4Cs Blog: Happy Employees = Happy Customers

Employee Engagement hovers around 30% in the U.S. which means 7 out of 10 people hate Monday!

A statistic like that begs us all to wonder what is happening in our own workplaces and how many people are enjoying or hating their jobs. Sure you can ask around or you can take a guess but the only safe and sure way to know is to survey your employees. The only way to know what your employee think is to ask them about their jobs and where they work.

 

We all know that organizations with engaged employees are more successful. We also know that every workplace has its drama,  issues, problems, awkward moments and funny stories. But this week our hat goes off to the people in HR who have the privilege of handling the people we have affectionately come to know as 'helicopter parents'. In an article written by Dana Wilkie that was published by SHRM last week, Wilkes gives us the inside view on some of the most outrageous stunts pulled by helicopter parents. And, as we consider the possibility of any of these happening in our organizations, we wonder if any of these kinds of experiences would make you say yes or no to the hopeful young person applying for the job. 

Romantic relationships and employee engagement have more in common than you might think.

Much of what sustains a couple in a happy long term marriage and relationship are the same qualities needed to have a healthy engaged team at work. In both cases we are dealing with people and their relationships. Couples who wed draw many others into their circle such as children, in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends. Our work places bring together people from an even wider circle. They are al just people and like all of us, they al crave relational success, financial success, and healthy connections (we humans are hardwired for connection). We all want commitment, a sense of belonging, recognition, and to be valued. We want our partners to love us, while we want our co-workers and managers to respect and value us. 

In this  new article on Inc.com, Insightlink's founder and President Robert Gray shares advice and suggestions to improve employee engagement based on the leading drivers of job satisfaction as revealed in our Annual Survey of the American Workforce.

Some of the suggestions are:

1. Become an Exceptional Communicator.
2. Reward and recognize. 
3. Create a Clear Path for Growth.
4. Offer Autonomy.
5. Mission.

The number one reason people quit their jobs is for a better opportunity so bosses, relax.
Despite the commonly held belief that it’s all your fault, our research shows that over 40% of employees leave for better opportunities and only 15% leave because of a bad boss. In fact, Millennials are quitting at a rate of every two years making job-hopping the norm, but chances are very high this younger generation is more likely to boomerang back when they realize what they’ve missed. In the past almost 1 in 2 companies had a policy against re-hiring former employees but that’s all changed according to new research.
In the first study released in the Employee Engagement Series commissioned by The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated and WorkplaceTrends.com, survey data shows a changing mindset about hiring boomerang employees. 

Because if your confidentiality can’t be guaranteed, walk away.

Contrary to what some critics say, employee surveys can (and should) be confidential. In fact when searching for a survey vendor, confidentiality should one of the most important differentiators when you choose one.

The purpose of an employee survey is to hear from employees what is really going on…to get their honest input and insights about what it’s like to work for you. It might be hard to swallow but the truth often comes with a reality check. If you can’t promise confidentiality the survey will be a complete waste of time and money. Why would anyone bother otherwise?
 

Happiness makes people about 12 percent more productive in the workplace, the University of Warwick reports. That's no big surprise, but how do you make your employees happier so they’ll focus on their jobs and stay more productive? The answer isn’t really about offering tons of perks and praise, but a few simple tools and strategies to help them do their jobs well day in and day out. From social tools to empowerment, here are five tips to help you and your employees stay focused throughout the workday. 

Use the Right Tools

According to Microsoft, nearly half of employees report that social tools for business help increase productivity. Meanwhile, 30 percent of companies underestimate the value of these tools and restrict their use. Think back to when email was on the rise. What would your company be like if you didn’t embrace the communication tool? Open the door for more collaboration and communication with tools like Microsoft Office 365 and Yammer; not only will employees be able to collaborate quickly, the business can quickly scale as demands change.

Most employee surveys are too off the shelf, too short and too impersonal to uncover what’s really going on.

Surveys that brag about being only 10 questions long miss an opportunity to get the details and story’s behind the answers that can often be the most compelling and valuable parts of the whole survey itself. There is a misconception that longer surveys are a waste of time and employees rush to finish them. At Insightlink we know this is not the case and in fact find the opposite to be true. We find that employees like to be asked for their opinions and once they start a survey they finish it 95% of the time.

Open-ended questions give employees the chance to put into their own words what is happening and these stories reveal the truth about what is really going on. The results of an employee survey can sting and cause egos to blow but, if approached with an open mind, they can be a liberating experience where senior management will finally know what the problems are instead of wondering or denying they exist.

We recently heard a story that brought to light how one lie can erode your best retention efforts and send your best employees out the door.

A campus hire at a top tier company was overlooked for a special high profile meeting. When confronted, the employee's manager, who did not have the answer, chose to lie about it instead and explained she was not invited was because she was too new to her role. The employee discovered this was a lie because other new hires who had been in their role even less time had been invited. It was discovered that HR made an error and should have invited this employee and they were indeed sorry. The manager also apologized to the employee but the damage had been done. 

Up until this incident the employee was a dedicated, highly engaged member of the team with an unrivaled performance record. Being lied to her by her manager broke trust and now this employee feels let down…she will forgive but she won’t forget. If she leaves over this incident the company will end up losing a valuable new hire and their investment in hiring and training will be wasted. 

As it happens in most situations like this the employee will move on but what about the manager? What can you do when a manager lies?
In most cases, lies takes place because the manager tries to protect him/herself. The fact that fear drives deception does not excuse it, but complicates matters which is why if a manager lies he/she needs to understand why and what it is they fear so they can address their own issues and avoid harming relationships with the people they work with.

About

Recent Posts

Favorite Links