For most managers, there’s only one thing that matters: the bottom line. But time and time over again, companies have discovered that the bottom line is contingent on the real most important metric: employee engagement. Employees who are disengaged cost their employers 35% of their salary in low productivity. A vast majority of employees are quickly distracted and disengaged at work with technology. Employees can spend an average of 6.3 hours a day on checking email and online. And even if they are terminated or leave, it costs approximately nine months worth of their salary to replace an employee. The most long term, cost effective way to guarantee meeting budgets and maintaining quality work is to invest in employee engagement. You are only as strong as your team, and your team is only as strong as individually engaged employees.

Here’s how to improve employee engagement

Flatten communication levels

When employees feel like they are just another worker bee in a large corporation, they’re already set up to feel disconnected from the overall goals. Employees are most likely to feel connected and motivated at work when they can see a direct correlation between what they do and overall company goals. Bureaucracy and too many layers of management further distance employees from the real results. Making communication systems that span the entire organization chart can help employees feel more connected. Using an enterprise social network like Joincube, which allows important information and overall strategy to easily be shared company wide. Employees will see their purpose when their contributions are acknowledged and connected directly to seniors and upper management.

Keep employees engaged with virtual team brainstorming

The best ideas and solutions come from employees from all over a company. Employees on the front line across different departments know where the strengths and weaknesses of the company are. If they feel their suggestions and ideas are heard, they will be more engaged in working to better the company. Steve Jobs once designed a whole office around this concept. The Pixar building was built so that all departments and management levels had to cross paths and meet. The result? A massive amount of patents filed. The way to encourage brainstorming and quick action is to introduce digital ways to brainstorm. Joincube allows employees to communicate across office boundaries, share ideas, assign tasks, and align the whole company towards one strategy. Employees who feel personally connected to different areas of the company and can see a clear path towards goals are more likely to be engaged and productive.

Show how individual work contributes overall

No one gets used to doing seemingly menial tasks; they check out. When employees check out, the company loses money on productivity. If you can show employees how their specific tasks are contributing to the overall strategy, they’re more likely to feel invested and important. Planning out company projects with an online task management system where everyone can see the moving parts and where their role fits is a great way to motivate. A company-wide enterprise social network is an excellent way to share and recognize employee achievements a broader group so employees feel more engaged with their work.

Foster team bonding to increase employee engagement

Studies have found that workplace friendships boost employee satisfaction by 50% and people with friends at work are seven times more likely to be engaged. Fostering team building and connection between employees is ideal for keeping employees onboard and engaged for the long run. You may not have the time and money for a ton of company get togethers or retreats, but there are still other things you can do to build relationships. Large multinational corporations can still do this by using a central digital enterprise social network to communicate and link up employees. Enterprise social networks can be extremely helpful in making new employees just onboarded start to build relationships and find mentors that will keep them engaged for the long run. In Joincube, employees can direct message, post questions and get responses from all over the company, and “know” who they’re working with no matter where they are.

The larger the company, the harder it can be to ensure all employees feel connected and vital to a central strategy. Making the company as accessible and transparent as possible builds up employee morale and increases engagement. In the long run, solid employee engagement is your strongest weapon against the other changing factors of business. Try Joincube today for your company to interconnect your employees and increase employee engagement. [:]