Studies show that 25% of staff are unhappy in their job, and with over 140 million sick days per year, and over 90% of people suffering from work related stress the attrition rate for a typical UK company is up to almost 16%. This all impacts upon productivity.

Use an employee feedback tools to discover challenges across your workforce and act on data collected. Things like CultureAmp, Hppy or The Happiness Index are all highly effective at eliciting the information you need to be concerned about.

With increased workload, the uptrend in remote working and more flexible shift patterns, it can be hard to find time to sit down and simply ask, “how’s it all going?". Some companies then not only fail to appraise, but they often also lack an effective HR channel which results in people bottling up their irritations and this in turn can manifest in to much bigger problems down the line.

Escape the day to day strain of working life and recharge those batteries when on holiday. The temptation to check in with the office, to reply to emails or make a quick client call may well be playing on your mind, but let's be honest, are you sure there isn't somebody else in the office that can help cover your desk? Set your out of office alert, and go enjoy yourself!

Energised, well rested and healthy staff will work faster and have more energy. Encourage a culture of wellbeing. Find a balance that works for both your staff and your business and increased productivity. Perhaps even allow for some home working where appropriate. Anything you can do to give your staff the balance of down-time that they need to be effective is surely a good thing.

In the digital age we live in with cloud storage and SaaS based web applications, there are tools for literally everything that we do, and they needn't cost the earth. In fact many of them offer free versions to get you started. From cross-team communications with Slack, to workflow and project planning with Trello or Wrike, there's something for any task.

It's true that technology can solve many problems, but it can also hinder. Be mindful of the way technology is used in your business. For many desk bound employees, the chance to escape technology is a tricky one, and as a nation suffering from increasing levels of techno-addiction we should tread carefully. Read our post about Digital Detox and how you can better leverage this downtime for a positive outcome.

Regular team meetings and feedback are absolutely vital, be this a Monday morning sales briefing, the tech team daily stand up, or good old Friday beers. We're not talking about "meetings for meetings" but fostering a cohesive working culture where people actually talk and don't just hide behind their inbox you'll find subtle but vital benefits will be felt right across the business.

Give your team the opportunity to interact outside of the workplace, and to put their skills and imagination to work in a different environment to what they're used to. It will be well worth the expense! Perhaps consider an away day concentrating on productivity, an activity weekend to bond, or a team exercise to help develop new skills. Tie this in with catering, a restaurant or a night out, and whatever the objective, you will all feel the benefit.

To discuss further how effective employee engagement can help your business, maybe share your own experiences, or simply give us feedback on this post, please speak to Charlotte Franks in our Corporate Events Team. Charlotte has organised hundreds of employee engagement programmes, team building and training days, meetings, conferences and parties to help reduce sickness, control attrition and boost team performance.

Charlotte can be reached direct on 020 7299 1886, or by email at charlottef(at)chillisauce.com