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    <p>Every company seems to have its own ideas about measuring employee engagement. They also seem to disagree about what exactly employee engagement means. But one thing almost everyone does agree on is that the best way to measure employee engagement is by using employee engagement surveys. To find out why surveys are the best way to measure engagement within your workforce, as well as best practices for the surveys and sample questions, read on. </p>

    <h3 class="h3__alt">Defining Employee Engagement</h3>

    <p>Honing in on one comprehensive definition of employee engagement is a tricky task. It also might not be the best way to approach the subject. Just like every business is different, so, too, should every <a href="http://www.workforce.com/articles/employee-engagement-define-it-measure-it-and-put-it-to-work-in-your-organization" target="_blank">business’s definition of employee engagement</a>.</p>  

    <p>A business should define employee engagement based on its expectations for its employees. When asked to define employee engagement in APQC’s 2009 and 2010 collaborative benchmarking study, “<a href="https://www.apqc.org/knowledge-base/documents/rewarding-engaging-and-retaining-key-talent-best-practices-report" target="_blank">Rewarding, Engaging, and Retaining Key Talent</a>,” companies came up different responses. One said it means “commitment, work ethic, and loyalty.” Another defined it as “an individual sense of purpose and focused energy, evident to others in their display of personal initiative, effort and persistence, that is directed toward organizational goals.”</p>

    <p>Although differing in exact wording, these definitions—as well as most others—share a common backbone that boils down to <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/06/22/employee-engagement-what-and-why/" target="_blank">this</a>: Employee engagement is the emotional commitment an employee has to the organization and its goals. Emotional commitment refers to the employee caring about their work and their company; they view their job as more than just a way to pay the bills. They work hard because they believe in the work.</p>

   <h3 class="h3__alt">Why Employee Engagement Matters</h3>

    <p>An engaged employee is a happy—and <a href="http://www.engageforsuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/file52215.pdf" target="_blank">productive</a>—employee. In 2006, <a href="http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/27799/investors-take-note-engagement-boosts-earnings.aspx" target="_blank">Gallup</a> examined 23,910 businesses and compared how their financial success correlated with their employee engagement scores. They found that companies with engagement scores in the 
        top quartile averaged 12% higher customer advocacy, 18% higher productivity, and 12% higher profitability than companies with scores in the bottom quartile.</p>

    <p>In 2004, the <a href="http://www.ddiworld.com/DDI/media/monographs/employeeengagement_mg_ddi.pdf?ext=.pdf" target="_blank">Corporate Executive Board</a> in Washington, D.C. surveyed 50,000 employees in 59 organizations worldwide and found that employees with lower engagement are four times more likely to leave their jobs than those who are highly engaged. They also found that moving from low to high engagement can result in a 21% increase in performance.</p>

    <p>In response to Gallup’s results, Jim Harter, Gallup's chief scientist for workplace engagement and wellbeing, said, "These aggregated patterns show that engaged employees are more likely to stay with their organizations, are less likely to steal or experience accidents on the job, and are more likely to please customers and be highly productive. It all adds up to higher profitability, which over time, influences earnings per share."</p>

    <p>Proof of this is seen in the story of <a href="http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/24874/a-caterpillar-dealer-unearths-employee-engagement.aspx#1" target="_blank">Fabick CAT</a>. In 2002, Fabick CAT, a company that sells, rents, and repairs Caterpillar construction equipment, began measuring employee engagement. At the time, it was only at 16%. They started making culture changes based on the results, “putting the right people in the right jobs” and investing in developing the talents and strengths of its managers.</p> 

    <p>They also paid Gallup $500,000 to conduct an analysis to determine how the new initiatives influenced performance outcomes. After working with Gallup and using the results gathered to implement more changes to engage employees, by 2006 employee engagement rates were at 48%. Not only that, but Fabick CAT’s profits increased by $3 million from 2005 to 2006, a “600% return on investment” that company owner Doug Fabick credits to the higher employee engagement.</p>

    <p>With such benefits at stake, every business should want to know where its employees fall on the engagement scale in order to have the best-performing workforce possible.</p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">How to Measure Employee Engagement</h4> 
    <p>The most common and efficient way to measure employee engagement is through surveys. While you could have one-on-one, in-person conversations with employees in order to see how they’re feeling and ask them for feedback, this is a time-consuming and, often, uncomfortable approach. Putting people on the spot might make them feel too nervous to voice their real opinions, especially about management. </p>

    <p>Surveys, on the other hand, provide an anonymous, thorough platform through which employees can honestly express themselves. Not only that, but engagement surveys are an opportunity for management to <a href="http://www.explorance.com/5-key-reasons-to-conduct-employee-engagement-surveys-2/" target="_blank">establish two-way communication</a> with employees and involve them in the development process by giving them a direct voice to the management team. This involvement makes employees realize that they have a stake in the company and that their opinions are valued.</p>

    <p>Employee engagement surveys also benefit companies by providing clear sets of data to use for comparison purposes. By asking the right questions, businesses can compare results with industry-specific data to gain an understanding of their business ranks next to similar organizations. Not only that, but benchmarking also allows businesses to measure growth over the years by comparing data from one year to the next. </p>

    <h3 class="h3__alt">What to Ask in Employee Engagement Surveys</h3>

    To get the best possible results, it’s important to know what questions to ask. While there are no standard drivers of engagement, some commonly assessed factors are: 

    <ul>
        <li>Recognition and feedback</li>
        <li>Pay and benefits</li>
        <li>Respect and fairness</li>
        <li>Training and advancement opportunities</li>
        <li>Leadership</li>
        <li>Work environment</li>
        <li>Mission and purpose</li>
    </ul>

    <p>Here are <a href="http://www.custominsight.com/employee-engagement-survey/sample-survey-items.asp" target="_blank">the exact sample questions that companies like CustomInsight</a> consider for each of these categories (to be answered in a 0-5 scale, ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree):</p>

    <ol>
        <li>Recognition and feedback<br>
        a.  At work, my opinions seem to count.<br>
        b.  My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.<br>
        c.  In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.<br>
        d.  I receive useful and constructive feedback from my manager.<br>
        e.  When I do a good job, I receive the praise and recognition I deserve.<br>
        f.  Employee performance evaluations are fair and appropriate.</li>

<li>Pay and benefits<br>
    a.  I am paid fairly for the work I do.
<br>b.  My salary is competitive with similar jobs I might find elsewhere.
<br>c.  My benefits are comparable to those offered by similar organizations.
<br>d.  I understand my benefit plan. 
<br>e.  I am satisfied with my benefit package.
<br>f.  I understand the guidelines for receiving bonuses and raises.</li>

<li>Respect and fairness<br>
a.  My manager always treats me with respect.<br>
b.  The organization’s policies or promotion and advancement are always fair.<br>
c.  Favoritism is not an issue in any way.<br>
d.  My coworkers always treat me with respect.<br>
e.  This organization respects its employees.<br>
f.  My manager values my talents and the contributions I make to the company.</li>

<li>Training and advancement opportunities<br>
a.  I have adequate opportunities for professional growth in this organization.<br>
b.  I receive the training I need to do my job well.<br>
c.  My manager is actively interested in my professional development and advancement.<br>
d.  My manager encourages and supports my development.<br>
e.  I am encouraged to learn from my mistakes.<br>
f.  My work is challenging, stimulating, and rewarding.</li>

<li>Leadership<br>
a.  I am very satisfied with my manager.<br>
b.  I respect the senior leaders of this organization.<br>
c.  Senior management leads by example.<br>
d.  Senior management communicates well with the rest of the organization.<br>
e.  Employee job satisfaction is a top priority of senior management.<br>
f.  Senior management is held accountable for achieving results.</li>

<li>Work environment<br>
a.  My workplace is safe.<br>
b.  I have the resources I need to do my job well.<br>
c.  My workplace is a physically comfortable place to work.<br>
d.  I am comfortable sharing my opinions at work.<br>
e.  My ideas and opinions count at work.<br>
f.  I can disagree with my manager without fear of getting in trouble.</li>

<li>Mission and purpose<br>
a.  I have a good understanding of the mission and the goals of this organization.<br>
b.  I understand how my work directly contributes to the overall success of the organization.<br>
c.  My job is important in accomplishing the mission of the organization.<br>
d.  My supervisor provides me regular information about the mission and the goals of this organization<br>
e.  Doing my job well gives me a sense of personal satisfaction.<br>
f.  I agree with the mission and goals of this organization.</li>

</ol>

    <h3 class="h3__alt">Next Steps</h3>

    <p>The myriad benefits of higher employee engagement and proof of success with employee engagement surveys are outstanding. Other ways to boost workplace morale and participation in addition to using employee engagement surveys include: putting <a href="/resources/employee-engagement/5-ways-to-motivate-employees/">these five proven ways to motivate employees</a> into practice, implementing <a href="/resources/workplace-culture/when-favoritism-in-the-workplace-is-a-good-thing/">healthy favoritism in the workplace</a>, and effectively <a href="/resources/leadership-and-management/managing-change-in-workplace">managing change in the workplace</a>.</p>





Measuring Employee Engagement with Employee Engagement Surveys



    
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    <p>The reasoning behind non-compete agreements is simple: when an employee leaves a company, the contract prevents them from leaking the business’ confidential information to a competitor. This makes sense when non-competes are applied to only business executives, partners, or officials — people who are actually in possession of the trade secrets the agreements are meant to protect. But when the clauses extend to entry-level workers or employees of businesses that don’t trade secrets, things can get messy.</p>

    <p>Non-competes are a hot issue right now due to the growth of digital communication, documentation, and higher competition among businesses. Clauses are especially prevalent in such fields as engineering and finance, according to <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/21/the-rise-of-the-non-compete-agreement-from-tech-workers-to-sandwich-makers/" target="_blank">a new working paper</a> by economists at the University of Illinois and University of Michigan, but are also appearing in less obvious fields like <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/09/business/noncompete-clauses-increasingly-pop-up-in-array-of-jobs.html?_r=0" target="_blank">lawn care and hair styling</a>.</p>
   
    <p>But as with other company-specific laws, such as <a href="/resources/employment-law/how-ban-the-box-legislation-is-changing-hiring-practices/">Ban the Box legislation</a>, it’s often difficult to establish where the line between being enforceable and being unreasonable is for non-compete agreements. State laws, time and geographic restrictions, employee rank, and industry type are all things that must be considered when determining whether or not a non-compete agreement is enforceable and/or necessary.</p>

    <p>To help navigate the complicated world of non-compete agreements, below we define exactly what a non-compete agreement is, outline what they entail, provide examples of what is and is not (generally) enforceable, and link to a sample of a standard non-compete contract. </p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">What Is a Non-Compete Agreement and Why Are They Used?</h4>
    <p>A non-compete agreement is a type of <a href="http://www.mbbp.com/resources/employment/noncomps.html" target="_blank">restrictive covenant</a>. Essentially, it is a promise by an employee to not work for competing businesses in a specific region for a specific time period following termination of employment.</p>
    <p>Employers use non-compete contracts to keep confidential information — intellectual property, client lists, financial data — safe from competitors. They see the agreements as a way to mitigate the risk of hiring and entrusting private material to employees, consultants, or contractors.</p>

    <p>The goal of non-competes is to provide an employer protection from unfair competition (competition involving the “misappropriation of good will” — a.k.a. stealing an employer’s relationship with customers, clients, or vendors and/or confidential business information) while not unreasonably prohibiting a former employee from earning a living.</p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">What Is Included In Non-Compete Agreements?</h4>
    <p>Non-competes specify the geographic scope, duration, and type of activity an ex-employee is prohibited from engaging in. For example, a car salesman might have a 50-mile non-competition radius so as not to steal customers from his or her previous dealership. A TV news reporter, on the other hand, might be forbidden from working for other local television stations for a period of time following termination; time frames can range anywhere from a few months to two years.</p>


    <h4 class="h4__alt">When Are Non-Compete Agreements Enforceable?</h4>
    <p>Here’s where things get tricky. Whether or not a non-compete agreement is enforceable depends on <a href="http://www.mbbp.com/resources/employment/noncomps.html" target="_blank">whether or not it is reasonable</a>, and what is reasonable is determined by state courts on a case-by-case basis; <a href="http://www.beckreedriden.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Noncompetes-50-State-Survey-Chart-20130814.pdf" target="_blank">every state has its own laws regarding non-compete clauses</a>.</p>

    Non-compete agreements are typically considered enforceable if they:
    <ul>
        <li>Have reasonable time restrictions (generally less than one year)
        <li>Are limited to a certain geographic area (specific cities or counties, rather than entire states)</li>
        <li>Are necessary to protect certain employer interests, including trade secrets, confidential business information, and the company’s relationship with customers, clients, and vendors (including market position and reputation)</li>
        <li>Are "supported by consideration," meaning an employee receives a benefit (additional compensation, stock options, acceleration of benefits, etc.)  in exchange for promising to not work for a competitor</li>
    </ul>
    
    <p>Non-compete agreements must also be industry specific in order to be enforceable. For example, a newspaper writer could be barred from working for the other local newspaper, but not writing novels, even though that uses many of the same skills.</p>

    <p>Technically, a standard non-compete contract <a href="http://thedailyrecord.com/2014/09/26/should-your-company-use-non-compete-agreements/" target="_blank">is more likely to be upheld</a> if the time limitation is short, the geographic scope is small, the type of activity is narrow, and the employee is only prohibited from soliciting their former employer’s established customers.</p>


    <h4 class="h4__alt">When Can Non-Compete Agreements Be Disputed?</h4>
    <p>Non-compete agreements can be disputed and are unenforceable whenever they are too restrictive — which is often. Every state has its own laws about whether or not non-compete agreements are enforceable. Some, <a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=bpc&group=16001-17000&file=16600-16607" target="_blank">like California</a>, have deemed them illegal except in the sale of a business or a shareholder’s stock or dissolution of a partnership. Others, <a href="http://www.lindquist.com/files/Publication/5ad45f6f-fa73-4842-983d-e9cbd88bf37e/Presentation/PublicationAttachment/840cb492-f058-4199-8c2a-ecdb8e9c6636/Employer%20Beware%20-%20Is%20Your%20Noncompete%20Agreement%20Enforceable.pdf" target="_blank">like Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Arkansas</a>, allow reasonable agreements but will invalidate contracts that are too broad.</p>

    <a href="http://www.beckreedriden.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Noncompetes-50-State-Survey-Chart-20130814.pdf" target="_blank">This chart</a> outlines each state’s laws and rules about whether, when, and to what extent a non-compete agreement is enforceable, and demonstrates the complications involved in determining enforceability. It includes information like:
    <ul>
        <li>Whether non-compete agreements are permitted at all (in California, non-competes are illegal unless you are selling a business)</li>
        <li>Specifications for what is and isn’t allowed (for example, in Arkansas, customer relationships are only protected where the employee was the sole contact)</li>
        <li>Whether the state follows the <a href="http://www.natlawreview.com/article/how-50-states-differ-revising-non-competes-different-strokes-different-folks-or-red-" target="_blank">reformation rule, the blue pencil doctrine, or the red pencil doctrine</a></li>
        <li>Whether non-compete agreements are enforceable against at-will employees whose <a href="http://www.criminalwatchdog.com/resources/employment-law/how-performance-management-protects-businesses-when-firing-employees/" target="_blank">employment was terminated without cause</a></li>
    </ul>

    In general, courts will rule in favor of an employee in cases determining the reasonableness of a non-compete agreement. Some of the <a href="http://corporate.findlaw.com/business-operations/will-your-non-compete-agreement-withstand-a-court-challenge.html" target="_blank">factors judges look at when deciding on a ruling</a> for these cases include:  
    <ul>
        <li><strong>Geographical restrictions</strong> (state-wide won’t be enforced, but a local areal restriction might, if it is necessary to protect the employer)</li>
        <li><strong>Time period restrictions</strong> (the longer it is, the more likely it will be deemed unfair)</li>
        <li><strong>Type of industry, work, or specific company</strong> (businesses with direct competitors may indicate the company they don’t want employees going to)</li>
        <li><strong>Circumstance</strong> (whether the employee was terminated or left voluntarily)</li>
        <li><strong>Too broad</strong> (unnecessary restrictions, usually pertaining to geographic or time limits)</li>
        <li><strong>Type of work/job position</strong> (if an employee doesn’t have access to confidential information or trade secrets, the non-competition clause may be deemed automatically unnecessary)</li>
    </ul>
    <p>For prospective employees, it’s always a good idea to read the fine print of a non-compete contract. When doing so, ask yourself if the clause is relevant to your job, if it is fair, and if it is reasonable to you considering your location, position, and job responsibilities. Here’s <a href="http://www.kkrlaw.com/articles/noncomp.htm" target="_blank">an example of a general non-compete contract</a>, and the stipulations you might encounter.</p>

    <p>For employers, non-compete agreements should be used only to protect confidential information and only when absolutely necessary. If you do decide to require a non-compete, make the requirement known in a prospective employee’s offer letter. This inherently fulfills the consideration aspect of the agreement, with the benefit for the employee being the job. Asking employees to sign a non-compete later on in their tenure, or following a promotion, means <a href="http://www.mbbp.com/resources/employment/noncomps.html" target="_blank">a benefit must also be included</a> (raise, bonus, stock options, etc.), which adds additional complications to an already complicated process.</p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">So, are Non-Compete Agreements Actually Enforceable?</h4>
    <p>Non-compete agreements are complicated and multifaceted deals. In some cases, such as in the sale of an entire business, they are necessary and practical. In most situations, however, they are unreasonable and unenforceable. Being aware of state laws and the specific requirements outlined in a non-compete agreement are the best ways to avoid messy legal disputes and maintain positive employee–employer relationships.</p>





Are Employee Non-Compete Agreements Enforceable?



    
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    <p>The importance of employee engagement is no secret. Motivated employees put more effort into their work, which leads to better business outcomes. In fact, businesses with highly engaged employees <a href="http://www.engageforsuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/The-Evidence.pdf" target="_blank">achieve twice the annual net income</a> of those who lag behind in engagement.</p>

    <p>However, coming up with new and interesting ways to motivate employees is challenging. That's because we're trying to influence and sometimes even change the behavior of our entire staff. Recruitment is exhausting enough. Add scalable behavioral modification to the mix and our jobs can seem impossible! </p>

    <p>Thankfully implementing an employee engagement strategy doesn't require an organizational overhaul. Rather, we can take baby steps and avoid catastrophic cultural or operational changes by looking at how other businesses motivate employees. Below we've outlined five employee engagement ideas that worked for other companies, and actions you can take right now to implement the engagement technique to your organization.</p>

    <h3 class="h3__alt">Motivating Employees Idea 1: Gamification</h3>

    <p> The use of games in the workplace to increase employee engagement is growing. In fact, the gamification market is expected to be worth $2.8 billion by 2016, according to <a href="http://gamingbusinessreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Gamification-in-2012-M2R3.pdf" target="_blank">M2 Research</a>. But what is it?</p>

    <p><a href="http://blogs.gartner.com/brian_burke/2014/04/04/gartner-redefines-gamification/" target="_blank">Gamification</a> uses game mechanics and design techniques in a non-gaming context to drive business performance. Much more than social networks, leaderboards, and badges, gamification is a unifying technique that helps employees of all levels connect with one another. It provides a system for recognizing and remembering things like employee cooperation, (friendly) competition, advancement, and success.</p>

    <p>For example, utilities company EDF used gamification to crowdsource ideas for how their organization might innovate, <a href="http://www.uk.capgemini.com/energising-edf-energy-through-gamification" target="_blank">generating</a> five times as many ideas from employees than previous attempts. Pretty impressive.</p>

    <p>Employees <a href="https://hbr.org/2011/02/making-sure-your-employees-suc" target="_blank">are more likely to succeed</a> if they know their companies' goals, and gamification is a way of tangibly quantifying their contributions toward business objectives. Also, gamification lends itself to analytics, which can provide interesting insights into the impact of our motivational techniques. </p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">How to implement gamification</h4>
    <p>The good news is we can start small. By thinking about our employees’ motivations and clearly identifying our business objectives, we can integrate game elements into existing processes.</p>

    <p>“Something as simple as a scoring system can motivate employees to change their behavior,” says Elena Bertozzi, a professor of digital game design at Quinnipiac University, when talking to <a href="http://theinstitute.ieee.org/technology-focus/technology-topic/gaming-in-the-workplace" target="_blank">The Institute</a>.</p>

    <p>For example, at the University of California Benioff Children’s Hospital in San Francisco, nurses were given points for logging in their daily tasks as part of an effort to prevent hospital-acquired infections. </p>

    <p>“It’s difficult to teach motivation,” says Bertozzi. “That’s what games can do. Game developers look at a situation and figure out how to persuade people to engage in a specific activity by turning the situation into a more competitive one.” </p>

    <p>And competition in the workplace can be a <a href="https://hbr.org/2012/05/the-darwinian-workplace" target="_blank">good thing</a>, as it boosts productivity when managed carefully. Keep things simple and entertaining to make sure employees buy in (low barriers of entry make games easily accessible to everyone), and offer real-time rewards and feedback. For more implementation ideas, check out this <a href="http://www.cognizant.com/InsightsWhitepapers/Gamifying-Business-to-Drive-Employee-Engagement-and-Performance.pdf" target="_blank">paper</a> about getting started with a gamification process.</p> 


    <h3 class="h3__alt">Motivating Employees Idea 2: Peer-to-Peer Bonus Programs</h3>
    <p>Rewards shouldn’t always come from the top. After all, those who are around us on a daily basis really notice when we’re putting in the extra effort.</p>

    <p>Zappo’s <a href="http://www.zapposinsights.com/blog/item/four-peertopeer-ways-zappos-employees-reward-each-other" target="_blank">recognizes this</a>, and uses a peer-to-peer employee rewards program that allows its staff to acknowledge those who are an excellent example of company culture and who’ve been doing a fantastic job.</p>

    <p>Peer-to-peer rewards not only improve engagement, but they also foster a positive team spirit. They’re a great way of showing employees that the things they do make a big difference, and they’re not going unappreciated.</p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">How to implement a peer-to-peer rewards program</h4>
    <p>Set up a process whereby employees submit nominations with brief explanations to a designated team or individual. Make it so that each employee can nominate one person a month, then pick winners on a qualitative or quantitative basis.</p>

    <p>Rewards don’t have to be expensive. One of Zappo’s core values is “do more with less” and this means it works hard to keep its reward program affordable and scalable.  For example, give awesome parking spots, free lunch for a week, or small cash prizes. To give peer-to-peer rewards an extra boost, monitor them over time and hold an awards ceremony at the end of the year to recognize the employee who earned the most.</p>

    <h3 class="h3__alt">Motivating Employees Idea 3: Funded Social Events</h3>
    <p>Beyond salary, psychological and social fulfilment can determine whether employees are motivated to stay, perform, and contribute to an organization, says Sylvia Vorhauser Smith for <em><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/sylviavorhausersmith/2013/08/14/how-the-best-places-to-work-are-nailing-employee-engagement/" target="_blank">Forbes</a></em>. In other words, employees who have their <a href="http://smallbusiness.chron.com/motivating-employees-maslows-hierarchy-needs-11828.html" target="_blank">basic human needs</a> met by their employer are more likely to be engaged.</p>

    <p>UK-based Peninsula Business Services came third in the Sunday Times' <em>"Best Companies to Work For"</em> <a href="http://www.b.co.uk/Company/Profile/305891" target="_blank">list in 2014</a>, partly because it funds monthly socials for its employees. While this is just one of its many methods of boosting employee engagement (for example, its 759 staff receive a free breakfast every Monday morning to make the start of the week more palatable), hosting social events is something that even the smallest business can do.</p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">How to implement funded social events</h4>
    <p>From Friday afternoon beer o’clock to a holiday meal, funded socials are one of the easiest ways to improve employee engagement. Or try <a href="http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/maintain/reward-accomplishments/awards-ceremonies/main" target="_blank">reward ceremonies, which</a> are a great way to kill two birds with one stone — publicly recognize the efforts of high achievers and gather all employees in one place to bond. Just make sure that social events don't exclude certain employees — the last thing we want to do is to turn an employee engagement activity into an <a href="/resources/employment-law/ways-employers-encourage-discrimination-in-the-workplace">unintentional workplace discrimination</a> suit waiting to happen! </p>

    <p>Worried about actually funding social events? Compared to the cost of high staff turnover and poor engagement (disengaged employees are estimated to cost the U.S. economy $450 billion to $550 billion annually, according to a <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/165269/worldwide-employees-engaged-work.aspx" target="_blank">survey</a> by Gallup), a monthly, or even quarterly social event isn’t a huge expenditure in the scheme of things. Review the books for discretionary budget and stick to small-scale events to keep costs down.</p> 

    <h3 class="h3__alt">Motivating Employees Idea 4: Anniversary Celebrations</h3>
    <p>We know that employees who feel appreciated often go above and beyond what is expected of them, are more productive, and are less likely to leave a company. Well, celebrating employees’ workplace anniversaries is another way of letting them know that their commitment and loyalty haven’t gone unnoticed.</p>

    <p>It’s another two birds, one stone situation. On the one hand, it improves the confidence and happiness of an individual employee. On the other, seeing another employee's achievements celebrated boosts morale across the whole office, because other employees know that their milestones will be met with similar rewards.</p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">How to implement anniversary celebrations</h4>
    <p>This is another employee engagement technique that is extremely simple to set up. It only requires active management of a calendar to document employee start dates and some day-of preparations.</p>

    <p>What's more, it doesn’t have to be organized from the top down. Setting up a celebration committee is a great way of sharing the work and fun; and it can improve the engagement of committee members since they'll have ownership of something that increases their peers' happiness.</p>

    <p>What employees receive on their anniversary is limited only by our imagination. For example, employees celebrating their 20th anniversary with OhioHealth are <a href="http://fortune.com/best-companies/ohiohealth-35/" target="_blank">rewarded</a> with a shopping spree at an upscale mall before receiving a red carpet lunch with the CEO, while those reaching 10 years at Info-Tech Research Group get to join an exclusive veteran’s club and are <a href="http://www.greatplacetowork.ca/storage/documents/Publications_Documents/2013_Best_Workplaces_in_Canada.pdf" target="_blank">given</a> a $2,000 Air Canada gift certificate. From extra vacation days to simply an anniversary balloon, the options are endless.</p>


    <h3 class="h3__alt">Motivating Employees Idea 5: Offer Flextime</h3>
    <p>Flextime is a valuable tool for increasing employee satisfaction and engagement; considering it helps reduce absenteeism and staff turnover, improves the health of workers, and increases their productivity, according to a U.S. government <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/100331-cea-economics-workplace-flexibility.pdf" target="_blank">study</a>. </p>

    <p>In fact, workers value flexibility <a href="http://newsroom.cisco.com/press-release-content?type=webcontent&articleId=1528226" target="_blank">over almost anything else</a> — 66% of American millennials said they felt that an organization that adopts a flexible, mobile, and remote work model has a competitive edge over one that requires employees to be in the office from 9 am to 5 pm every weekday.</p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">How to implement flextime</h4>
    <p>Allowing more personal days, flexible working hours, remote working options, compressed hours (where employees work longer hours over a shorter period of time), and half-day Fridays can all contribute to a more engaged workforce. It makes sense — employees <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/159440" target="_blank">love</a> when employers are willing to contribute to a healthier work/life balance, and they work harder to ensure they can keep this optimal arrangement.</p>

    <p>Adopt a formalized flextime policy rather than allowing an ad-hoc approach (which could get out of hand), and make sure all employees are aware of it. Some businesses do this by enforcing core hours, which means that regardless of start and finish time, all employees must be at their desks between, say, 10 am and 3 pm. </p>

    <p>If it’s not realistic to implement this as standard, then why not take a leaf out of the Palo Alto-based law firm, Cooley’s, book? When its employees do a great job, they’re rewarded with “Snooze or Cruise” certificates, which allow them to come in two hours late or leave two hours early on a day of their choosing. The law firm's flexible initiative was <a href="http://fortune.com/2014/01/16/10-top-perks-from-fortunes-best-companies-to-work-for-2014/" target="_blank">featured</a> in Fortune Magazine’s “10 Top Perks from Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For” and is an affordable way to motivate and reward employees.
    </p>

    <h3 class="h3__alt">Takeaway</h3>
    <p>Motivating employees isn't just about providing perks. Employees want to work for organizations that support and reward excellence, encourage honesty, and operate fairly. It’s our responsibility to provide them with this type of work environment as best we can; and in return we'll be rewarded with engaged employees.</p>

    <p>Remember, we don’t have to make monumental organizational changes all at once. We can reduce risk by looking at the results achieved by other employers and adapting their initiatives to suit our own company objectives. We can also reduce the likelihood of internal resistance by starting small, measuring the impact of our employee engagement strategies, and collecting feedback before rolling things out on a larger scale. </p>





Employee Engagement Ideas: 5 Proven Ways to Motivate Employees



    
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    <p>Firing employees is never easy. As managers, we’re often painted as the bad guy, but it’s our responsibility to establish an efficient, happy, and talented workplace. We have to look out for the business and each individual employee, balancing the needs of both to bring about positive growth.</p>

    <p>Sure, the "sorry, we have to let you go" conversation can be emotionally-charged and difficult to initiate, but it can also lead to consequences if not handled properly. Thankfully, performance management can help spread the burden of responsibility when it comes to terminating employment, both legally and emotionally. It’s a way of ensuring employees are aware of their goals and duties, so that should they fail to meet them, appropriate steps can be taken to address the situation.</p>


    <h3 class="h3__alt">First, What is Performance Management?</h3>
    <p>Performance management is an organized, ongoing process that involves making sure employees continuously contribute toward business goals, and if they are not, provides a process for letting them know and helping them improve.</p>

    <a href="http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4668" target="_blank">According to management consultancy ACAS</a>, good performance management ensures that everyone knows:

    <ul>
        <li>What the business goals are</li>
        <li>How they can help the business achieve these goals</li>
        <li>The skills they need to do this</li>
        <li>The standards required of them</li>
        <li>How well they’re doing</li>
        <li>How they can improve</li>
        <li>When there are problems</li>
    </ul>

    <p>To be successful, performance management requires regular meetings between managers and team members so that they can discuss all of the above issues. This should happen both informally and formally, and detailed documentation should be made as both types of meetings occur.</p>

    <h3 class="h3__alt">What Risks Do Businesses Take when Firing Employees?</h3>
    <p>Firing employees should be a last resort and should only be necessary when other steps taken to resolve performance issues have failed. This is because businesses assume a number of risks when they make the decision to fire someone. These include:</p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">Security risks</h4>
    <p>Firing employees can leave them feeling hurt and angry, and unfortunately this can lead to security breaches or retaliation. Terminated employees often have access to company resources (including digital ones) which could be abused and result in business interruption, sabotage, embarrassment, lost productivity, and other financial costs.</p>

    <p>Unfortunately, it’s also a sad fact that termination can result in injury and even death. In September 2012, a former employee of a Minneapolis signage company allegedly <a href="http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/19659885/minneapolis-office-shooting-chestnut-ave" target="_blank">shot and killed</a> five people at his workplace the day after he was fired, before taking his own life. </p>

    <p>A <a href="http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2014/09/22/settlement-reached-in-accent-signage-shooting-suit/" target="_blank">lawsuit</a> was later brought against the employer by the family of one of the victims. It stated that the shooting was reasonably foreseeable based on the shooter’s former behavior, and was later settled out of court.</p> 

    <p>This highlights the need for proper pre-employment screenings, regular <a href="/criminal-background-check">criminal background checks</a>, and constant <a href="http://www.doli.state.mn.us/WSC/PDF/WorkplaceViolencePreventionGuide.pdf" target="_blank">monitoring for high-risk employees</a>, as it's our responsibility to provide a safe work environment that <a href="http://www.criminalwatchdog.com/resources/employment-law/what-is-OSHA-and-other-workplace-safety-questions-answered" target="_blank">abides by OSHA standards</a>.</p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">Legal risks</h4>
    <p>A number of different factors determine whether or not employees have the right to pursue a lawsuit against their employer, including the type of contract they’ve signed, union membership regulations, and the length of their service.  </p>

    <p> For example, employees who feel they were dismissed unfairly can file <a href="http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/termination/" target="_blank">wrongful termination</a> lawsuits. This often happens when employees aren’t given a reason for being fired, when they’ve been led to believe they’re good workers, or when their dismissal coincides with a complaint that they’ve made against an individual or the company.</p>

    <p>In addition to this, employees may also cite discrimination as the reason for their termination. Discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information is illegal, and it’s also illegal to retaliate against a person because he or she complained about discrimination to the Equal Opportunities Employment Commission (<a href="http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/practices/index.cfm" target="_blank">EEOC</a>). It's <a href="/resources/employment-law/ways-employers-encourage-discrimination-in-the-workplace">surprisingly easy to unintentionally encourage or practice discrimination in the workplace</a>, so when firing employees we need to be able to prove that the decision had nothing to do with any of these factors.</p>


    <h3 class="h3__alt">So, How Does Performance Management Protect Our Businesses?</h3>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">It minimizes losses</h4>
    <p>When it comes down to it, we need to protect our business and our jobs. Performance management can help us do that. It gives us a clear process for making underperforming employees aware that they need to improve, and outlines the potential consequences if they don’t.</p>

    <p>What's more, this systematic approach can help us find employee inefficiencies faster. Why the haste? Apart from the direct effects that poor performers have on business objectives, holding onto disengaged, unfocused employees can result in a ripple of negativity across the organization. It’s demotivating for others to see other employees not pulling their weight and this can lead to low morale and reduced <a href="/resources/employee-engagement/">employee engagement</a> across the board. And poor morale and engagement can result in actual financial losses, since disengaged employees are estimated to cost the U.S. economy $450 billion to $550 billion annually, according to a <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/165269/worldwide-employees-engaged-work.aspx" target="_blank">survey</a> by Gallup. </p>

    <p>In a way, performance management is putting the ball in underperforming employees' court. By setting clear goals, giving them the right tools to achieve them, and offering performance reviews along the way, we’re giving them a fair chance to improve, while also ensuring that we won’t sustain further losses if any issues continue.</p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">It provides fair warning, which reduces legal risk</h4>
    <p>When performance evaluations are a consistent part of an organization's processes, employees are made fully aware of their responsibilities and growth (or lack thereof) on a regular basis. It means we're giving employees plenty of chances to fix issues and to ask for help. </p>

    <p>Employee turnover costs money, as much as <a href="http://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/why-employee-turnover-is-so-costly.html" target="_blank">150%</a> of each lost employee’s annual salary to be exact. Remember, <a href="/resources/employee-engagement/5-ways-to-motivate-employees/">having a performance management strategy</a> not only saves us money from an operational standpoint, it also saves us from expensive legal fees due to wrongful termination or discrimination lawsuits filed against us. Thus, we want to make sure we only terminate someone after a series of straight-talking discussions, performance improvement plans, and documented actions. </p>

    <p>Effective performance management is also a way of putting a human face to the dismissal process, which is a softer way to reduce the risk of someone filing a lawsuit after termination. If our employees feel that we’ve done everything we can to help them succeed, by the time dismissal occurs it won’t come as a surprise. They should leave feeling as though they’ve been consulted throughout the process, not victimized. </p>

    <h4 class="h4__alt">It creates a trail of evidence</h4>
    <p>If employees are let go and they file a lawsuit, we want to make sure we can provide evidence that they were fired with just cause. Performance management is a way of preparing ourselves to do just that.</p>

    <p>Effective performance management involves keeping accurate and up-to-date personnel files on all employees. These serve as a historical timeline of their employment from hire through to termination, including evidence of all goals set, training undergone, and feedback given.</p>

    <p>These files are invaluable should a court case arise, and having them on-hand can save time and money when defending ourselves against a claim of unfair dismissal. So we need to make sure that our organizations have an employee performance review process that gathers documentation, such as through the help of employee evaluation software like <a href="https://www.small-improvements.com/" target="_blank">Small Improvements</a> and detailed "recap" emails sent to employees by managers after every one-on-one meeting.</p>

    <h3 class="h3__alt">Takeaway</h3>
    <p>Performance management is by no means a silver bullet; it takes a lot of work to maintain an effective, user-friendly, ongoing program, and it must be applied consistently across the board for it to be a success.</p>

    <p>However, when implemented properly, the benefits far outweigh the costs, both in developing a performance-driven culture and in protecting our business from legal disputes. As managers, we’re protectors of the workplace. Our employees are the key to our success and it’s down to us to do what's best for the majority of them.</p>

    <p>Are you having issues with under-performing employees? If their poor performance is due to lack of engagement, check out these <a href="/resources/employee-engagement/5-ways-to-motivate-employees/">five proven employee engagement ideas for motivating employees</a>.</p>



    <h3 class="h3__alt">Additional Resources You Might Find Interesting:</h3>
        <ul>
            <li><a href="/resources/leadership-and-management/">Management advice that will make you a better leader</a></li>
        </ul>




ADDITIONAL STORIES THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU

Measuring Employee Engagement with Employee Engagement Surveys

Are Employee Non-Compete Agreements Enforceable?

Employee Engagement Ideas: 5 Proven Ways to Motivate Employees

How Performance Management Can Protect Businesses When Firing an Employee