| Whether or not this is indeed a watershed moment as | | | | coffee klatches. Create opportunities for management |
| the 2010 Global Workforce Study (GWS) by Towers | | | | to provide vision, assuage concerns, invite engagement, |
| Watson posits, clearly Employee Engagement is of | | | | and address the employee-employer relationship. |
| paramount importance to the success of your | | | | Communicate via newsletters or memos to let |
| business. | | | | employees know about business goals, company |
| Top companies recognize that employee engagement | | | | performance and plans, and industry activity, |
| is a key force behind success. Employee engagement | | | | opportunities. |
| impacts every aspect of how satisfied the customers | | | | Employee Performance Feedback: |
| are, how smoothly suppliers are involved into the | | | | Gallup surveyed over 1,000 US employees and reports |
| production of the company's good or service, how | | | | that the best way to drive employee engagement is |
| efficiently tactical plans are carried out, how | | | | for managers to address employee performance. |
| consciously quality and improvement are integrated | | | | Focusing on the positive performance provides the |
| into the company's practices, and bottom-line: how | | | | highest boost to engagement, however providing |
| profitably a company performs. Think of employee | | | | evaluation of negative performance is better than no |
| engagement as the equivalent of customer loyalty. | | | | discussion of performance at all. The Gallup survey |
| The Great Recession has introduced or exacerbated | | | | showed that of those employees who felt that their |
| various workplace ills that erode the employee | | | | review focused on strengths, 61% were engaged, of |
| engagement. According to Gallup, the ration of | | | | those who felt the focus was on weaknesses, 45% |
| engaged employees to actively disengaged | | | | were engaged, and those who felt ignored showed |
| employees is 2 to 1; with a cost of $300 billion in lost | | | | only 2% as engaged. |
| productivity. A Watson Wyatt survey in May showed | | | | Performance evaluation should: clearly articulate job |
| that engagement levels for top performers fell close to | | | | requirements and metrics; analyze performance and |
| 25 percent year over year. Employees overall | | | | determine the type of management guidance and |
| experienced a 9 percent drop in engagement year | | | | development needed for improvement; and provide |
| over year. | | | | direction to the employee. |
| The GWS results show some disturbing results. Only | | | | Rewards and Recognition Programs: |
| 47% of employees see senior leadership as | | | | Financial remuneration is of course the reason most |
| trustworthy, only 41% believe that senior management | | | | people go to work, but it is by no means the only |
| encourages talent development, and only 38% believe | | | | motivator. Work provides us with an opportunity to |
| that management cares about their well-being. Another | | | | meet our psychological, emotional, social, creative and |
| key finding is that security and stability are of higher | | | | personal achievement needs. And most of us want to |
| importance than compensation, career growth, or other | | | | be recognized for our work, our ideas and |
| factors. Despite this air of discontent and very low | | | | contributions, our loyalty and motivation. Rewarding |
| confidence in senior leaders, only 9% of employees | | | | employees by letting them know that their work is |
| report actively looking for another job. The cost of | | | | valued is important at all levels of the company - |
| recruiting and training new staff is enormous; however | | | | saying "thank you" to people is a very powerful tool. |
| the cost of retaining unengaged employees is also high | | | | Encourage a culture of going the extra mile in |
| especially during a recession. | | | | customer service or quality/process improvement, by |
| What is engagement? | | | | recognizing it when it happens. Provide tangible |
| It is the motivation, commitment and loyalty of the | | | | rewards such as flexible hours and locations for |
| people working at a common mission. The staff's level | | | | valued employees. Studies show that flexible |
| of satisfaction, pride and personal responsibility is | | | | workplaces attract, retain and develop talented |
| directly related to how engaged they are in | | | | employees. |
| accomplishing the organizational goals. | | | | Career Development & Mentoring: |
| Are your employees engaged? | | | | Everyone wants to feel that their efforts are |
| The first step to engaging your employees is to | | | | recognized and their contribution is valuable. Training |
| recognize the various factors that negatively affect | | | | opportunities can both hone current staff's skills as well |
| them. Contributing factors include customer losses, | | | | as communicate that the company believes in them |
| revenue strains, squeezed profitability, layoffs, | | | | and cares about their career well-being. Focus should |
| employee turnover, understaffing and overworking - | | | | be on providing training and development in areas |
| pretty common issues confronting business in the | | | | where both employees and employers can benefit. |
| current climate. But also, look at inefficient systems and | | | | Mentoring is also a win-win solution for strengthening |
| processes, bureaucracy or lack of compelling internal | | | | focus and building trust and communication. Participate |
| communication, policy or practice inflexibility. Are | | | | in a career track for existing employees. This will allow |
| compensation, benefits, rewards and employment | | | | for succession planning and help employees visualize |
| environment conducive to motivating the talent in | | | | their futures in the organization. |
| place? Does the senior leadership effectively | | | | What about the costs of engagement efforts? |
| communicate a confident vision for the company and | | | | The costs and benefits will be unique to each |
| the employees? Are they seen as valuing current | | | | company. Surveys conclude that the organizations |
| staff and nurturing career development opportunities? | | | | with high employee engagement see clear positive |
| Do they portray integrity, dedication, and teamwork? | | | | effects on their business performance. Various studies |
| Solicit Input and Track Results: | | | | also show that companies with greater employee |
| But don't just assume what factors motivate or | | | | engagement see increases in operating income and |
| disengage: ask your employees. How they feel about | | | | earnings per share, greater sales growth, increased |
| the organization? Create opportunities for dialogue and | | | | customer loyalty and satisfaction, large increases in |
| feedback. A suggestion box, focus groups, periodic | | | | employee discretionary effort, an ability to draw from |
| employee surveys are be useful tools for measuring | | | | a bigger pool of talent, greater alignment with |
| engagement. Engagement drivers and levels should | | | | organizational strategy, an improved bottom line, and |
| be tracked over time. | | | | greater sustainability in the face of business challenge. |
| Show Leadership & Communicate: | | | | Contrast these benefits with the costs of |
| Senior management needs to lead. The corporate | | | | disengagement: low morale, dysfunctional teamwork, |
| vision and strategy must be instilled throughout the | | | | high absenteeism, lack of commitment, high turnover, |
| company. Hold company meetings, whether in a town | | | | increased recruitment and training efforts, etc. |
| hall type approach; engage in focus groups or a | | | | |