Whether you are a small company or a large organization, a nonprofit or a church, employee engagement matters. But employee engagement is not always perceived in the same way. One study found that more than 80% of supervisors and managers say they frequently express appreciation and care to their team while less than 20% of employees agree.

So, what is employee engagement? It is the strength of connection employees feel toward their places of work, those in leadership roles, and colleagues. It is the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization. It’s the way that the employee feels from the heart. It’s the way that they emotionally connect to the person that is supervising them, their colleagues, and the mission of the organization.

Engaged employees care deeply for the organization, and their care translates to goals not only accomplished but exceeded.

So Why Employee Engagement?

Here are five reasons why employee engagement matters in your organization.

1. Engagement increases productivity and profitability.

If you think about it from an organizational perspective, those two things really matter. You need to have the finances you need to continue, but you also want the productivity from the employees. And when you engage with your employees, their productivity and profitability increase.

2. Engagement deepens employee connectivity.

When employees come to work, to the church they are serving, or to a nonprofit, there’s a connectivity that happens when they feel engaged. First to the leader or supervisor, but secondly to their colleagues, and then ultimately and most importantly, to the clients that they serve.

3. Engagement strengthens customer service.

Employee engagement really is about focusing on the people that you serve and your clients and customers. So, as a nonprofit, who are you caring deeply about? In a church, who are the people coming to your church? And as a business, who are the clients that are either taking advantage of or purchasing your services?

4. Engagement gives employees increased purpose.

This is my favorite one. I want my employees and staff to come to work, to church, to a nonprofit, and love what they do. To love the people they work with. To love the mission of the organization and the product that they create.

5. Engagement saves money.

Studies prove that the deeper an employee is engaged in the work and purpose of what they do, the more money it saves the organization and the more profitable that organization becomes.

5 Steps to Increase Employee Engagement

Here are five ways you can increase employee engagement in your organization.

1. Start.

Start somewhere. If you are doing nothing, do something. If you are doing something, become more personal in it.

2. Cultivate.

Make sure that the culture of your organization, church staff, or nonprofit, is the highest priority of the work that you do. Invest in it. Ask people about it. Cultivate it.

3. Care.

Every person on your team should know that they are cared for by someone. If you are managing 3-4 people, it is reasonably easy to care for all of them. But if you have a team of 50 or have 15 direct reports, it is almost impossible to provide the level of care that each employee needs. So, make sure that each employee has a connection point to care within the organization.

4. Food.

Food has the ability to bring people together. It provides natural rhythms for people to connect. Maybe you bring donuts once a month, celebrate people’s birthdays, or give out gift cards to encourage people to try new restaurants in your community. Food is something people love, and it is a way to celebrate your employees and staff.

5. Challenge.

Create new opportunities and challenges for employees to overcome, so that they do not get bored in their roles. One study showed that as employees remain longer in their position, they can become more bored and less productive. So, look at each employee and ask yourself, “How can I challenge this person in the next project?” “How can I challenge this person to rise up and lead in a way that he or she may not have led before?”

I love the trucking company that has this sign on the side of their trucks: “Our most valuable resource sits here.” You might not be a trucking company, but you need to find a way for your employees to know that this is what you believe about them. That they are your most important resource.

These tips may take time to unpack. So, start by asking yourself, “What can I do today to make my employee engagement better, deeper, and more productive?”

Billy Dunn is a Senior Consultant at The Center Consulting Group and has over 20 years of church and nonprofit leadership experience. He serves as the Character Coach for the Lehigh University Men’s Basketball team and the Director of Ministry Leadership for Word FM. Billy has assisted with the launch of a number of nonprofit organizations and has worked with organizations and ministries across the world. Billy has an M.S. in Organizational Leadership and brings experience in the areas of leading change, leadership coaching, resource development, church growth planning, and strategic thinking and planning.