What are the 5 C's of Employee Engagement?

A good employee engagement strategy can help you reduce absenteeism by 41% and increase productivity, retention rates, and employee satisfaction, according to Gallup. Recently, the term "employee engagement" has garnered significant attention from employers and HR leaders aiming for organisational success. The 5 C's of Employee Engagement are focused on directly improving engagement in the workplace, and we will discuss this framework in detail and how to implement it in your organisation.

Did you know: According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace, only 15 per cent of employees feel engaged in the workplace?

What are the 5 C's of Employee Engagement?

Studies show that companies with more engaged employees are 21% more profitable. If you want to improve employee engagement, the 5 C's of the Employee Engagement framework are one of the best ways to achieve it. Here's what they mean:

Care: Show Employees You Care

The first C of employee engagement represents care. There are many ways to show employees that you genuinely care about them, starting with offering competitive salaries, benefits, and support for their mental and physical health needs. Some of the best ways to show care include:

• Mental Health Support: Offer workplace counselling and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) to help employees with stress management. According to the World Health Organisation, for every $1 invested in employees' mental health, there's a return of $4 through better productivity and health.
• Physical Health Initiatives: Besides mental health support, you can also implement physical health initiatives such as step challenges, workout programmes, or other events.
• Work-Life Balance: Many employees value a workplace where they can maintain a healthy work-life balance. According to a FlexJobs survey, 72% of employees agree that work-life balance is the most crucial factor when considering switching jobs.
• Financial Wellbeing: Offering health insurance can significantly boost retention rates and attract top talent. Ensure you offer comprehensive group insurance to your employees.

With CHOYS, you can take care of employees' overall wellbeing (mental, physical, and financial) through our user-friendly app. We offer features like EAP, step challenges, and group insurance starting from just two employees.

Connection: Build Meaningful Relationships

Employees feel more engaged when they have a sense of belonging in the workplace. It's important to foster a workplace where employees feel connected to both their colleagues and leaders. Here are some ways to achieve this:

• Team-Building Activities: Organise virtual or in-person activities for employee engagement. These can include workshops, social events, and retreats to improve interpersonal relationships in the workplace.
• Transparency: Encourage open communication between employees and management. An open-door policy helps maintain healthy relationships across all levels of the organisation.
• Create a Healthy Culture: Build a culture that celebrates diversity and inclusivity, ensuring all employees feel valued, regardless of their position or background.

Coach: Help Your Employees to Grow

Employees are more likely to stay motivated if they see opportunities for growth and continuous learning. Coaching is one of the best ways to keep employees engaged. Here's how you can support their development:

• Personal Development: Help employees create career growth plans that focus on their skills and aspirations, showing that the organisation is invested in their future.
• Give Feedback: Provide constructive feedback to guide employees on how they can improve.
• Career Development Programmes: Offer development opportunities through training programmes, and consider providing financial assistance for further education or certifications.

Contribute: Encourage Ideas and Contributions

Employees feel more engaged when their work is meaningful and contributes to a larger purpose. According to Gartner, employees seek meaning in their work, so it's crucial to ensure their contributions are valued.

• Feedback Sessions: Hold one-on-one feedback sessions with employees, asking about their challenges and encouraging them to share ideas for improving products or services.
• Involve Employees in Decision-Making: When making business decisions, involve employees and show them how they can contribute. This gives them a sense of ownership, which increases engagement.

Congratulate: Recognise the Efforts

Employees who receive recognition are 20 times more likely to be engaged. Recognition, although simple, can have a significant impact on employee satisfaction, productivity, and engagement.

• Recognise Efforts: You can recognise employees via email, group channels, or by introducing monthly awards and peer recognition programmes.
• Celebrate Milestones: Don’t forget to celebrate both personal and professional milestones, such as work anniversaries, birthdays, and personal achievements.

To make this even more impactful, CHOYS offers a recognition feature that allows you to recognise employees in a way that’s visible to everyone. Achievements can be posted on the app for all employees to see.

How CHOYS Can Help You With Employee Engagement

CHOYS offers features that support each element of the 5 C's framework. Here’s how CHOYS can help:

• Care: CHOYS provides essential tools like EAP to support employees' mental health and wellbeing. Additionally, CHOYS Steps Challenges encourage physical fitness, ensuring holistic care for employees.
• Connection: CHOYS fosters meaningful workplace relationships through the CHOYS Manual of You, where employees can explore their colleagues' personalities and interests.
• Coach: With CHOYS' PERMA Survey, organisations can assess key factors like employee engagement and satisfaction, allowing HR leaders to guide employees in their professional development.
• Contribute: CHOYS encourages employee contributions via the CHOYS Moment Wall, where achievements can be publicly shared, promoting a collaborative culture.
• Congratulate: CHOYS' Recognition feature enables peer-to-peer shout-outs and company-wide recognition of employee achievements, ensuring everyone’s efforts are acknowledged.

FAQs

1. What are the 5 C's of employee engagement?
   The 5 C's, Care, Connection, Coach, Contribute, and Congratulate—are essential elements that help organisations create a more engaged and motivated workforce by addressing employees’ core needs.
2. Why are the 5 C's important for employee engagement?
   The 5 C's focus on employee wellbeing, relationships, development, purpose, and recognition, helping reduce turnover, improve productivity, and create a positive work culture.
3. How does "Care" in the 5 C's improve engagement?
   When companies prioritise employees' mental, physical, and financial wellbeing, employees feel valued and supported, leading to increased loyalty and engagement.
4. How can companies build "Connections" with employees?
   Fostering strong relationships through team-building activities, open communication, and a sense of belonging is key to improving employee engagement and workplace morale.
5. How can managers effectively "Coach" employees for engagement?
   Providing regular feedback, career development opportunities, and personal growth plans motivates employees and ensures they feel supported in their professional journey.