Software Engineering

Boosting Employee Engagement Using Microsoft Teams and Slack

Employee engagement is crucial for any business to succeed, and chat tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack can be powerful platforms for promoting it.
Published on
March 2024

Employee engagement is crucial for any business to succeed. Engaged employees are more productive, motivated, and loyal, which translates to improved business outcomes.

In fact, research shows that among highly engaged teams (top 25%) those with typically high-turnover report 25% lower turnover, and those organizations with typically low-turnover report 65% lower turnover.

Employee engagement is crucial for any business to succeed, and chat tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack can be powerful platforms for promoting it.

What is Employee Engagement?

But what is employee engagement, exactly? At its core, employee engagement is about creating a work environment where employees feel connected, valued, and motivated to do their best work.

This can be achieved through effective communication, recognition and reward programs, and opportunities for professional development and growth.

It's important to focus on engagement because highly engaged employees will perform better and are less likely to leave the team - potentially increasing the bottom line and saving the business money in the process.

Using Microsoft Teams and Slack for Employee Engagement

Microsoft Teams is a powerful platform for facilitating employee engagement in the workplace. Slack is another popular chat tool, known for its ease of use and customization options, that can be used to promote employee engagement.

Teams can use these platforms for everything from team chats to virtual meetings to project management. They are designed to promote collaboration and foster communication across all levels of an organization.

office-team-looking-at-microsoft-teams-on-monitor-in-meeting-room
Over one million organizations use Microsoft Teams to power their workforce

Creating Channels for Common Interests

One way to use Slack for employee engagement is by creating channels dedicated to different topics or interests.

For example, a company might have a channel dedicated to wellness initiatives or team-building activities. This can help employees feel more connected to their colleagues and engaged in their work.

Providing Real-Time Employee Feedback

Managers can also use Teams to provide real-time employee feedback, which can help employees feel valued and supported in their work.

This can be as simple as sending a quick message to acknowledge a job well done or to offer constructive feedback for improvement.

You can formalize this process with a platform, such as WorkStory, to prompt team members for specific feedback and collect this data as part of a larger, continuous performance evaluation process.

team-member-accessing-slack-on-phone-and-laptop
Millions of employees use Slack everyday to communicate in-office and remotely

Regular Check-Ins for Improved Communication

Continuous feedback collection involves regularly checking in with employees to gather feedback on their work and progress towards their goals.

Chat tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack can make it easy for managers to provide feedback in real-time, whether it's through a quick message or a video call.

Use Your Tools to Boost Engagement

By utilizing these tools, and others, businesses can create a more engaged and productive workforce, leading to improved business outcomes.

To learn more about the benefits of employee engagement, check out one of our other posts, "The Business Case for Employee Engagement".

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