Employee Engagement

"Engagement can be seen as a combination of commitment to the organisation and its values plus a willingness to help out colleagues. It goes beyond job satisfaction and is not simply motivation. Engagement is something the employee has to offer: it cannot be 'required' as part of the employment contract."
Source: CIPD January 2007

Research shows that effective employee engagement can reduce staff turnover by 31% and increase productivity by 18%.

At BCL, we believe that Employee Engagement happens when employees feel appreciated and have the space to be innovative, regardless of their position within the organisation. Managers have the most crucial role to play in enabling this to happen. People don't leave companies - they leave their bosses.

Impact of Individual Managers and Leaders

BCL are currently working with a variety of clients across the public and private sector, looking at how to engage people, what engagement means to the organisation and what conversations managers should be having to engage and support their staff.

Our work in this area ranges from measurement tools such as 360˚ feedback to building on managers skills around having effective and meaningful conversations about performance, needs and aspirations.

Strategies we employ in this area include:

• Measuring employee attitudes. The results can be used to identify positive practices to build on and areas which need improvement.
• Investment in good people management and development policies and capability.
• Providing opportunities for employees to feed their views upwards.
• Encouraging communication about what is happening in the organisation.
• Involving employees in decision making.
• Supporting managers with frameworks for mission critical conversations.
• Developing positive role models.

Engagement is not about driving employees to work harder, but about providing the conditions under which they will work more effectively, or in other words, it is about releasing employees' discretionary behaviour. If carried out effectively, employee engagement will reduce staff turnover and staff absenteeism. Staff will be more committed, with higher levels of enthusiasm. Organisations will also see an increase in proactive behaviour, with staff taking the initiative and in return receiving appreciation for their efforts.

At BCL, we believe that Employee Engagement programmes are not necessarily a new practice, but a different way of approaching things. The practice really starts by taking an appreciative approach, focusing on individuals' strengths rather than areas they need to develop. In addition, managers need to look at what really energises and engages their people, identifying both strengths and what really makes them tick. Your staff might be very good in a certain area, but if they are not enthused about it, you will not achieve full engagement.

The effectiveness of our interventions requires a cultural shift and must be driven by senior management and integrated into ongoing work. Employee engagement must be modelled throughout the organisation to create a paradigm shift. It is the day-to-day activities that make the biggest impact; the workshops/programmes are simply a 'tool kit' to help create a culture which lets people play to their strengths and interests, and in turn be appreciated for it.

For further details on Employee Engagement please email sarah.hunter@berkshire.co.uk or call 0118 932 3580.