INNERGISE!

The CEO of a client of ours recently reported the “total transformation” of their business over a 12 month period, claiming it to be unrecognisable in terms of the feel of the place. Energy levels had increased, as had productivity, customer service had improved, there was less conflict and frustration in the business, and managers were released to spend time driving through performance and business improvement initiatives.

Needless to say, he was smiling!

Strategically they were still heading in the same direction, continuing to grow and working hard to innovate. What had changed was that they were now moving forward as a single entity, having actively worked with us to reengage their employees, and remove some of the issues that were reducing engagement levels.

Beforehand, this business had been growing, and growing fast. Yet despite this success, when we were called in to do organisational review including an employee engagement survey, it became evident that things were not as they need to be and the level of growth was not sustainable.

The management information that emerged provided some clear indication of what was wrong:

• The leadership were failing to inspire and were ‘losing the dressing room’
• People had lost sight of where the business was trying to get to
• Communication was not what it needed to be at
• There was role confusion as the dynamics of the organisation changed
• Employee loyalty to the business was dropping
• Managers, who had been the business a while, were not equipped to manage as they needed to – the organisation was outgrowing them and they were not being supported effectively or developed.

Similar pictures, albeit with variances on the above, emerge every time we run these reviews (which is more and more frequent in this current market).

Recent Ipsos Mori research suggested that 84% of FTSE 500 firms measured engagement and satisfaction. Those organisations have significant HR teams, who would automatically have employee engagement as one of their key results areas.

When we look at smaller organisations however, it becomes evident that there is less of this happening and they aren’t close enough to what there people are feeling.

So why bother in the first place?

It’s not just about hanging onto the good people with in the organisation. The Gallup Organisation’s research showed that companies with engaged staff have 38% higher customer satisfaction, 22% productivity, and up to 27% higher profits.

There is nothing ‘soft and cuddly’ about these numbers – just plain good business sense.

Think about some really well engaged people in your business and what they are like:

• They bring passion and energy to the workplace
• They are more productive than the average
• They take ownership for success beyond their specific role
• They do what they can for customers and colleagues and often go the extra mile
• They do not tolerate underperformance from others and take responsibility
• They have limited tolerance in underperformance in others and act as an extension of the management team
• They think about what is right for the business and not just for them

Not many us wouldn’t want that in our teams or across the business.

So how to reengage – here are 6 critical steps to getting it right:

• Have a vision that people can relate to (challenging, inspirational, relevant, understandable) for the team and the business
• Ensure you have the right people in management roles
• Focus on developing the leadership and management skills of the management, especially listening skills
• Implement a comprehensive communication plan (what, when, how, who and review)
• Get feedback between teams and departments as to what would improve working relationships and effectiveness and reduce conflict. One action from every team will make a significant difference.
• Create opportunities for employee involvement in business improvement.
• Recognise success – it doesn’t need to cost

Implement the above and enjoy your own transformation.

How do you engage people and get all the benefits when you have limited budgets and things are tight.  The solution inevitably requires a) involvement and b) valuing people, both of which are low cost, low risk and can deliver a great return on time invested.

There isn’t a one size feels all solution to employees engagement, it’s a journey and is hard work. But without knowing where you stand and where the biggest wins can be had, you’ll be shooting the dark. On line surveys are low cost, low risk, and while they raise expectations that something will happen, the action plan that subsequently develops can be scheuled and paced to suit the ability of the business to deliver.

Innergy offer on line Employee Engagement tools which offer a low cost, proven method of getting levels of engagement that can impact results, whatever the size of the organisation.  For further information, contact us.

Still not convinced…

• Research suggested that employees will be in more demand than customers and that Employee Engagement will be the No 1 concern for CEO’s (Workforce Management Research).
• There will be an increase in demand for talent (33%) but a reduction in supply (15%)

Now it’s over to you.