Sometimes phrases like "Employee Engagement" sound so
vague and "corporate speak" that many cynical operational managers just
don't want to get in to an initial discussion with HR about how they
might tackle these sort of issues.
With this in mind we asked a previous Engagement Manager at Morrisons
Supermarkets (who incidentally we placed!) to come up with a simple
introductory document regarding Employee Engagement that would outline the
key elements of how to go about building "Engagement" in your
organisation.
It is a simple guide, it is supposed to be, but if you want to have a more detailed conversation with our contact please do let us know (0121 687 4040)
The Rules of Engagement
Having an engaged workforce is proven to increase productivity and revenue and reduce sick leave and staff turnover. It is also intrinsically linked to good customer service – if you’re happy in your work, your interactions with customers will automatically be more positive than if you’re merely going through the motions.
More and more businesses are starting to understand the value of engagement, but according to recent studies, the UK is still behind the rest of Europe. Your business is only as good as the people who work for you - if you don’t engage your people, they will either leave in search of an organisation that truly values them, or they will ‘quit and stay’.
Here are some of the key elements in building engagement in your organisation;
Individuals – All your employees have a life outside work! Understanding this and recognising that they have families, friends, needs and interests away from the workplace will help you understand their motivations, development needs and preferences.
Alignment – Do your employees fully understand the goals, values and strategic direction of the business? In reality, very few employees can even cite the company's objectives, much less articulate how their work helps achieve them. But it is crucial that everyone in your organisation understands this connection.
Trust – If you treat people like grown ups they will probably act like grown ups! Creating policies and procedures that must be rigidly adhered to may seem easier than coaching and managing performance, but inviting discussions about these rules lets people know that there is a degree of flexibility to allow for common sense and this increases engagement.
Communication – it is important to communicate in a transparent, open and honest way to keep employees informed and up to date with the needs of the business, but communication has to be a two way thing. Giving your employees a voice and really hearing what they have to say is also a key factor in engagement – and you may just learn something.
Leadership – an employee’s relationship with their manager is one of the biggest single factors in employee engagement. Equipping your managers to coach and support their teams, set clear goals and praise good work will result in employees who willingly give discretionary effort and know how to apply it.
It is a simple guide, it is supposed to be, but if you want to have a more detailed conversation with our contact please do let us know (0121 687 4040)
The Rules of Engagement
Having an engaged workforce is proven to increase productivity and revenue and reduce sick leave and staff turnover. It is also intrinsically linked to good customer service – if you’re happy in your work, your interactions with customers will automatically be more positive than if you’re merely going through the motions.
More and more businesses are starting to understand the value of engagement, but according to recent studies, the UK is still behind the rest of Europe. Your business is only as good as the people who work for you - if you don’t engage your people, they will either leave in search of an organisation that truly values them, or they will ‘quit and stay’.
Here are some of the key elements in building engagement in your organisation;
Individuals – All your employees have a life outside work! Understanding this and recognising that they have families, friends, needs and interests away from the workplace will help you understand their motivations, development needs and preferences.
Alignment – Do your employees fully understand the goals, values and strategic direction of the business? In reality, very few employees can even cite the company's objectives, much less articulate how their work helps achieve them. But it is crucial that everyone in your organisation understands this connection.
Trust – If you treat people like grown ups they will probably act like grown ups! Creating policies and procedures that must be rigidly adhered to may seem easier than coaching and managing performance, but inviting discussions about these rules lets people know that there is a degree of flexibility to allow for common sense and this increases engagement.
Communication – it is important to communicate in a transparent, open and honest way to keep employees informed and up to date with the needs of the business, but communication has to be a two way thing. Giving your employees a voice and really hearing what they have to say is also a key factor in engagement – and you may just learn something.
Leadership – an employee’s relationship with their manager is one of the biggest single factors in employee engagement. Equipping your managers to coach and support their teams, set clear goals and praise good work will result in employees who willingly give discretionary effort and know how to apply it.
It’s not usually large complex things that affect engagement. It’s
mostly about the management style – energising the human side of your
organisation and creating a passion, not just handing out tasks.
Encouraging people to enjoy coming to work will build team working and
morale and finding out about each individual person to see what makes
them tick and what motivates and drives them – because we are all
different!
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