As a health insurance broker, you are continually finding new ways to make your clients' jobs easier. Whether it's assisting them as they navigate health care reform, helping employees understand their benefits, or finding them the right dental, vision and health plans at the right price -- you're their go-to partner.

Why is employee engagement so important? According to Forbes, 61% of employees are burned out and those who are disengaged cost companies over $550 billion a year, Having wellness programs increases company loyalty by 89% and 96% of employees say showing empathy helps with retention rates.

We understand that relationship and in turn, want to help make your job easier by giving you these 10 tips to increase employee engagement! 

1. Set the tone - Setting a corporate culture – from the top down and bottom up – has been a driving force behind employee satisfaction. For us, it’s about the warm, small-company vibe. Think about what makes your company unique and build upon that, whether it’s a culture of innovation, family, or service. Take it and run with it…make your culture shine. 

2.  

   Over communicate - We believe in keeping our team informed. We’ve tried communication a few (ok, a lot!)  different ways and here’s where we have found success connecting our team with information:

   - Quarterly town hall meetings where we share company news, financial highlights, where we’re at with goals and allow the team to submit questions via drop box which are answered at the meeting.

   - Running an internal blog where we share company news, internal events, and allow our employees to have engagement with one another. We also use social media platforms as a way for our employees to showcase their company pride.  

   Don’t forget to recognize that communication is a two-way street. Annual employee surveys are excellent here. You find out what the team thinks and values which will help you tailor events, wellness and benefit programs to suit their needs. Survey results are a roadmap to employee satisfaction success! 

3. Grow from within - Promoting from within builds loyalty, creates value and
   develops a well-rounded workforce. Job models are a great way to achieve this – they help your team see what it takes to get to the next level and create a roadmap for success.

4. Reward success - Celebrating hard work can be as big as a company-wide BBQ or event or as small as a hand written note. Bottom line: a thank you goes a long way. We asked for volunteers from each department to be part of our events committee. They planned a year’s worth of events (one for each month) ranging from ice cream socials to office Olympics to wear your favorite team jersey day. Not only did the team enjoy planning these events but the company enjoyed participating in them.

5. Provide an atmosphere of candor - Having employees trust you comes from honesty. Provide opportunities for employees to ask questions freely and provide a venue to answer those questions candidly. We have found that our town halls are great for this type of conversation. Transparency leads to accountability which leads to trust and respect across the organization. 
6. Hire people, not just a skill. - We fiercely protect our corporate culture. It’s what
   makes our company a great place to come to day in and day out. We look for candidates that not only fit the technical aspects of the job, but that align with our corporate values. Find employees that foster both departmental and organizational synergy and we are positive that you’ll see the difference!
7. Benefits matter, they really do! - As a benefits company, we know the value of dental, vision and insurance options for employees. A variety of quality benefits adds to the employee’s overall compensation package. It helps attract and retain great talent. In addition to benefits, consider providing wellness activities such as walks, 5Ks and team-centric events. It helps keep the team fit and active while promoting team spirit and unity.
8. Treat your team like family - Encourage friendships, bonds and allow time for those personal connections to form. When a team embraces one another as friends, the quality of work changes from “just a job” to something you feel passionate about and personally invested in for success.
9. Value your values - What matters most to your company? What does your organization stand for to your customers? Place those central to everything you do and each decision you and your team make. This helps create a “one company, one team” environment, and that’s pretty powerful!
10. Feed their passion - We feed passion with…well, food. Offering small items like bagel Tuesday or daily coffee are small perks that go a long way. We’re often surprised at how an impromptu pizza party or sweet treat can add excitement and satisfaction to our team’s day. But, we also believe in developing an employee’s skill-set and it leads to some pretty powerful things. New ideas, passion and innovation have been some of the results of offering an online free course catalog. Employees can take courses that help them with their current role, help them into future roles or help them pursue an interest.

All companies are run differently, but using some of these tips can help make your organization become even more successful! As you continue to help your clients, do you know if you're doing all you can to improve your business? Download our LinkedIn guide to find out!