What are the Current Trends in Employee Management Relations?

One of our key goals is to share information to assist you in making quality business decisions by providing current information on what is happening in the work environment.  Sharing how progressive companies deal with their challenges will hopefully offer you solutions for the future.

The Human Resource profession is now driven by metrics.  Using metrics provides the professional with an excellent barometer of how satisfied and engaged employees are in the success of the business.   When metrics are utilized and historical HR patterns are revealed executive management can better respond to the challenges that front-line managers are experiencing on the job.  Executive management can then hopefully create an environment where managers develop into leaders and function as change agents for our organizations.  A key goal for Human Resources is to ensure that managers are meeting the needs of their subordinates and lead their departments.  Managers need to be coaches, conduct quality performance reviews that challenge, ensure that a creative and innovative work environment is maintained, hold people accountable and communicate the goals of the organization by sharing the strategy for the future.  These are just a few of the duties and responsibilities of a high-performing manager.  However, how do we measure their successes and challenges?  One of the tools used to evaluate manager performance and effectiveness on the job is the employee survey. 

Based upon our survey data areas of employee satisfaction with management are varied; however, several common positive themes surfaced when examining the data.  In general, employees are satisfied with their jobs.  They understand and appreciate that management is operating the business efficiently, the respondents are treated with respect and their manager is generally a good coach.  The respondents also believe that the work environment is safe.  With respect to the statements focusing on employee management relations, the respondents gave this area a satisfaction rating of 3.91 (out of a 5-point scale) and this indicates high levels of satisfaction.  The great majority of employees believe that their manager will listen to their point of view and assist them in growing professionally.   In addition, the survey results indicate that management treats and respects all individuals. The statement, "My manager treats people the same regardless of race, gender, age, ethnicity or other differences" was given a satisfaction rating of 4.18 or high levels of satisfaction.  Even under the current political environment the client data suggests that diversity is encouraged and has become a part of the corporate culture.  Potential areas for development are reducing favoritism, enhancing management's responsiveness, improving communication, and providing more updates on the organization's challenges and achievements.   The respondents would also like to learn more about the business strategy and how management plans to expand the business.

To learn more about our employee engagement findings, with respect to progressive employee management relations please contact our firm to assist you in determining your survey needs.

What are the Lessons Learned from an Employee Survey Expert?

Many companies are lacking the expertise to deal with multiple evolving business issues such as competition, technology concerns, workforce development and talent management.  These demands can contribute to a very complex work environment.  To meet this challenge organizations will often determine that the best way to plan for the future is to determine how their employees are responding to change today.  One of the best ways to evaluate employee satisfaction and engagement is to conduct an employee survey.  Outlined below are several lessons learned about the employee survey process so that the HR professional can make the survey process more effective.

Survey Initiative Discussion about the Types of Survey

Participating organizations are using a wide range of employee surveys to gather information and insight to make informed decisions. Each survey collects various types of data and during the discussions with the leadership team it is important to determine what type of survey is to be conducted, the frequency and overall goals of the initiative.  Employee engagement surveys focus on culture and vision, pulse surveys identify targeted areas of improvement, and on-boarding and off-boarding surveys complete the life cycle of an employee.  Management will need to identify the goal of each survey to ensure that the survey will meet the needs of the organization.

Vendor Selection Process

Organizations that primarily use external survey vendors are significantly more satisfied with their survey process than organizations using self-service online survey services. The reasons survey companies are providing greater satisfaction and value include the expertise and experience provided, timely reporting and analysis,  objective analysis of survey results, more focus on implementing changes, and greater support and involvement from management.   

Survey Design and Development

The key reasons for conducting employee surveys include identifying performance improvement opportunities, assessing engagement and satisfaction levels and trends, ongoing measurement and identifying causes of employee turnover.  Make sure to focus your organization’s surveys on gathering actionable information that will positively impact employees, customers, the environment and your bottom line.  Keep your survey short, provide an opportunity for employees to provide written comments and utilize the demographic survey feature to drill down to provide meaningful data to leaders, managers and supervisors.

Survey Launch

The most common frequency for conducting surveys is annually and organizations strive to achieve a high survey response rate with a 3-week survey response period being the most popular.  Organizations that conduct a 3-week survey will typically have a survey response rate of 60% or greater.

Post Survey Analysis

It is imperative that the survey results be effectively communicated to all staff.  This can be accomplished through a communication strategy in which the executive team shares the results, engages the staff to better understand the underlying issues, and then identifies the most appropriate initiatives to resolve the issues and enhance the organization.  Where appropriate, it is important to involve the employees in the problem solving and implementation process to create ownership and shared accountability. The power of a survey like this is to give the employees a voice and then to let them know that they have been heard and that their feedback is being taken seriously. As meaningful action steps are taken to address their concerns, they will be more likely to participate in these types of surveys moving forward.

Action Plans and Accountability

The leadership team needs to periodically follow up to address and share the organization’s progress with respect to achieving the agreed upon goals.  When reviewing the results of this or any survey, it is important to remember that the data and feedback received reflects the perceptions of the respondents. These perceptions present a substantially accurate view of how the organization is understood culturally and systemically by the survey participants and are a valuable tool as the organization undertakes any improvement process. What a survey cannot provide is “scientific truth” about the organization. Disparities between perceptions held about the organization and the realities of the organization sometimes do exist, often due to a lack of communication or lack of clarity about the organization’s mission, values, or strategic goals. Given this understanding of the difference between “perception” and “reality,” those who initiate follow-up action after the survey results can then assess how accurately these perceptions reflect actual conditions within the organization.

What are some Hints from a Survey Expert?

Over the past two years business in the United States has changed dramatically.  We have gone from exceptionally low levels of unemployment to a work environment where 40+ million Americans filed for unemployment insurance only to see a turnaround occur with once again low unemployment and a job market that is exceptionally tight.  Business failures and constant chaos were the rule; however, some semblance of what the new normal is starting to come into focus.

 During this time HR has played a unique role in developing polices to meet this challenge and as a profession we will need to adapt in order to continue to play a strategic role.  One area that will remain a challenge is with so many employees working remotely communication is a concern.  Improving communication and providing feedback through a targeted survey to employees can be and excellent way to guarantee that your work forces remain connected, engaged and productive.  Outlined below are several ideas for you to consider whether a survey is right for you.

Is a Survey Right for Your Organization?

Before you consider conducting a survey verify that your leadership team supports this type of initiative and is open to change.  If you believe you are ready, several ways to market the survey to the executive team to gain their support are as follows:

n  Your organization encourages accountability.

n  Your company is experiencing high turnover.

n  Your company recently completed a merger, acquisition, or divestiture.

n  You want to evaluate the climate of the organization.

n  You are looking to modify or enhance your policies and want to obtain feedback.

n  You believe in pro-active management.

What are Some of the Challenges when Conducting an Employee Survey? 

n  A survey takes time and effort on your part.

n  The company must be willing to act upon the results.

n  Your company culture must be open to change.

n  A survey is an on-going process 

What do You Hope to Gain By Conducting an Employee Survey?

Employee communication, while always a challenge, will need to be further enhanced to make sure that managers are successfully supervising their staff.  A survey will help you:

n  Identify company-wide issues.

n  Create a process that drives change.

n  Be a role model for others to follow.

n  Champion programs and policies that are important to the employees.

n  Encourage a work environment that is supportive and professional.

n  Support engagement based upon the core values of the company.

 How Can HR Implement a Successful Survey?

While the current business challenges are many, human ingenuity and the resourcefulness of the Human Resources professional has not changed.  A successful survey process involves meeting regularly with employees to communicate the company’s policies, procedures, strategy and vision for the future.  At the same time a survey gives the employee's an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback.  You will also be able re-measure your HR programs to ensure employee satisfaction and engagement are being met.  Creating action plans as a framework when changes in strategy are necessary will also hold management accountable.  Taking swift action to implement best practices will also demonstrate HR’s commitment to the long-term success of your organization.

How Can HR Metrics Help Me as We Come Out from the Pandemic Bunker?

We all know that the past year and one-half has been very challenging.  All of have experienced various levels of stress in response to our company’s decisions as a result of COVID.  Some of us experienced working remotely, reductions in staff resulting in colleagues losing their jobs, budget cuts, a stronger focus on expense control, health issues and loss.  The reevaluation of organizational objectives has led to greater stress on the job along with the need to make very difficult Human Resource decisions.  As a profession, we are also learning that understanding our business, partnering with the leaders within our industry and changing our tactics is critical to our remaining relevant.

Once again we need to re-adjust our approach as the paradigm has shifted from retrenchment to expansion.  Preserving our company’s competitive edge by retaining our high performers along with the use of HR metrics will allow us to be better positioned as the recovery continues.  As HR professionals one of our goals for the remainder of 2021 and beyond will be to attract and retain talent by looking for alternative ways to respond to the current business climate, offer our employees value, a healthy work environment and provide management with the support to make quality business decisions.

The Human Resource profession has become very sophisticated by utilizing metrics to examine employee trends in order to better anticipate future challenges and opportunities.  When we use HR metrics and evaluate historical patterns, we are better able to respond to the challenges we face on the job today.  A key challenge for the future will be determining if, as the work environment changes, as a result of the pandemic, will our businesses continue to evolve or return to the way it was in pre-pandemic times.  Metrics are a common measurement across all professions and are used as a way to quantify data.  The analysis and subsequent data following an employee survey is a key tool in determining employee satisfaction, engagement and management effectiveness.  As companies start the process of bringing employees back to office data metrics will become even more important.  Understanding and responding to these employees’ concerns and questions are important components in ensuring success.

Today, employees are generally satisfied with their jobs.  Employees appreciate that management is operating the business efficiently, often under conditions of uncertainty and with limited resources.  Employees also believe that opportunities for advancement will occur as long as performance is maintained.  Key challenges for the future in a post-pandemic world include:

n  Expanding communication initiatives to ensure that the employees are informed of changes at work. 

n  Maintaining effective employee management relations through accountability measures.

n  Ensuring that a team environment is supported and encouraged.

n  Maintaining a progressive compensation program.

n  Supporting a leadership team that is decisive.

n  Opportunities for career advancement in an ever-tightening job market.

n  Benefit programs that offer security and protection for the employee and eligible dependents.

Human Resources for the remainder of 2021 and beyond will need to be flexible, source and retain talent by looking for alternative ways to respond to the current business climate.  Management will support this goal through the use of HR metrics.

What are the Four Key Traits Exhibited by Engaged Employees Today?

Top-performing organizations understand that employee engagement with the business is a key driver of success. Engaged employees are team players, productive and customer focused.  Engaged employees care about the future of the company and are willing to invest time, energy and effort to support the strategic direction and vision of the organization.  Engaged employees tend to produce greater results, have higher productivity, and remain with the company longer.

As a result, organizations possessing high levels of satisfaction and engagement are more likely to be financially successful.  Based upon our employee survey data outlined below are the four key attributes that engaged employees demonstrate.

#1 Demonstrate Satisfaction with their Career

Satisfaction with one’s career is a key driver of an engaged employee.   Employees who enjoy their job, are satisfied with their career progression, contribute to the success of the company and are more engaged and aligned with the business.  Engaged employees will also remain at the organization longer which can result in less turnover.  This directly impacts the bottom line.

#2 Are Decision Makers

The ability to make decisions and be held accountable for those decisions builds trust between the employee and the leaders of the company.  Challenging employees to take risks empowers and engages staff.  Building trust between management and staff allows for those closest to the customer to make decisions that are based upon the current reality and typically results in more satisfied customers.  Engaged employees are “take charge” individuals and are willing to take calculated risks.

#3 Possess Excellent Communication Skills

The leaders of the organization need to be able to communicate the vision, values and mission of the company.  Their efforts in sharing the strategy result in an informed employee base that understanding the successes and future challenges that the company may face.  Leaders also need to listen to the employees and process the information in such a way that allows for all employees to contribute to success of the company.

#4 Are Problem Solvers

Engaged employees examines problems and working with the team is able to provide a solution either independently or as part of a team.  Engaged employees encourage a team approach to problem solving as a way to better support the customer.  They will also seek out problems and view them as an opportunity and a challenge.

Finally, engaged employees are committed to their organization’s goals and values, they are motivated to contribute to organizational success, and are able at the same time to further enhance their own sense of purpose.

How to Make the Employee Survey Process Successful?

Potential clients will often approach our firm and indicate that they want to conduct an employee survey to find out what the employees are thinking.  The motives of the Human Resource leaders in making this inquiry are based upon a need to discover what is happening in the trenches and take action where necessary.  Even though the HR leaders want to do what is right they often get lost in the process and don’t take the long-term perspective.  In order to have a successful outcome we recommend that our clients follow a four step process to determine if an employee survey is the most appropriate means of evaluating satisfaction and engagement.  Here are the recommended steps to ensure a successful survey:

Step #1:  Define engagement and inform the employees what this means and how engagement supports the business.  Our definition of engagement is as follows:  “Employee engagement is the relationship between an organization and its employees.  An engaged employee is one who subscribes to the values and goals of the organization and works to ensure success.” Engagement varies by industry and employer and much like a mission statement, engagement should have the support of the organization by being published and marketed through-out the company.

Step #2:  An engagement index is a numerical value that quantifies engaged employees that are aligned and fully support the success of the organization in contrast to those that are disengaged.  Organizations that score high are typically successful and have a dynamic leadership team with high employee engagement.  They also have a clearly defined operational succession plan, a supportive administrative infrastructure, and programs and policies to support enhanced productivity.  These engagement indicators are interdependent – good leaders make good business decisions; progressive compensation and benefits programs attract and retain employees; employee engagement drives income and productivity.  Ensure that the leaders of the organization understand how these values impact productivity and the bottom-line.  Only with the leaders buy-in of an engagement index with the survey process be successful.  

Step #3:  An engagement survey is not an isolated event but rather the process to improve employee satisfaction and make your company an employer of choice.  While measurement is key to the program’s success the action planning process will make or break the initiative.  If managers are not held accountable, assume responsibility and be held accountable for improvement this program will not be successful.  HR needs to transition from “running a survey” to supporting the needs of the business by working with key leaders to develop action plans and accountability measures based upon the data collected during the survey process.  

Step #4:  Ensure that a process for following-up on the agreed upon action plans is adhered to and becomes part of the company culture.  If a consistent process is not established the survey process will be lost by newer initiatives, a business crisis or change in personnel.  Our experience has shown that if quarterly meetings are scheduled to ensure accountability the process is much more successful.  In addition, follow-up surveys to evaluate trends and long-term employee satisfaction and engagement will support progressive business practices.  

In conclusion, employers today face extraordinary challenges with respect to managing the business and at the same time meeting the needs of their employees.  Human Resources leaders need to take the long-term perspective with respect to engagement and the survey process.

Will Employee Engagement Continue to be a Metric of Choice?

Engagement is a familiar buzz word in Human Resources today and like other professions our terms and definitions are changing as our profession evolves.  Terms like compensation have morphed into total rewards, personnel has changed to human capital management, and empowerment to engagement.  What is happening is that our profession is establishing newer and better metrics to evaluate company performance and employee successes.

The question for the future is will the concept of employee engagement remain with us or will it go the way of TQM, visioning and other programs?  My guess is that engagement is here to stay.  Given the research today engagement has a direct correlation to the success of companies.  Top-performing organizations understand that employee engagement with the business is a key driver of business success. Satisfied and engaged employees are productive and customer focused.  Engaged employees care about the future of the company and are willing to invest time, energy and effort to support the strategic direction and vision of the organization.  Engaged employees produce results, are more productive and lower turnover is the result.

Current research suggests that companies that score high levels of employee engagement are successful and have a dynamic leadership team.  They also have a clearly defined operational succession plan, and a supportive administrative infrastructure and programs to support and enhanced productivity.  As a result, organizations where there are high levels of engagement are more likely to be financially successful.

Engagement can also be quantified, and companies can compare and contrast their engagement indices with other companies that subscribe to the same metric.  Engagement and the values that are the result are also perceived as valuable to executives as they have the ability to rank their successes by their engagement index.  High levels of engagement also can support high performer’s perceptions of themselves.  High levels of engagement are key indicators – good leaders make good business decisions.

While it’s true we have our own constantly changing vocabulary in the HR profession, that’s no different than any other profession. Our terms and definitions need to evolve and the programs that are created need to have terms that all employees and our business partners can understand.

How Can I Keep Employees Engaged at Work - Five Ideas for You to Consider?

It’s not a mystery that employee engagement continues to decline. The Gallup organization indicates that nearly 70 percent of employees are actively disengaged. With  less than 30% of workers in the United States engaged with their current job it is important for the HR professional, working with the leadership team to implement programs and a culture that encourages engagement.  As a manger, you want hard-working employees who are actively engaged with the work they do. This will make your job easier and more rewarding for both you and your team.  The following five ideas can assist you in adopting a culture of engagement.  If you implement these strategic concepts you can create a culture of engagement:

Focus On Employee Development

There are many reasons job applicants accept a new position such as additional compensation or a better benefits program, a more progressive management or a new industry; however, many applicants accept a new position because they want to advance their career.  One Gallup poll found that 87% of millennials (and 69% of non-millennials) view employee development as important in their position.  Employees want to enhance their skills and continue to be challenged by new tasks.  As an HR professional you can focus on employee development in several ways such as adding new duties to the employee’s position to prevent boredom, allow room for growth in the position, or offer a job rotation program so employees can expand their skills and knowledge.

Share the Company Goals with All

To run a successful company, you need a business plan with a list of goals you want to accomplish. To engage employees, you need to involve them in reaching business goals.  You should set annual, semi-annual, quarterly, and monthly goals so employees have something to work toward. Reaching specific goals is something that encourages employee engagement.  Employees want to know how their position fits in with the other positions in the company and they want to learn how their work affects the business as a whole. You can set general company goals as well as goals within each department. That way, each employee knows how their work is impacting the departmental and overall success of the business.

Create a Culture of Development

If an employee doesn’t have a clear understanding of their duties and responsibilities, they won’t be as engaged as you would like them to be. Instead, they’ll be frustrated and not be as productive which can lead to disengagement.  Employees who can master their workload typically take more pride in what they do. Workers who are eager to meet their goals are engaged with the company. Providing technical and management development training to both new and seasoned employees is one of the most important steps you as an HR professional can promote to ensure employees are engaged at work. With a successful training program, employees will learn how to effectively do their job and be as productive as possible. For many employees, training is also the time when they bond with co-workers and develop a connection to the company. Studies have also shown that the more friends employees have at work, the more engaged they are at work.  A study by TINYpulse, Inc. found that only 28% of employees with no work friends were engaged, versus 69% with 25 or more friends. Training encourages relationships among employees which in turn improves engagement and productivity.

Acknowledge and Recognize Employees

Employees don’t automatically become engaged when you give them more praise, thanks, or any other types of acknowledgment; however, employees can quickly become disengaged if they feel like they’re invisible.  It is important for employees to know their co-workers and develop friendships with them. But it’s also important to develop relationships that value respect and professionalism between employer and employee.  Whe the employee puts in extra effort, acknowledge them.  Management should acknowledge employees for their hard work and according to Gallup, Inc. those employees who aren’t recognized are twice as likely to quit.

Let Employees Do Their Job - Don’t Micro-manage Them

If employees are told exactly what to do and how to do it, they won’t improve and their ability to perform on the job will suffer.  Managers that micromanaging staff can be damaging to your company. According to Forbes, Inc. micromanaging resulted in 68% of employees saying their morale was dampened and 55% said that it led to a decrease in productivity. Low morale leads to actively disengaged workers.  Progressive managers allow their employees to be creative, develop new ways of approaching a task and come up with their own ideas. 

To learn more about keeping employees engaged at work along with the survey process please go to our website at www.innoviative-hrsolutions.com.

What are the Six Steps for a Successful Employee Survey Process?

Employee engagement surveys are a very useful tool in an HR professionals toolkit.  If used properly it can be an excellent source of information, enhance employee engagement and improve the support for the vision and mission of the organization.  As business partners, Human Resources professionals play an important role by facilitating a successful employee survey by following this six step process.

1.    Establish the goals of your survey project through interviews with the leadership team.

2.    Create your employee survey by identifying the issues you wish to survey.

3.    Determine your sample (all employees, or selected demographics)

4.    Promote the survey through a coordinated communication plan.

5.    Analyze and evaluate the survey data.

6.    Create four to six action items and share the survey results and action plans with the employees.

This article discusses these six areas of survey design which can have a positive impact on the organization and are as follows:

Establish the Goals of the Project

Knowing what your leadership team wants in an employee survey is a key factor to the surveys success.  As a result, the first step in any survey is deciding what you want to learn.  The goals of the project must be clear, measurable and actionable.  If your goals are unclear, the results will lack clarity and the project will not be as successful.

Create the Survey

Identifying key areas to obtain data will assist the organization in taking the necessary changes to identify challenges and successes.  The survey statements should be concise, targeted and phrased in a positive format.  This will assist in creating a consistent methodology and process to the survey tool  It is important to only survey those areas where management is willing to act.  If the company is not in a position to change its benefit plans or increase compensation, then the survey statements should not focus on these areas.  Employee surveys can create an expectation that if the question is asked management will act.  Human Resources should only survey those areas where the leadership team is supportive and where action can be taken.

Who is Going to be Surveyed

There are two main decisions that need to be made in determining who you will survey.  The first is deciding how many employees do you want to survey.  Researchers will often call this group the target population.  The next decision is to determine if you will survey all employees or a statistical sample.  Researches will often call this the sample size.  Most employers will decide to survey all eligible employees; however, some company’s due to their size may want to survey a smaller sample of the total employee population.  Organizations today will often decide how many employees to survey based upon their budget and the necessary degree of precision.  If a statistical sample is utilized Human Resources will need to make every effort to avoid a biased sample.

Promote the Survey

A successful surveys starts with communicating the reason behind the initiative, the process and the timing of the survey.  Human Resources should also let employees know if an incentive to participate will be as part of the process.  Survey participation is very important to secure employee buy-in for the tool and support for the outcomes following the closure of the survey.  Failure to promote the survey will impact participation and the credibility of the survey results.

Analyze the Survey Results

Successful change starts with data analysis and providing the leadership team with reports that are meaningful and provide a path to process improvements.  Human Resources plays a very important role by determining what reports are generated and the interpretation of the data.  Sharing the facts with the leadership team will empower them to be more effective leaders.

Share the Results

Successfully identifying the challenges and successes following an employee survey is very important to the process and the continued engagement of the employees.   It is important for HR to share the results in a consistent, factual and non-biased approach.  Key to the sharing of the survey results is the commitment of the leadership team to follow-thru on commitments made to the staff.

To learn more about the survey process please go to our website at: www.innovative-hrsolutions.com.

What is required to Manage Organization Change Effectively?

In order to meet the demands of a dynamic business environment Human Resources professionals are expected to be a key partner in managing change and assisting the leaders of the company by supporting changes to the organization.  As business partners, Human Resources professionals play an important role by assisting leadership in four key areas:

1.     Identify, evaluate and assess the rewards and risks associated with organizational change.

2.   Evaluate the current talent mix and organizational structure to determine if the current skills that the employees possess will meet the organization’s needs in the future.

3.     Educate the employee’s so that they understand what changes are needed along with communicating the timeframe and the potential outcomes.

4.  Administer an employee engagement survey to determine the success of the changes implemented and evaluate the alignment between the business, culture and the staff.

This article discusses these four areas of organizational change which can have a positive impact on the organization and its workforce or if not managed properly can be very detrimental to the organization.

Rewards and Risks

Successful transformation initiatives begin when the leaders examine the market place to determine what changes in their business may result in new challenges for their organization.  These challenges include new technology, changes in social patterns, shifts in tax policy or demographic re-alignments.  The leaders need to evaluate the risks and rewards associated with the proposed changes to the business model and develop a strategy to adapt to the new realities. 

Current Talent Mix

Successful change takes time, which can be disruptive to the organization.   Often the current talent mix is not in alignment in order to execute this new strategy.  Human Resource professional need to evaluate the employees existing skills to determine if their skills and knowledge will meet the future needs of the organization.  Until the existing staff have the necessary skills the organization will remain vulnerable.  It is important to evaluate the staff and create a performance and learning plan to ensure that all employees have a road map to success.  It is also important that HR hold all people accountable to ensure that these milestones for improvement are met and that employee development coupled with a consistent approach to learning is implemented.  If done properly the current talent mix will be aligned with the new strategy.

Educating the Employee

Frequently the decisions that are made about the organization are made at the c-suite level with the understanding  the middle management will share the changes with the rank-and-file staff.  Often time, this approach while well intended, is not communicated effectively or is unclear.  Poor communication about why the changes are being implemented and the strategy hinders the process.  To mitigate poor communication, Human Resources needs to play a key role in coaching and educating the employees and middle managers about what is changing, how it will impact their job, training opportunities to learn new skills and the eventual outcomes.

Determine Employee Engagement

Successful change starts with individuals, and failure will often occur because resistance to change is human nature.  Some managers are very skilled at change management; however, unfortunately, many managers are not adept at change management. The lack of change management skills among managers can make change initiatives difficult to achieve.  Human Resources plays a very important role by determining through an employee engagement survey where change is being embraced and where resistant is occurring.  HR can leverage those areas that are successful throughout the organization and where it is being resisted more resources and tools can be allocated to address these area’s needs.

Successfully identifying the rewards and risks association with organization change, evaluating the current talent to determine if the organization can meet the new strategy, communicating the rationale for the changes and conducting a survey to determine where there are pockets of success and/or resistance will help the Human Resources department manage organization change successfully.

To learn more about the survey process please go to our website at: www.innovative-hrsolutions.com.

Is the Employee Engagement Survey an HR Program or Company Responsibility?

As a result of our firm’s type of work we interact with clients across the country from many industries.  One common theme that we hear over-and-over again is how I can make the survey process not just an HR initiative but rather a program to enhance the employee’s engagement with the company?  If HR professionals adopt this six step approach following the survey the survey process will become more successful:

1.   Study the survey results and initiate dialogue between managers, supervisors, teams and individual contributors to review the findings and identify priorities.  Move as quickly as possible from dialogue to action planning, encouraging individual, team and collective ownership of the process at all levels.

2.   Determine three to five action items at a time. They should be achievable to provide early wins in the process. Attempting to do too much at once limits success.  Using the available reporting determine areas where satisfaction and engagement are low and identify challenges.  Excellent benchmarks include previous surveys, the overall company ratings and the “market”.  Use this tool to measure your success.

3.     Ensure transparency, be inclusive and maintain ongoing communication.  Provide feedback to managers and recognize that HR is there to support and facilitate the process and not fix the problems.

4.     Establish accountability for improvement efforts and results and keep checking on your business partner’s progress.  A key way to ensure that improvement is made by aligning the survey results with the performance management process

5.   Acknowledge and celebrate the improvements achieved as each goal or action item is brought to fruition.  Continue to stress that the achievements made are a result of good planning and the company’s commitment to make improvement.  

6.   Continue to follow-up and hold all people accountable for the success of the survey and the action   planning  process

To learn more about the survey process please go to our website at: www.innovative-hrsolutions.com.

Is the Employee Engagement Survey an HR Program or a Shared Responsibility?

As a result of our firm’s type of work we interact with clients from across the country from many industries.  One common question that we hear over-and-over again is how I can make the survey process not just an HR initiative but rather a program to enhance the employee’s engagement with the company?  If HR professionals adopt this five-step approach following the survey process the engagement survey will become more successful for not only the department but the company as well:

1.   Study the survey results and initiate dialogue between managers, supervisors, teams and individual contributors to review the findings and identify priorities.  Move as quickly as possible from dialogue to action planning, encouraging individual, team and collective ownership of the process at all levels.

2.   Determine three to five action items at a time. They should be achievable to provide early wins in the process. Attempting to do too much at once limits success.  Using the available reporting determine areas where satisfaction and engagement are low and identify challenges.  Excellent benchmarks include previous surveys, the overall company ratings and the “market”.  Use this tool to measure your success.

3.    Ensure transparency, be inclusive and maintain ongoing communication.  Provide feedback to managers and recognize that HR is there to support and facilitate the process and not fix the problems.

4.     Establish accountability for improvement efforts and results and keep checking on your business partner’s progress.  A key way to ensure that improvement is made by aligning the survey results with the performance management process.

5.    Acknowledge and celebrate the improvements achieved as each goal or action item is brought to fruition.  Continue to stress that the achievements made are a result of good planning and the company’s commitment to make improvement.

To learn more about the survey process please go to our website at: www.innovative-hrsolutions.com.

What is on the Horizon for 2019 and Beyond - Employee Satisfaction?

As we begin to look to 2019 it is very important that we learn from the past so that the business decisions we make in the future are based upon facts and a coordinated strategy.  We all know that 2018 has been  a challenging year. Some of us experienced difficulty in finding quality talent to fill open positions, higher than expected turnover, a stronger focus on expense management and the reevaluation of organizational objectives all have led to greater stress on the job.  Preserving our company’s competitive edge by retaining our high performers along with the use of HR metrics will allow us to be better positioned for the future.

As a result of technology, the Human Resource profession is becoming more sophisticated by utilizing metrics to examine employee trends in order to better anticipate future challenges and opportunities.  When we use HR metrics and evaluate historical patterns we are better able to respond to business challenges.  Metrics are a common measurement across all professions and are used as a way to hold people accountable.  One key metric that is being used by thousands of HR professionals is the employee survey.  The analysis and subsequent data following a survey is a key tool in determining employee satisfaction, engagement and management effectiveness.  Understanding and responding to employees’ concerns and questions are important components in ensuring success. 

Using normative data is important for our clients as this information serves as a benchmark which allows a company to compare their own mean scores with the client base.  Normative scores are updated continuously and, due to the size of our database, we can utilize an 99.9% confidence interval, resulting in a margin of error of + .01.  This means that our clients have a high level of confidence in the data they receive.  In the past, clients have often requested that we create norms that would provide a benchmark against their industry or region in the country. Today, however, we have begun to see a shift from benchmarking within one's own industry toward benchmarking against other “best places to work”. This is particularly true with regard to benchmarking in the areas of organizational climate, culture, engagement, management and leadership.  This review is based on data collected from over 85,000+ working individuals from organizations representing a broad cross-section of industries and regions of the country

For the purpose of this analysis below respondents completed an on-line survey consisting of questions about their jobs, executive leadership, staff development, core values, compensation and benefits and management at their organization.  The number of statements from each company ranges from 15 to over 150. The number of respondents from each company ranges from a minimum of 10 to 2,500 plus.  Our firm uses the Likert scale from 1.00 to 5.00.  The Likert Scale is a scale that equates a numerical value to a level of satisfaction.  The scale uses the following range: 1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neutral, 4=Agree, 5=Strongly Agree.  For a complete review by functional area as it relates to satisfaction please see the chart below:

Areas of Employee Satisfaction

In general, employees are satisfied with their jobs.  Employees appreciate that management is operating the business efficiently, often under conditions of uncertainty and with limited resources.  Employees also believe that the work environment is safe.  Human Resources is doing an effective job at partnering with the leadership team in guiding managers and coaching them with respect to ensuring effective employee relations, supporting career progression and the values and vision of the company.

Employee Management Relations

With respect to employee management relations, employees gave this area a satisfaction rating of 3.89. The great majority of employees believe that their manager will listen to their point of view and assist them in growing professionally.   In addition, the survey results indicate that management treats and respects all individuals. Diversity is encouraged and has become a part of the corporate culture.

Job Satisfaction

Job satisfaction was another highly-rated area achieving a satisfaction rating of 3.83.  A high percentage of employees enjoy the work they do, are challenged and feel a strong sense of accomplishment in their position.  They believe that they can make a contribution and want to be a part of making their company successful.

Career Opportunities

A majority of employees indicated that they feel they have a career with their organization and that they work well as a team.  They support their co-workers in their department by sharing information and offering advice. Career Opportunities received a 3.72 satisfaction rating.

Core Values

The survey responses focusing on the mission, vision and values of the organization received a 3.96.  The respondents understand the importance of supporting the strategic mission of their organization.

Opportunities for Improvement

It is anticipated that Human Resources will face tremendous challenges in three key areas in the future. These areas include compensating employees fairly, ensuring that communication flows freely throughout the organization and providing employees with the training necessary to ensure their competency in the future.

Fair Compensation

Employees rated fair compensation the lowest of all areas surveyed; this area received a satisfaction rating of 3.33.  Employees continue to feel the pressure of downsizing and at the same time they feel they are not compensated at a level commensurate with their additional duties and responsibilities. In the future employees will desire additional compensation and/or look for new opportunities.

Effective Communication

Communication is an issue for a majority of companies. Effective communication was rated low with a satisfaction rating of 3.42. Employees are requesting more information about the new products and services offered by their company as well as management’s clarification of the organization’s vision and prospects for growth.  Employees would also like to have more advance notice of activities occurring at their organization and receive information about changes and strategic decisions that affect them in a timelier manner.  Respondents very often do not believe that other departments are keeping them informed about key projects that are under consideration or have been approved.  This would suggest that improvement in communication is critical to ensure the success of a company.

Staff Development

Many respondents believe that the learning opportunities at their company have declined over the past several years.  A recommitment to learning, along with a more formal training program that will equip employees to successfully carry out the requirements of their present and future job roles will need to be a strong consideration for the future.  The survey data suggests that employees believe that as technology changes, and as new management techniques are required, organizations will need to offer additional support to help them meet these new challenges. This is an area of concern for progressive employers.

In conclusion, employers today face extraordinary challenges with respect to managing the business and at the same time meeting the needs of their employees.