Your top 10 employee engagement blog posts from 2019

It was really tough to only deliver a Top 10 Employee Engagement Blog list because, let's face it, there are a lot of posts that deserve a spotlight but don't make it! If you've tuned into the Reward Gateway blog at all this year, you'll know there are a lot of inspiring leaders in our network who continually share their lessons learned and give a lot back to the HR community. 

Here are the most popular from 2019, but don't let this list stop you from diving deeper into our content catalogue. If you haven't already, subscribe and get the latest posts in your inbox every two weeks. 

10. Four ways to power your reward and recognition program through employee feedback

Every single HR leader who's contributed to the Reward Gateway blog has emphasized the importance of seeking and acting on employee feedback... but the biggest mistake HR leaders make is running a survey and doing nothing with the data! Improving your reward and recognition program through feedback doesn’t have to be tricky - even if your findings are less favorable than you originally anticipated them to be. Alexandra Powell, Director of U.S. Client Culture and Engagement, shares her tips in this practical post. 

9. Who is responsible for employee engagement? 

The complex nature of engagement, the wide range of data, requirements, delivery and support needed, means that each layer of the business needs input and accountability. Our Group HR Director, Robert Hicks discusses who to mobilize and how, because it's the champions who own employee engagement who will drive and deliver a successful engagement strategy.

8. 21 employee recognition statistics worth memorizing

The title pretty much speaks for itself, right? If you need help building your business case for investing in or improving your employee reward and recognition program, then bookmark this post! 

7. A CFO perspective: Aligning people, performance and profit to drive business results

As a CFO, Elli Morii's expertise is first and foremost “the numbers.” What drives profitability for our business? Can we reduce some costs without compromising our growth? What is the optimal resource allocation? In this post, she shares how having engaged employees is key to meeting an organization’s financial goals, because it impacts the three core pillars that drive profit: retention, performance and customer satisfaction.

6. Why manager-led recognition improves employee retention and engagement

To truly improve employee retention in an organization, your people need to feel valued, connected to your purpose, mission and values, and feel like their work is being recognized. One of the biggest pieces to improving employee engagement and retention is empowering managers to recognize your people.

5. What is employee disengagement actually costing you?

According to Gallup, 69% of North American employees are disengaged at work and this slump in engagement is costing American businesses millions every year. Learn why investing in employee engagement is a no-brainer for forward-thinking leaders because they know it will have a tangible, ongoing impact on her people’s and business’ success.

4. Three ways to bring employee communications forward

All organizations, no matter which industry you’re in, how many employees you have or where your company is located, have one thing in common: The need to connect with their people. Learn why improving employee communications is the key to fostering deeper connections between your purpose, mission and values and your employees.

3. The impact of the four different styles of recognition on workplace culture

People are all different. Sometimes we find these differences helpful and engaging, and other times we may find them puzzling. Alex explains why it’s so important to understand others’ styles before strategically recognizing employees in the workplace,  and how to build that into an effective R&R strategy.

2. Your people are not your greatest asset

You’ve probably heard people say the phrase “your people are your greatest asset,” but at Reward Gateway, we don’t take this phrase at face value, we challenge it. If you want to create an environment that inspires innovation where your people are enabled and can drive cultural change in your organization, you probably need challenge that idea too! 

1. The CEO Corner: Reaching your people starts with pushing your communication boundaries

At Reward Gateway, practicing open and honest communication is core to how we run our business, and a key part of how we create an environment for employee engagement. But as our CEO, Doug Butler, writes, it's not always easy to do that when your team is not just cubicles but also continents away. He shares how he's unlearned many of his habits to embrace new communication techniques and tools to help him better connect with a dispersed workforce. 

Still hungry for something to read? I'll sneak in one more, because this definition of strategic recognition just came in at #11 and shows how Dunn Tire improves its company culture with recognition.

And of course, don't forget our recommended 2019 reading list from HR and business leaders – it's got plenty of titles to get you pumped and ready for the new year! 

Happy reading!