Employee Engagement- What can we learn from those doing a good job?

With a generation of needing instant gratification, we have become obsessed with perfection, but I'm a true believer that perfection doesn't exist simply because we live in an evolving world, where change is essentially the only constant, therefore, new challenges require continuous innovation, new thinking and actions!

Which leads us to people, no two persons are the same, so why do we profess to treat and manage everyone the same? Mission statements, ethos, Company DNA and culture is as successful as the employee engagement, the engagement that requires you to see and understand your employees- and I mean really seeing them! Spending time appreciating the different dynamics in teams, personalities and getting what makes them tick, all the while working with the management team to innately develop these skills. Because employee engagement is not just down to the leader or company, each person is responsible for his/her own level of engagement!

Most companies that do it well have something in common – they understand that it’s a driver of success and that it, therefore, needs to be a key business strategy, that's everyone’s responsibility (not just HR’s or L&D's or even the Company Directors). This strategy works best when it translates into behaviours and culture (this fits nicely into Agile Principals of empowerment of the teams- but this is something I will talk about in more detail another time).

It's interesting to see some companies that have phenomenal consumer brands, not holding the same weight on employer branding. But when companies do understand the power of employer branding and engagement, it quickly translates into mirrored behaviours, i.e. I'm looked after as an employee and therefore will ensure our customers are also looked after- Or as Walmart’s founder Sam Walton said: “the way management treats associates is exactly how the associates will treat the customers”.

There are many good examples of companies that have achieved great results when it comes to an engaged culture and it’s worth reflecting on what they do and why it works.

GOOGLE - TRANSPARENCY

Google has been very intentional about creating the culture they want. One aspect of that culture is their focus on transparency. The idea is to break down barriers, encourage creativity and collaboration. And employees, as a result, are feeling empowered by that transparency. Culture comes down to behavioural habits and Google, by creating a culture of transparency and freedom, creates habits of creativity. Formalising that people spend 20% of their time doing something outside their normal work function, facilitates a creative culture. Ultimately culture is about “how things get done” and therefore should not be left to chance, it’s too powerful a force not to take control over – and Google has done this remarkably well!

In my experience, I've seen organisations that focus on transparency engaging employees more than those that don’t! Employees want to be a part of something where there aren't hidden agendas, self-preservation and they are experiencing an honest perspective whether that is good news or not. Informed employees feel valued and engagement typically follows.

AMERICAN EXPRESS – FOCUS ON BEHAVIOURS

In a world where results are everything, American Express has massively changed in the last 25 years. Moving from a traditional targeted/ KPI and results focused business to having equal weighting between the fact that people achieve their goals to their behaviours. Their ethos is believing that top results are not achieved simply through, ratings, delivery, etc. but a direct correlation of 'achievement' for American Express Employees is behavioural driven.

Behaviours are how we conduct ourselves, act and react, towards others. I’ve found that successful companies understand how behaviours impact employees on an emotional level, where much of the engagement with an employer happens. They, therefore, value how people do their job. You can’t have someone being a high performer but behaving really badly at the same time - it sends the wrong message! The high performers in companies where engagement is high, understand their impact and behave in a collaborative and respectful way.

JOHN LEWIS - EMPOWERING

John Lewis expresses a strong focus on people. One way of doing this is to call their employees partners. A word is not just a word, it becomes a connection, one that people make with their title and 'label', the emotions that it awakens. By calling them partners, the company is clearly expressing that there is a shared responsibility for the customers and the outcomes of the company. So they focus on involving their partners in decisions and solutions, empowering them to create the best customer experience.

I am seeing this much more, companies inviting their employee to be involved not just served a “fait accompli”, also feel empowered and they take personal responsibility – they know they can make a difference and it engages them to do more.

HYATT – EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

The hotel group’s high employee retention speaks volumes in an industry known for its high employee turnover. The focus on employee development and promoting from within plays a large part in this. Another in

teresting practice, connected to development, is how they empower their employees (whom they call associates), to listen carefully to each other and guests, to be able to solve problems and create new solutions, rather than following scripts of what to do, making the guest feel special and heard.

Many organisations I've worked with share this commitment to employee development and are therefore able to trigger that inner motivation that comes from knowing that you’re growing and developing. Besides, continuous development is crucial in order to successfully deal with the constant change all organisations face.

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES - PURPOSE

This airline sees their purpose as connecting people with what’s important to them. They don’t just see themselves as transporters of people, but as enablers who help people get to places. This may be seen as a small differentiation, but it can make a big difference in how important an employee perceives their job to be. A strong, clear purpose connects emotionally with employees- it engages them!

In my experience, a purpose is becoming more and more important to employees. To see that you are doing something more profound than just selling a product or service, makes you feel important. It’s no longer enough to “just do a job”, it's evident that people want to make a difference, to contribute to something bigger than themselves.

VIRGIN - LISTENING

This multi-industry organisation has a habit of listening to its employees, to show that they are valued, to listen to their opinions and take care of their ideas, to have healthy debates and continuously innovate. It’s a win-win; the organisation keeps learning and employees feel important and engage with the organisation.

Listening is at the heart of engagement. In our experience, everyone wants to be seen and heard – it’s a minimum requirement of leadership, yet often overlooked for the immense value it can bring. On top of it simply being the right thing to do. Without a doubt, employees who feel listened to, want to reciprocate, they want to do their best because they feel valued and important.

Employee engagement is the fuel for the engine of an organisation. And even if an organisation is good at it, we can all get better, and maximise that fuel economy!