[Blog 39] Shape up your employee engagement strategy
In the past, most organisations were very focused on what their clients/customers say about their business but now there is a shift in this thinking. Businesses are now seeing the value and power of employee feedback. Organisations are now open to adopt an agile approach that makes employee feedback a part of their organisational culture.
Gone are the days where HR Consultants assist you by running an employee satisfaction survey – on what has gone right and what has gone wrong. These days employees want HR Solutions which will include their feedback being heard and difference being carried out as a result of the feedback. With improved employee engagement, the organisation produces not only happy employees but happy clients as well. Because a happy employee equates to a happy customer.
So how does an organisation start on this journey:
#1: Listen to your employees
There is little need to ask if employees are happy. It is more important to know if their feedback has been heard and if difference was carried out after giving the feedback. That would equate to whether an employee is happy or not. A good practise in employee engagement is to ensure that you listen to feedback that is sensitive to the organisation culture and suit the changing needs of the employees. It is important to keep this feedback cycle continuous as it will result in your employee’s contribution and progress in each stage of your business.
#2: Create a Culture of Feedback
Always encourage your employees to share their ideas and suggestions. Use short survey in intervals with case scenarios to get employees to understand business challenges and suggest solutions. It is important to keep feedback anonymous, so people are carefree when suggesting their views. Whilst you welcome creative ideas, it is important to ensure that feedback is honest and the most important of all, have constant communication with your employees to show that steps have been taken towards the suggested ideas and how it can impact the business. This will bring a sense of belonging to the employee.
#3: Let’s get into Action!
Many times, feedbacks are not paid attention to or in some cases managers are not able to implement them in the organisation. This causes frustration and negativity forcing employees to think contributing to the feedback is a waste of their time.
So be sure to focus on these:
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Keeping communication channels open
Always keep all parties involved in the same communication email so should there be an issue, it can be resolved keeping everyone in the loop. This also shows employees that the team is working on the feedback and shows them the process how the feedback is implemented.
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Getting feedback into the right hands
It is important to form an employee engagement committee which keeps a check on all feedbacks collated and progress of feedbacks that were good for the company. In this way it is unbiased and transparent. As there is always a worry that a manager that doesn’t like the feedback may discard it.
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Always keep a tab on how and why the feedback derived from
It is always important for organisations to reflect and understand how and why a certain issue was there and how it got solved with the feedback collated. This is especially important so that a similar situation doesn’t arise.
In your journey to making a smarter and more agile team for your business, do remember that a strong company culture equals to happy employees and sustained improvement in your business!
Contact HRguru today to access our deep HR experience and learn more about our HRguru Advisory Services or connect with us at contactus@hrguru.com.sg. You must also check out our recently released book – Nothing Surprises Me, I work in HR for more insights on our Chief Guru Tommy Ng’s personal journey in HR. Definitely a book every HR Leaders should have!
