4 Must Know Tips to Increase Accountability

I recently published a post that overviewed the ABCs of Employee Engagement – accountability, benefits and culture.

Let us take a closer look at accountability and the benefits it can have on employee engagement.

As most HR professionals know, accountability directly correlates with an organization’s overall success, and is a key driver of employee engagement. If employees hold themselves and others accountable towards the fulfillment of a shared mission, they will feel more engaged in the work they do each day. In turn, they will also feel better connected with the organization and one another.

For accountability to be realized and sustained, here are some simple, effective tips for success:

1. Start at the top. Executives, people managers and human resources professionals are leaders within their respective organizations. Employees will look to this group as the business influencers that craft and enforce workplace strategies, rules and systems. As such, it is important for these leaders to “walk the talk,” and hold themselves accountable to the same high standards they expect of everyone else. Leaders must also work to create opportunities to recognize employees and inspire teams and individuals to take on more responsibility, while guiding them to achieve impactful results.
2. Set goals. Establishing appropriate expectations helps to set goals that drive performance and engagement alike. A well thought-out employee recognition program – whether its focused on wellness, peer-to-peer recognition, achievements, company milestones or any other initiative, is a great way to motivate and engage employees while keeping them accountable to meet or exceed business goals. Performance feedback through recognition reinforces a job well done and makes an employee feel good about their work, especially employees who have only been with the company a short time and need that encouragement
3. Be consistent. We have touched on the why and the how, but what about the when? Accountability must transform beyond simply being a buzzword mentioned only once or twice a year during the annual performance cycle. It should be incorporated into an organization’s daily business operations, and become a critical element of the company’s reward and recognition programs. Moreover, recognition programs must consistently and fairly reward employees for achieving a goal or exceeding expectations. If done effectively, true employee engagement will not be far behind.
4. Keep it fun! This is one of the most important elements for accountability and increased engagement. Creative, personal recognition experiences such as lunch with an executive, tickets to a show or a friendly sales competition between groups with a meaningful reward for the winner are the key to success. Recognition programs should focus on the positive – success and achievement – rather than emphasizing disciplinary action for a lack of accountability.

Next week, get ready to hear more about our second critical component of employee engagement – BENEFITS.

Learn more on how to reward and retain your employees through TicketsatWork Corporate Rewards and Incentives.