In a bold move, global professional services firm KPMG recently opted to dump its annual employee engagement survey. Why? Accordingly to Robert Bolton, the lead partner of KPMG’s global HR transformation centre of excellence, “[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][the] term ‘engagement’ is abused, it’s misunderstood, it’s not evidence-based and it’s a minefield”.
The days of the annual employee engagement survey are slowly coming to an end. More and more, businesses are taking an integrated and real-time approach to measuring and driving high levels of employee commitment and passion.
The concept of “employee engagement” has been with us for decades. And today there are hundreds of different survey providers offering tools to help you assess your employees’ level of engagement. But while engagement surveys may be a good thing to do, most companies now recognise that the process is just not sufficient. It’s not detailed enough, it doesn’t provide real-time data and it doesn’t consider all the work-related issues that drive employee commitment.
So what does it take to build a highly-engaged workforce? Research from Forbes suggests that there are five key elements.
- Meaningful work. People want time to learn and improve, so give your team enough autonomy to be creative and enough time to perform well.
- Great management. People thrive through coaching, feedback and opportunities to develop. Teach your managers, supervisors and team leaders to be “mindful” and help employees to slow down and see the big picture.
- Growth opportunities. What happens when you give people the opportunity to grow? They stay excited, the business becomes more agile and innovative, and high performers want to stay.
- An inclusive, flexible, fun environment. From flexible working hours and access to gym facilities to free coffee, pool tables and nap rooms, we all like perks – and providing these types of perks to employees is a trend that’s on the increase.
- Inspirational leadership. The days of the hard-nosed, profit-obsessed CEO are coming to an end. Yes, you expect your team to work hard. But it’s the soul of your business that inspires them to engage and contribute.
Remember, your people are the essense of your business and employee engagement must be looked at as more than just an annual HR measure. It needs to be an integral part of your overall business strategy. If your team love their work and the environment you have created, they will treat customers better, innovate and continuously improve your business.
Emjay Insurance Brokers is the SME insurance broker of choice for the SME Association of Australia and are ideally placed to help you with all your insurance and risk requirements. Contact us today to discuss your needs on (02) 9796 0400.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
