuals who are provided with specific, difficult but attainable goals perform better than those given easy, nonspecific, or no goals at all.” Consider requiring goals as part of your annual performance reviews.

March: Celebrate Achievements

Take time to celebrate achievements at any point in the year, especially at the end of each quarter. Recognition is an excellent tool for employee engagement. Your team could implement a structured recognition program, such as spotlighting an employee or team monthly in your newsletter. This type of public acknowledgment can show how your organization values individual efforts, which can foster a culture of appreciation.

April: Embrace Spring, New Beginnings, and Well-being

April, or whenever your “spring” is, is a great time to focus on new initiatives and personal well-being. It’s a good time to launch new projects and growth initiatives. To boost employee engagement, consider hosting a spring-themed wellness workshop or event, such as a bike-to-work day, an on-site or digital yoga class, or a spring step challenge. To refresh the classic step challenge, consider adding a new twist: encourage employees to take a different route each day, walk with a coworker (either in person or virtually), or share a favorite photo from their walk.

May: Promote Outdoor Events and Volunteer Opportunities

When you have nice weather, it’s a great time to promote outdoor volunteer opportunities or plan a company-led volunteer day for employees. Popular outdoor volunteer events include park cleanups, trail maintenance, or helping with a community garden. If you have a hybrid or remote team, invite employees to share how they volunteer in their communities. Schedule a ‘Take a Walk in Nature’ day, and invite employees to submit photos.

June: Foster Employee Connections

Engaging with coworkers is one of the best ways to help employees feel more connected to their workplace. And midyear is an excellent time to foster connections. Harvard Business Review (HBR) reports that “When you identify with [your colleagues]. . .you’re much more likely to be happy with your organization.” Consider hosting a team lunch (send digital gift cards to remote employees) or plan a trivia event or virtual game session.

July: Encourage One-on-One Check-ins

Mid-year is a great time to remind managers and employees to maintain regular one-on-ones. Managers can tailor their approach to boost employee engagement by understanding how each team member excels, where they want to grow, and what support they need. MIT Sloan finds that the following strategies make one-on-ones more effective:

Meet more often, ideally once a week.

Work together to set meeting goals and expectations.

Focus on five key questions: What’s going well? Where can I help? What are your top priorities? Is there anything new I should have on my radar? How are you feeling outside of work?

Focus on outcomes, not processes, to avoid appearing as if you’re micromanaging.

Take notes, complete action items, and follow up.

August: Highlight Employee Strengths

Gallup found that “When employees are explicitly encouraged to use their talent [to pursue] a goal, individual employee engagement improves (from 9% to 15%) as does team performance and the company’s business metrics…” Increase employee self-awareness by encouraging your people to study what they do best and what makes them unique through a training like CliftonStrengths or True Colors. These personality tools can provide employees with specific language around their strengths and skills.

September: Invite Employee Participation

Invite employees to participate in the organization’s culture through company events, roundtable discussions, joining a committee, or volunteering for an event or project. And consider how you can crowdsource ideas for future employee engagement initiatives. Since it sounds very HR-driven, steer away from labeling this effort as an “Employee Engagement Contest.” Instead, consider launching a submission form for an initiative like “The Better Work Project” with a question like “What would make your day-to-day work more enjoyable?” or “What’s one policy, perk, or event you’d love to see?”

October: Prioritize Mental Health & Self-Care

Coinciding with World Mental Health Day, October is a great month to spotlight mental health initiatives. For instance, you can begin by promoting the benefits you already offer, such as flexible work options, mental health days, or volunteer time off (VTO). Additionally, it’s crucial to remind employees of available resources, including your employee assistance program (EAP) and other mental health tools. If you want to increase engagement, encourage employees to prioritize their self-care, and support that focus with helpful policies and benefits.

November: Ask for Feedback

Soliciting employee feedback can promote psychological safety by demonstrating that employee opinions are valued. November is a great time to launch a survey or host feedback sessions to gather insights on workplace culture and employee engagement. Acting on this feedback shows that you respect employees’ perspectives, which can boost loyalty and engagement.

December: Reflect and Appreciate

End-of-year appreciation initiatives can strengthen psychological meaningfulness, the idea that an employee’s work is purposeful, valuable, and important. Early December is a great time to recognize employee contributions and celebrate the organization’s progress. Thank-you notes, team spotlights, or highlight reels can also foster a culture of gratitude and encourage long-term engagement, without the added obligation of another event.

How to keep employees engaged

These employee engagement ideas – grounded in psychological meaningfulness, safety, and availability – can help you develop a comprehensive employee engagement strategy that supports and values employees throughout the year.