Because there are so many great articles on employee engagement and creating a culture of appreciation in the workplace, I want to share the best of these resources with you. Here are my favorites from this week. I have included some of my thoughts on these gratitude strategies (“Grategies”) and would like to hear your comments too.
Better engagement required to prevent staff attrition by Hywel Roberts
(HR Magazine UK) “Many believe the economic recovery will lead to large numbers of employees seeking to move companies, looking for better salaries and working conditions. “
My thoughts: After coming through the recent economic downtown, employees are at the starting gate, waiting for someone else to give them the recognition and attention they desire. This article gives some scary statistics as to why you need to focus on keeping your top talent from becoming someone else’s.
Employee Engagement Isn’t Enough by Kris van Riper and Derek Bekebrede
(Government Executive) “Leaders across the federal sector are rethinking how work gets done, adding potential transformations and reorganizations to the list of challenges affecting employee engagement. All of this begs the question: Is engagement enough to manage through change?”
My Thoughts: Making a more agile work environment reminds me of step two in the THANKS process, HELPING your employees envision their career path with your organization. Clarity of purpose on the job leads to higher engagement.
Transform Your Employees into Passionate Advocates by Rob Markey
(Harvard Business Review) “Happiness for its own sake is not the right outcome to seek. If you want happy employees, you can just pay them more. You can give them more time off. You can give them free lunches by celebrity chefs. Only a few of the things that make employees “happy,” however, result in real, sustained benefit for the company.”
My Thoughts: Getting buy-in from employees comes from a feeling of ownership, simpler measures and direct feedback. A focus on the third step in the THANKS process – APPLAUD their efforts – may be as simple as letting them know what customers are saying.
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Lisa Ryan, creator of Grategy® is a gratitude expert, professional speaker and bestselling author. For more information contact (216) 225-8027. For information on Grategy® programs please visit http://www.grategy.com. Follow on Twitter: @Grategy