I read an article recently titled “Eight employee engagement strategies that work” that outlined several strategies that could help with employee engagement.

Several of these strategies are effective and we promote them as well.  The comment I want to make is that when planning and implementing strategy organizations need to also determine who will be responsible for making it happen to ensure that it is carried out. Is this the senior executives? the HR department? the direct manager for the employee? other?

Let’s look at a few examples listed:

  1. Give your employees a voice: Yes, engagement and pulse surveys are a good idea and can provide useful information and insights into the feelings and beliefs of your employee workforce. But how often are these done 1 x a year? 2 or 3 x per year? Once very two years? This is not enough! Employees should be able to offer ideas and suggestions at any time and have meaningful dialogue about improvements they would like, changes in the organization, role restructuring, job challenges and concerns, project work and completion, etc. Who is going to listen to their voices and consider what they have to say during these times? The senior executive? The HR department? Or their Manager? Most likely this needs to be their manager!
  2. Provide career-growth opportunities: Who will design and carry out a career development plan for the employee and make sure that it is discussed frequently, adjusted as needed and fulfilled?  Is this the senior executives? the HR department? the direct manager for the employee? other? Who interacts most often with the employees and best understands their goals, career objectives, strengths and weaknesses? Likely this is their manager! Is he or she the best person to take on the management and support of employee career growth and development? If no-one has this responsibility, then it may not be a priority and fulfilled as expected.
  3. Recognize great work performance: Again, who will be responsible for making this happen? Is this the senior executives? the HR department? the direct manager for the employee? other? Who will best know when the employee has performed above and beyond expectations and delivered outstanding performance? Would that not be the direct manager? Who is going to take time to say thanks on behalf of the organization both formally, if warranted, as well as informally on a day to day basis (as both are important)
  4. Understand individual working preferences: Who is going to take time to talk to the employee periodically to understand their desires, concerns and aspirations along with what’s important to them personally and beyond work to really get to know and support this employee? Is this the senior executives? the HR department? the direct manager for the employee? other? I would suggest the manager is in the strongest position to make this happen!

Also look at who can best create a safe working environment, set realistic goals, etc. to see who should be responsible for making it happen. Next decide if whoever is responsible has the required knowledge, training and support processes to make it happen in a timely and regular time frame to achieve success in all the cases above.

Could your managers use help in learning how to successfully support and implement the key engagement strategies outlined in this article?

If so, contact us for more detailed discussions about how we can help your managers build and sustain a highly engaged workforce!

Light a Fire Inside Employees Instead of Trying to Light a Fire Underneath Them!