Musing's of an HR Veteran

Captain’s Log, Star Date 2009 | August 15, 2009

According to an article published in Hoteliers Magazine in May 2009, a recent Towers Perrin global survey shows that “only two out of 10 employees are truly engaged although nine out of 10 want to be”.  This is a trend that will open the door very quickly to unionizing attempts and ever higher turnover once employees feel the economic strain begin to ease.

 Conventional methods of gaining greater employee engagement, such as the following, are important:

• Competency-based selection,
• Appraisal and development programs and
• Training needs analysis.

However, they can loose their effectiveness over time.  Therefore, it’s important to create a working environment that consistently keeps employees happy, engaged and productive. 

 How to do that?  Consider these approaches:

• ensure individual participation in team efforts
• expect open communication at all levels
• encourage innovation
• insist on continuous improvement in processes at all stages of work production
• empower employees to make decisions

 In addition, Brigid Moynahan’s¹ assessment concludes that the top 5 factors affecting employee morale (and therefore engagement) are:

• Having the opportunity to contribute
• Being included in the decision-making progress
• Being listened to
• Being thanked
• Getting credit for ones ideas

 Employers must take this to heart if they want to survive and prosper during today’s spiraling economy.  This gives new meaning to Captain Jean Luc Picard’s daily directive to his crew, “Engage.”

¹Engaging Employees: Pay Attention to Messages You’re Overlooking, Author Brigid Moynahan, Workforce Diversity Network, March 2009