Employee engagement is one of the most important facets of a successful business, and there are stats to show for it: Highly engaged teams are 21% more profitable than their less engaged counterparts. And the best way to encourage employee engagement is through a strong and empowering company culture. Here are just a couple ways you can develop a positive work culture to ensure your team thrives in the market.

Unlimited Time Off

Rather than focusing on the hours employees put in, look at how much time they spend on projects and quality of work. Providing your workers with a flexible schedule allows them to be more project focused and less hour focused, which increases their productivity. However, unlimited time off doesn’t mean your employees can work whenever they feel like it. Clearly state to your employees that you will adjust time off policy accordingly if you think their quality of work is worsening.

Create to Innovate

Once a year, set aside two days for employees to innovate their work process and your products. During the two-day exercise, have employees drop their regular duties and form teams to brainstorm ideas. Afterward, have the teams present their ideas to a panel of judges and encourage everyone to vote for their favorite. The judges could be from upper management or a collection of individuals from different departments. This type of event promotes camaraderie between employees and leads to better processes and products that will set you apart from the competition.

Staff Volunteering

Volunteering can improve staff morale and productivity in several ways. During their service, staff members can work with individuals from other departments they don’t usually interact with and bond over the work they’re doing for the community. Working together for a good cause outside work can also improve relationships between colleagues while they’re at work, which increases productivity.

Another great way to strengthen company culture is through group fitness classes! Exercise alone stimulates chemical changes in the brain that improve learning, mood, and thinking. Find a workout program or fitness class that best suits the needs of your staff. If you’re an AFEUSA member, you receive 50% off BurnAlong’s annual membership fees.