Employee engagement is undoubtedly one of the HR profession’s most burning issues.
With this in mind, Midlands HR think-tank ‘The Hub’ has met to discuss employee engagement and as a result, has made a number of key recommendations that challenge conventional thinking.
Targeting those employers who want to be engaged…
Over the last twelve months, many industry commentators have advocated the need for businesses to try and please their entire workforce. In contrast however, ‘The Hub’ has urged organisations to focus on the 20% of employees who want to engage with their employers.
Jon Terry, Operations Director at Wright Solutions, the leading HR recruitment and training specialists and founder sponsors of ‘The Hub’ explained “our latest meeting took place in Birmingham in August. We had one of our best ever attendances and welcomed several new HR executives which provides an indication as to the importance now being placed upon employee engagement”.
“Research suggests that within most organisations, only around 20% of employees decide to engage with their employer. With HR budgets being squeezed by the current economic conditions, we concluded that businesses should focus on engaging with their most receptive employees rather than adopting a catch-all approach”.
Flexibility the key to effective engagement…
Another key message to arise from the meeting was that in order to be successful, employee engagement strategies should be flexible and tailored to the needs of each individual.
Terry added “it is clear that many employees now seek opportunities to develop skills that sit outside of their core job descriptions. Rather than pigeon holing people, engagement strategies should therefore enable employees to learn new skills and gain an understanding of the wider business”.
Innovative approaches proving successful for Generation Y…
‘The Hub’ also discussed how innovative approaches are proving effective for companies wishing to engage with Generation Y employees or the children of the Baby Boomer generation.
Terry continued “one Hub member explained how her organisation has put together a project team comprising Generation Y employees. This team chooses projects to work on that will deliver process improvements throughout the business. The projects chosen are invariably focused around corporate social responsibility issues. The whole green agenda could therefore present the perfect route for organisations to relate to their younger employees”.
“In addition, many businesses have blocked the use of networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo. However, HR professionals could take advantage of these resources to engage with Generation Y by establishing company communities that actively encourage communication”.
The full minutes from the meeting can be downloaded free of charge from www.wrightsolutionsltd.com. ‘The Hub’ brings together leading HR executives working in the Midlands and is free to attend. The next meeting will be held on 4th November. Anyone interested in joining can submit an application form at Wright Solutions’ website or can call 0121 687 4040.
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