Employee engagement is a lot like consumer engagement – some would argue the former is substantially more important than the latter. It sounds strange, I know, but hear me out.
After putting the company together piece by piece, the final (and often hardest) part is developing and retaining your employees. This was supposed to be the easy part after all the hard work went into the business plan, product development, relationship building with partnering companies, product placement, marketing & advertisement – the list goes on and on. However, the final step is going to make or break your business. Hiring the right employees who understand the business, value their employment, and are motivated to do their jobs day in/day out is essential. That’s why those of us who work with companies – big and small – cannot reinforce enough that conceptualizing employees as customers of the company provides a unique vantage point. After all, employees are looking to the organization to provide for them. They are most likely expecting pay (unless you somehow sidestepped this one), benefits, respect, a positive atmosphere to work in, recognition for their work, etc. In return they agree to do their best, communicate openly, contribute to the positive atmosphere, show respect to others, and work in line with the mission/values of the company. The organization is selling the employment, and the employee is purchasing it in a variety of ways (albeit not solely by salary as noted).
So – how do you show good customer care at the level of employment? Effectively, how do you take care of your employees? How do you make them feel valuable – as you would have them treat external consumers? How do you compensate them appropriately so that they keep coming back every day with motivation and a desire to do their best? How do you help them feels so proud of their employment; So proud that they want to tell everyone they know: 1) who they work for, 2) how great the services/product lines are, 3) how much they love the administration that cares as much about their employed family as they do about the general consumer family.
These are the important questions you have to ask while accepting the honest feedback and answers. However, doing so in a growing or established company can be difficult when you consider the power-based positions of executives, directors, and managers. Likewise, using in-house staff such as the human resource department (if you have one), can create counterproductive levels of paranoia and suspiciousness. This is where Prosperity can provide assistance and support. Part of our skill set is understanding interpersonal relationships & dynamics, individual motivations, and workplace factors that impact productivity – or invite stagnation. Through employee interviews, attending group meetings, and having open dialogue across the organization – we can help you use information to make wise choices about how to message staff and make environmental modifications that truly make a difference. Isn’t that what your employees deserve?
*Ahem* your “customers” deserve.
Give it some thought. When you’re ready, give us a call and let’s talk about what might be helpful!
Todd: 720.612.0244