Where does your Culture and Engagement come from?

We’ve all been deeply engaged at work at some point in our lives. I would guess that if you’ve been working for many years already you’ve also had some experience with some disengagement. Every company today is looking for that magic technology – or strategy to create more engagement. Companies are even trying to spruce up their offices and give more swag when you get hired to make you feel engaged.

All that is great and important but it’s not what will keep people really motivated and happy in the long run. What matters is when a company invests in their people with time for them to learn the roles and functions they are tasked with and genuine interest in how they are doing with their growth in the business. Lots of companies promote their amazing Culture and Engagement on their website, but in speaking to thousands of employed and non-employed folks looking for jobs and in hearing about their experiences, I wonder how many companies are executing these things well.

Here’s some great tips and strategies from the best companies executing C&E:

Learning and Developing is Key

So many companies hire people with the exact skills they have for the job they have open. This practice offers no growth – and that is something the vast majority of people are looking for and wanting in their careers. If you are in the practice of hiring people to do the same thing they were just doing and not offering any growth and learning, you won’t keep those people. Good companies today are offering their employees the chance to learn new skills so they can move up and over and into new roles. Also, when folks acquire new skills they are afforded the opportunity to work those skills into new tasks. This is a great way for companies to keep the talent in-house and increase retention.

What is your Culture Like?

Some companies don’t even know. Want to find out? Have your managers actively engage their employees with one on one meetings. Make it a regular thing, not the old once a year thing. Send out confidential feedback surveys asking honest opinion and perceptions of the company. Take an active ear and listen to what’s being said. This is real data in real time. What does it say about your company? Discussions with executives and HR leaders should capture this and create a short and long term road map with actionable initiatives and that should be executed right away.

Feedback is Key but don’t drop the Ball

If you get feedback from your employees through your channels, don’t just record the results and put them away. All too often companies drop the ball by doing nothing. Good companies know that action is needed and doing nothing after employees take the time to give honest feedback is a nail in the coffin. “Why did they ask us what we felt like when they do nothing?” If that is what’s going on at the water cooler, don’t be surprised by a low retention rate.

Employees and Managers need Coaching

Being a good manager means more than delegating tasks and telling people they are running out of time to get their tasks done. Most employees are looking for strong guidance and coaching from their managers. They are looking for regular feedback – and that means more than once or twice a year. Many managers want to be more effective but just because someone was a good producer doesn’t mean they are able to coach – managers also need coaching. Getting your managers the right coaching is essential to the overall performance of the business unit. Investing in then will get more production from the folks that are boots-on-the-ground producers.

Engagement on Business Productivity

In an article from the Harvard Business Review, it’s clear that “A highly engaged workforce not only maximizes a company’s investment in human capital and improves productivity, but it can also significantly reduce costs, such as turnover, that directly impact the bottom line.” So it’s a fact that when employers foster an environment where employees talk regularly with their employers about performance, folks feel more engaged and productive.

“Vinay Singh is a subject matter expert in the talent acquisition business transformation field with expertise in both professional services and corporate environments. 

A consummate student of learning about the disruption around the “people & technology businesses, his passion is deeply rooted in research and analysis; he writes about people and culture engagement and looks to solve the critical workforce issues of today.”