How can we engage employees in 2010?

We should communicate about business conditions, the state of our business, and the role of each of our employees in the business’ success. Our workers should know the positive impact. We should be sure of our workers in the loop and shouldn’t spare our people the bad news, or sugar-coat it.

When cash is tight, Opportunities to the employees should be given that can benefit them economically in the longer term. When they can’t pay more, firms should try to engage their talent in other ways. They can enable career-development opportunities and create career pathways, not only up but also laterally. But we shouldn’t try to ply our loyal workers with doubletalk. Companies have to be careful about asking people to work two jobs and calling it career development.

The days of strategic thinking when value addition was measured by pure maximization of wealth are gone. The world is changing fast and implications of people survival and quality of life are more profound now as compared to our days. Identify practical  implications for you and your organization. You can choose to be Masters of change or victims of change because the rules of living and working effectively have changed. Challenge your mental models, beliefs and values. Get out of your comfort zones

We have to first segregate employees according to their function. Each group will have a different role in the enterprise hence a different module.While deciding a road map for the year we have to also see that it should also have to a thread to continue this in future in bonding with the present one. 

The method should be new and corresponding to the demand of the present time. This should have a defined learning process which will finally strengthen employees wisdom and prepare for future working situation.

Recession are times when tough decisions must be taken but importantly communicated effectively to ensure that the purpose behind such decisions are understood in the right perspective. Alongside sharing the gloom, its important to relate the present to the promises of the future and how it could impact positively the future of the existing employees. Recession must be used as an opportunity by the Operational Heads to reward their best performers and encourage efficiency, increase the assessment period of at par or below par employees to a two year period to allow them to improve performance. Such employees could be also be given opportunities to enhance their skills through short term courses. Encourage employees to take up additional assignment within the organization and link it to their annual assessment.

Overall a policy of constant engagement at various levels would ensure that the employees see a possibility of bright future by staying on in the present organization.

in our country, many of the employees concentrates only job security,   if employee fells secured in job he can work wholehearted. if not, he will do the work in worst manner.

 secondly, educate them with recent developments.  because only multi crores business companies has all the recent developments.   but  medium, small sized business does not have that facilities.

    finally, good competition among the employees is needed. competition must be only in methodology of work.

Build up good relationship with the employees

Employee engagement should be almost a daily affair in Corporates as one slip up provides an opportunity to the employee to slip off

1) Communicate with him daily with your morning meetings (in small companies) or through email or the Location heads through their morning meetings. These meetings should be motivational, anecdotal and should add value to the employee in terms of knowledge (could be on the product, its performance or generally ideate about certain key issues of the company or share an interesting story about achievers)

2) Great things can be achieved by working to together, Parallel Thinking about solving issues and or problems

3) Share and recognize individual or group efforts collectively, this gives a tremendous boost to the achievers and a motivation for other to follow

Executives should show that they are equally concerned for the present phase of recession. Things may not be in their hands .. !!

They come out of their chambers, mix with the employees - share and care. Let the position be explained to them. They volenteer to take some ( token amount of ) reduced pay, bonus and parks. And equally clam down the staff members so that they may not be de-moralised. The staff may be sent for similar jobs outside just to let them know that the phase is temporary and they are to share some pain.

The employees be re-trained, trained in different fields, different skills to do some "value addition" in their present skills.

The best way is to to improve thier skill levels to take them forward. This will enhance thier skills along with confidence and motivation.

A job doesn't mean that we are in a comfortable position and nothing happens to our job at any situation like recession.A job has to be in such a way that it keeps on incresing our knowledge in that particular field.If we are really involved in that job then our skills and talent will be useful for the progress of the company.Then finding a job in that field but in other organisation will be easy.

When cost of operations is being re-visited at every segment & activity, it’s advisable to seek options from employees for more cost effective operations. Involvement from employees at all levels will help them to understand the business better and improve the Value chain and will boost the bottom line of the business and will make the company more competitive in the Long run without major retrenchments.

Again, I would advise to involve the employees and keep feedback mechanism open as this will help in identifying true potential in a prospect for future line functions. Feedback from direct line functions to be made strong to disburse fears related to his / her performance. Company forums should be best utilized in putting up the ‘Corporate Branding’ to enhance individual value of the employee in the industry. This in turn will create ownership & accountability.

Human Resource should be proactively involved in succession planning and identifying gaps in functional competency. ‘Mentoring’ should be looked into, not as a option, but as a tool for effective engagement & retention.

Dear Diya,

Thank you for chosing me in particiating the debate! This is right that now at this point of time global melt down is appeared before all of us as a prime cause of all the events which we have been encountering in daily life. I am a person alwayas having the optimistic outlook! The consequences is the result of globalization! And we can't avoid it easily!

But what are the remadies before us? Is to combat the impact of globalization with skill and capabilities not  by equipped us only but all the potential clients we have been dealing with! I am the person seeking answers like you as I have been running a firm of consultants in the social sectors. Therefore it is not the problem being faced by you only.

Please don'd be worried! Go ahead with confidence and having pragmatic and heuristic views.

Thaning you.

Yours truly,

Hasanul Islam

In such senerio when we are facing the problem of recession and it is very difficult for the the company to increase the pay scale of the employees and to provide performace incentives, the only way to make the employees feel that the company for which they are working cares for them, is to be more transprent in the functioning so that each and every employee can provide their views and no one knows companies might get good results out of this process which may be fruitful for the organisation.Also the organisation would be able to find the most efficient employees by this process. 

 Opportunities and rewards or recoganisation to the employees should be given. that canmake comapny for long run .coz employess are the pillars. they have to hold the pillars. company should give career growth for right employee. company should keep motivating employee to achieve their goal. more or less company should make employee comfortable.

Most employess are loath to change jobs just because of pecuniary considerations. Most of the time, employees look for change because they feel that their contributions are not valued or they are taken for granted. This feeling leads to dissatisfaction and that in turn leads to a vicious circle of non-performance and further dissatisfaction.

If employees are appreciated for their contribution, and if they are treated the way they are expected to perform, engaging them will be easier.

-Ravi

Most employess are loath to change jobs just because of pecuniary considerations. Most of the time, employees look for change because they feel that their contributions are not valued or they are taken for granted. This feeling leads to dissatisfaction and that in turn leads to a vicious circle of non-performance and further dissatisfaction.

If employees are appreciated for their contribution, and if they are treated the way they are expected to perform, engaging them will be easier.

-Ravi

Employee Engagement is a almost a daily activity and you need to touch base with them on a daily basis. If your company is small or medium sized you could do this with your morning meetings and if it is a large corporate you could do this over their mail or disperse the message through the branch office through the branch heads.

Engagement could be well defined as under:

1) Product announcement or incentives

2) Internal happenings in the company (like recognizing important employee achievements and or  significant happenings recognized on a larger platform)

3) Motivation through small anecdotes which will stimulate thought and or actions for overall betterment of the company

Employee Engagement is a almost a daily activity and you need to touch base with them on a daily basis. If your company is small or medium sized you could do this with your morning meetings and if it is a large corporate you could do this over their mail or disperse the message through the branch office through the branch heads.

Engagement could be well defined as under:

1) Product announcement or incentives

2) Internal happenings in the company (like recognizing important employee achievements and or  significant happenings recognized on a larger platform)

3) Motivation through small anecdotes which will stimulate thought and or actions for overall betterment of the company