Back at work all refreshed and full of energy after a bank holiday break (well the energy might be down to the sugar buzz from all those Easter chocolates!) I find myself wondering how to maintain this new found enthusiasm and energy.
So rather than citing the latest numbers on staff engagement, I thought I would share some of the more fun and slightly crazy ideas we have come across for sparking engagement within organisations.
Make a movie
Give teams the equipment they need to make a ten-minute movie of their working day. Ask them to focus on what goes well and what doesn’t go so well. Collect all the films together and make a show reel. Show the single film at local events – along with popcorn and hot dogs!
This exercise can be used to hold a mirror up to the organisation and encourage dialogue on those things that go well and not so well within the organisations, … read more »
A guest post by Erin Osterhaus.
A small but growing number of companies are doing away with “fixed-number-of-days” vacation policies. Instead these forward thinking employers are giving their staff–with the approval of managers–the freedom to decide when and for how long to take time off. These companies have, in essence, an “unlimited” paid time off (PTO) policy.
These unlimited policies aren’t common; only one percent of U.S. companies offer them, and even the creme-de-la-creme–the top 10 of Fortune magazine’s top 100 best places to work in 2013–favor traditional or flex-time models. Google, renowned for its ridiculous employee benefits, doesn’t offer unlimited PTO either, instead allowing employees to accrue more vacation days the longer they’re with the company.
Is an unlimited PTO policy something you should consider for your company? This article explores the most commonly cited benefits–and drawbacks–that you should consider as you weigh your decision.
Productivity and Morale
One of the primary benefits touted by proponents of unlimited PTO is increased … read more »
Latest employee engagement figures from CIPD do not make great reading
The latest report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (Winter 2012/13) shows that 35% of employees are engaged but the majority (61%) remain neutral. 4% of respondents are disengaged.
In comparison to twelve months ago there is a very slight downward change, 36%, 60% and 3% respectively.
The summer of 2012 offered the high point in terms of overall employee engagement at 39% (with just 3% disengaged) but we now find that scores are now inline with Winter 11/12.
The highlights (although not at all surprising) of the latest report are that micro organisations (between 2 and 9 employees) have typically higher levels of engagement as opposed to large organisations (more than 250 employees) – 60% compared with 31%. Although small organisations (between 10 and 49 employees) have the highest level of disengaged employees at 6% compared with 1% for micro and 5% for large businesses.
The extent … read more »
These days, organisations are keener than ever to measure employees’ wellbeing as well as their employee engagement.
The two are inextricably linked, of course. But as wellbeing specialists like Dr Bridget Juniper point out:
…emerging research suggests that organisations that focus only on those areas associated with conventional engagement indicators, such as commitment and effort, are missing the point where enhancing performance is the overriding goal.
The problem, according to Juniper, is that ‘the scope given to workforce engagement is too restrictive’.
She’s certainly right when it comes to traditional models of measuring employee engagement.
For example, many organisations still use on employee engagement questionnaires that rely on one-size-fits-all questions to measure staff engagement.
The problem with this approach is that it can create a distorted picture of an organisation’s workforce. In extreme cases, off-the-peg questionnaires can generate a picture of a largely engaged workforce, but … read more »
I have noticed that a ‘new’ employee metric has been much discussed recently, employee happiness. Is this yet another employee sentiment to measure? Employee satisfaction and employee engagement are metrics that we have all become familiar with. But what is this ‘new’ one all about. As organisations compete to retain a skilled workforce that delight customers and are productive innovative company advocates and promoters, do they now need to consider their employees happiness too.
Why Employee Happiness?
The research has moved us beyond satisfaction to engagement. It is understandable that satisfaction alone is not enough to make employees feel completely involved in the organisation. The stronger the engagement, the more likely the employee will act in the interests of the employer. But where does happiness fit into all this.
Are you happy at work? If you are, the chances are that you work harder and better than your less happy counterparts. Research shows that … read more »
