If you pay attention to any of the major HR or talent management blogs and other publications there is this continuous debate about engagement. Does it make a difference to the business and to your people? Is it just some conjured up philosophy for consulting firms to make money? Do your people really care about it?
Well as someone who has been on both sides of the equation I can say with certainty it DOES matter. That is assuming what you are measuring is really engagement and not satisfaction or happiness. If those are what you are measuring either intentionally or unintentionally you will not arrive at your desired outcomes. That is unless you are hoping to learn what people want in the cafeteria, if they like your benefit plans, if the holidays granted are sufficient, etc. I think you get my point, right?
I have seen and can recount numerous real-life examples of the positive impacts of engagement when done right. I can also share with you as many stories of it backfiring. In those instances the organizations made half hearted attempts at measuring engagement and then did nothing with the results. Isn't the definition of insanity that of doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? Hello! If you are going to jump into this engagement arena at least do it right. So what does that mean you may ask?
Just so happens I have a few pointers up my sleeve for you. First and most important, don't think of this as an HR initiative. This needs to become a foundational people and business experience. Second, get your leadership team onboard. And I don't mean just your Executive team. You need the support of leadership across the organization. This is going to impact leaders more than anyone else in the organization. If they are not onboard they can very easily be what derails your success. Third, if you don't have people internally who have significant experience with engagement be prepared to hire someone to help you. Fourth, ensure what you are measuring are actually the motivators of your people and not satisfiers. There is a HUGE difference. If your items aren't focused on leadership effectiveness, future vision, strategic alignment, people development, etc. you may be measuring the wrong things.
While I have a lot of other suggestions I will end with this. Do something with the results. You are asking your people to take time to tell you about their perceptions, opinions and feelings. The least you can do is acknowledge them. You need to commit to taking action on those things that can have the biggest impact on the organization and your people. Asking for input and then simply ignoring it or discounting it will guarantee you one outcome. A mass frustration and environment of distrust from your employees. You would be better off to forgo engagement all together than to do a survey and then do nothing.
If you want some additional free advice catch my segment on The Balancing Act http://www.thebalancingact.com/story/?id=3772. Or, you can try the old fashion way and drop me an email (lisa_sterling@ultimatesoftware.com), catch me on Twitter (lisamsterling) or send me a text (4024164426). I can talk about this stuff for hours. How much time do you have?
Good luck to you and your people.
