If you had to name only one thing that drives your organization’s success, chances are it would be your workforce. And when you think about what it takes to become a destination employer, the answer is quite simple. Focus on your most valuable asset — your employees. If employees are key to your success, it only makes sense to put them at the center of your total rewards strategies, including how you communicate. However, getting started on this path can be a daunting challenge.
To become a destination employer, executives have to be invested in the idea of a thriving culture and employee engagement.
“Culture is an inherent part of your organization that’s either defined by you or by other influences. There’s no short-term fix for improving it,” says Cindi Morris, Ohio wellbeing and engagement consulting leader at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
“What’s important is to ask yourself what defines your culture in the eyes of your employees, and whether that perception will help you compete at the highest level. If the answer is no, then you have some work to do to effectively bridge the gap,” says Joe Roberts, area vice president of Health and Welfare Key Accounts at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Smart Business spoke with Morris and Roberts about how employers can improve their culture and employee engagement to start competing as a destination employer.
What kind of results do organizations see when their employees are engaged?
There are abundant opportunities for positive results when employees are engaged, from improved production to better talent attraction and retention, to name a few. When your employees are engaged, they have the ability to impact the way your business is run. Annual benefits costs may decline, turnover may be reduced and people may take fewer days off and perform at higher levels, which sparks competitive strength and success. Employees may even become brand advocates for your organization, helping to position it as a place where people want to work.
How can companies measure and improve their employee engagement level?
While most organizations have a set of core values, engagement hinges on earning employees’ trust by living up to those beliefs. Many employers use engagement surveys to gain feedback directly from their employees to better understand their unique needs and preferences. But when management conducts a survey, it’s imperative to transparently share the results with the workforce, along with plans to address issues and opportunities that were identified. Once employees know management is listening, executives can start to create effective programs that tie back to the core values of the organization.
A workforce evaluation tool to help organizations assess specific workforce dynamics can be a helpful starting point when developing a strategy to impact employee engagement. For example, when you know your employees may need a different level of benefits and prefer different communication channels depending on where they are in life — early career, mid-career, pre-retiree, etc. — you can tailor a program with those considerations in mind. You’re able to positively engage employees differently.
What else can strengthen culture and employee engagement?
A strong culture requires commitment beyond your HR department. It starts at the top. When executives demonstrate that culture matters, not only through their words, but more importantly through their actions, your organization begins to earn employees’ trust. An employee’s journey isn’t linear — it’s cyclical. Their experiences at each stage of the cycle can have major impacts on your business.
As a takeaway, what are the key elements of an effective destination-workplace strategy?
Organizations can develop a culture-centric approach by creating a cohesive, engaging and productive work environment based on a shared purpose, and a well-defined set of company values and norms. Being thoughtful, intentional and purposeful in defining your values, and communicating them consistently through words and actions will set the stage for success.
Insights Employee Benefits is brought to you by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
