4 Tools and Tips for an Engaged (and HAPPY) Team

Keeping employees engaged is a never-ending task. Businesses must remain vigilant in listening to employee feedback and keeping up with the latest trends.

With the way business is being done changing at a rapid pace, some practices have established themselves as a standard. We’ll hereby discuss some of them and see how exactly they boost employee engagement.

With so many tools around, it is ofttimes difficult to pick the best alternative. Not to mention that some businesses have more generous budgets than others and professional tools don’t come cheap.

Luckily, there’s an alternative for everything and not all businesses need to use the same app package. Obviously, large businesses need more tools than smaller ones and they can afford more expensive solutions.

Generally speaking, all businesses need certain types of tool, such as are communication apps, project management tools, and team management tools. Of these, there are many free apps and also many that offer both free- and paid options. Some notable examples include Skype, Zoom, Asana, Trello and Slack.

When choosing the most suitable tools, on top of your budget, you should also keep in mind their implementation and integration and ease of use.

It’s safe to completely disregard the tools that don’t integrate with the existing app your business is using and keep in mind that they also must be compatible with employees’ devices. Among multiple options, always pick the apps that are easy to use.

Finally, consider special features. The apps of your choice do not necessarily have to be overly feature-rich as long as they offer solutions your business needs.

As for paid apps, annual subscription tend to be way cheaper than monthly plans, but only pick this option after you have tested the target app. Free trials are abundant, so this shouldn’t be a difficult task.

In addition to the must-use types of tools mentioned above, we’ll here discuss some other helpful app types that get easily overlooked… and they shouldn’t.

Simple time-tracking software can make all the difference between an enjoyable- and an aggravating workday.

Time-tracking software has multiple benefits but, once again, it’s important to pick the right type.

There are multiple options in this regard; options include standalone time tracking software, part of a project management software, automatic time tracking, real-time monitoring, and clock in and out tools, to name just a few. More complex solutions are also available for enterprises.

Cloud-based software has proven to be a good choice. It’s easy to use, too. E.g., employees only need to clock in at the beginning f the work they and clock out when their shift is over. Easy-peasy!

There are three general types of clocking-in systems: manual, digital and software (apps). Manual and digital time clocks employ either biometrics, proximity clocks, swipe clock time cards, PIN clocks, or punch clock time cards.

Cloud-based time-tracking tools record and store the data in the cloud on the business’ server. Cloud storage is accessible from anywhere, which makes it especially beneficial.

Learning is one thing certain to make employees happy. The majority, at least!

Hence, make sure to provide custom learning for your specific teams but first of all develop a culture of learning.

eLearning tools are many and truly suitable for any business. With so many options, it may be difficult to pick your favorites, so it’s recommended to deploy employee feedback when choosing optimal training programs.

Digital marketing has become omnipresent and omnipotent. Disregarding this fact may cost businesses a lot, so make sure to pay attention to the latest trends and provide appropriate education for your teams.

Start with the essentials: better email deliverability and best digital marketing practices.

If you’re in construction business or a similar industry, one thing you must do is implement workplace safety software.

Workplace safety tools automate related information and enable/provide safety training, incident reporting, real-time incident tracking, a centralized library of safety processes and procedures, and safety compliance with federal regulations.

On top of the standard tools every business needs (communication apps, project management tools, and team management tools), there are also additional types of apps to consider, including safety apps, digital marketing tools, eLearning solutions, and time-tracking software.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg as you’re probably able to think up at least a couple of additional necessary tools your business may need.

That’s fine, too. Different businesses have different priorities and ways that they set goals, and employees have their expectations, too.

As a general rule, to keep your teams engaged and happy, ask the employees what kind of apps they’d like to use. Nothing beats the good old feedback system and this isn’t a sensitive topic, either, so the whole process should be quite simple to implement.

Overall, only use tools that will simplify processes. Avoid complicated software like the plague: your employees will thank you for that!