Increasing employee engagement
There is a measurable link between employee engagement and organisational success. Increases in revenue, profit and productivity are matched by improvements in customer and employee satisfaction.
Engaged employees stay longer, reducing the costs of recruitment and development, are more productive and deliver better customer service. They have a positive desire to contribute to the success of the organisation and willingly apply effort above and beyond the call of duty.
Echelon develops engagement strategies that create high performance organisations by unlocking employee potential and motivation. We start by researching the existing situation to identify exactly what it is that employees need to release their passion and to measure how well the current environment enables and encourages high performance behaviour.
Identify the engagement landscape
Do you know what floats your employees’ boats?
Whilst there are many common factors that drive employee engagement the DNA of each organisation is different and must be identified and mapped to create an effective and sustainable strategy. Together, these factors must create an environment in which people feel valued and involved.
The concept of employee engagement must be endorsed by and led from the top: major influencing factors include belief in the vision and mission of the organisation and a clear line of sight between the individual and the strategy.
We analyse the organisation’s commitment to employee engagement using a range of research tools, including interview, survey, focus group and observation to identify exactly what is required to engage your employees. We then validate these findings across the organisation, fine tuning to achieve a tangible framework that will drive engagement.
Measure the engagement level
Do you know how engaged your employees are?
The framework provides the benchmark, at a granular level, against which to measure the current level of employee engagement and how well the organisation is delivering on its employee ‘brand promise’.
Specific areas we assess include: understanding of strategy, job satisfaction, management culture, communication, development opportunity, opportunity to participate, feeling of value and recognition.
We typically use on-line surveys to measure employee engagement levels and then use interviews and focus groups to explore issues in greater detail and to validate findings. The result is a gap analysis that highlights the areas where remedial work is required and where development activity will further strengthen performance.
Design and implement engagement development plan
Does the organisation manage the levers of engagement?
We develop an engagement strategy based on the unique requirements of the organisation. It should be holistic and create a positive sense of purpose.
There are many obvious candidates for developing engagement, including effective internal communication and training. To avoid these being seen as mere hygiene factors they need to be based on a recognised development culture with clear routes for progress. Job design and process structure can act as barriers to performance, and thence engagement. Issues such as freedom to use initiative, confidence that team and customer feedback is listened to and acted upon and that employees have equal opportunity are intrinsic motivators and must be clearly included.
The result will be a programme that brings together many strands of activity that can be directed individually to bridge engagement gaps and build on existing strengths. It will be part organisation development, part employee development and part communication.
Evaluate effectiveness
Do you know how well your employee engagement strategy is working?
The impact of employee engagement on performance is so significant that it represents a key organisational KPI. Regular measurement, of engagement in general and to assess the impact of specific initiatives, is crucial to maintain the effectiveness of the strategy. Engagement is a continuous process and remaining an employer of choice demands constant attention.
We implement evaluation regimes that monitor the pulse of the organisation, that identify hotspots and that enable valuable employee feedback. Ongoing evaluation is essential to maintaining the competitive advantages afforded to those organisations that are capable of sustaining high levels of employee engagement.
Echelon, Angles House, 210 Sheen Lane, London SW14 8LB; 020 8274 9965