Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Latest NewsEconomics, government & businessHR practiceLabour marketPay & benefits

Experts claim credit crunch should be used to boost employee engagement

by Gareth Vorster 2 May 2008
by Gareth Vorster 2 May 2008

Employee engagement experts have called on organisations to use the current economic climate to their benefit when trying to increase the work commitment of their staff.

Katie Roberts, engagement development manager at health and beauty retail giant Boots, said: “It’s crucial to engage with employees, particularly in difficult times.

“The crunch can be used to demonstrate how serious you are about your employees,” Roberts told Personnel Today. “Take the time to listen, and people in your organisation will get the message that you are genuinely interested in them.”

The credit crunch has seen falling house prices for the first time in a decade, while consumer spending has also taken a hit as lending has dried up. Thousands of City jobs are expected to be axed this year as banks feel the effect of a recession.

But speaking at the Employee Engagement Summit in the City, Roberts said that employer engagement should remain a constant in HR’s communications process.

“Continue to hire talented people, and engage with them to help drive business performance which in turn impacts on sales and profit.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Dr David Pendleton, senior consultant at HR consultancy Edgecumbe, told delegates: “There is no better time to show your employees how serious you are than during difficult times. How you act under this climate is how you will be judged by your employees.”

Nick Tatchell, senior project director at professional services firm Towers Perrin-ISR, added: “A bigger effort by managers to engage with staff under tougher times will create a sense of pride for employees.”

Gareth Vorster

previous post
Northern Rock begins consultations with union over plans to cut 2,000 jobs
next post
Postie redirected by police after getting short shrift over trouser blunder

You may also like

Sandie Peggie launches fresh legal action against NHS...

3 Sep 2025

How to stop flying blind with workforce planning

3 Sep 2025

Ex-Specsavers director suspended over wrongful expense claims of...

3 Sep 2025

Salesforce cuts 4,000 customer service roles as AI...

3 Sep 2025

New ‘failure to prevent fraud’ law a ‘game-changer’

2 Sep 2025

PCs removed from firearms unit after Tallia Storm...

2 Sep 2025

Top 10 HR questions August 2025: Conduct outside...

2 Sep 2025

Nestlé sacks CEO over ‘undisclosed’ romantic affair

2 Sep 2025

Revolut employees to receive share sale payout

2 Sep 2025

Personnel Today Awards 2025 shortlist: Health and wellbeing

2 Sep 2025

  • Work smart – stay well: Avoid unnecessary pain with centred ergonomics SPONSORED | If you often notice...Read more
  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise