MARITZ WHITE PAPER

DATE:

Engagement and Appreciation in a Time of Crisis

OCTOBER 2008

by Mel Van Dyke, Practice Consultant, Maritz Employee Engagement Practice

Change. In the world of human resources it is a topic that is both instigated and tightly managed. However, now more than ever, one thing seems to be very clear: the pace of change in our economic and political structures will continue to increase for an unforeseeable amount of time. Perhaps this is why recent Elliot Masie polls reported that 85 percent of respondents are experiencing some economic anxiety in their workplaces and 29 percent are suffering from “severe or high anxiety” in their workplaces. One of the primary questions among HR leaders seems to be, amidst the volatile environment that exists, how can we use the tools currently available to keep our workforce motivated and engaged? A number of winning strategies abound in the market. Below is a list of immediate employee and appreciation-focused strategies that can help position you solidly both during and after the crisis. 1. Keep Tight Focus on Key Talent: According to the Corporate Executive Board (CEB), recent economic stress has forced many employees to retreat back to more basic levels on the hierarchy of needs including safety and survival. This has, in turn, led to a decrease in employee commitment. According to the CEB, now is a key time for all organizations to be “aggressively pursuing the hearts and minds of top performers.” Three proven tactical approaches to retaining key talent that can be easily deployed are:

• Use online or in-person surveys to understand what truly motivates key talent. Make sure managers have this information readily available. Whether it’s a little extra time with family or tickets to the opera, managers will need to have this information on hand to motivate key employees in real-time.

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• Use all available two-way communication techniques to gather the mood and energy level of key talent. Whether it is blogs, polling, email surveys, or faceto-face conversations, corporate communications groups, executives and frontline managers should check the pulse daily on what employees are thinking and feeling.

• Show appreciation in both small and large ways. Thank you can never be said enough, especially now and particularly for key employees. Acknowledging not only the environment that key employees are now facing but also their individual contributions to success is a great way to keep employees focused on a positive work experience rather than an external labor market. 2. Harvest Ideas: Workforce ingenuity has always been a primary asset of the American economy. Now more than ever it is important to ensure the tools and resources are in place to harvest employee’s ideas on cost savings, productivity increases and product or solution improvements. Ensure that employees understand how important their thinking is to answering the modern day economic challenges and be sure to reinforce their contributions to great ideas. 3. Focus on Front Line Recognition: Just as employees are retreating back down Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, so are customers. Re-building or maintaining the trust of loyal customers is a core strategy for many organizations right now. This trust can be propagated at the organizationallevel, but will undoubtedly be carried out and actually made effective through front line associates who day in and day out listen to customers’ needs and respond directly to their wants and concerns. Re-focus employee appreciation and recognition efforts on the front line,

MARITZ WHITE PAPER

DATE:

Engagement and Appreciation in a Time of Crisis

OCTOBER 2008

highlighting the daily contributions these employees are making and rewarding significant efforts to retain key customers. 4. Ensure Compliance: Part of the current market woes stem from lack of visibility around risky behaviors and compliance issues. If you have not done so already, make sure that all recognition, incentive and travel efforts are succinctly tracked and monitored. Providing employees with a safe place (such as a call center or designated HR representative) where they can discuss ethical or compliance concerns is also a great way to not only ensure compliance but also to continue building trust with employees and customers. The current economic crisis and pace of change did not occur overnight, nor will it resolve itself overnight. Maintaining solid employee engagement and retention policies that keeps top talent focused and helps them feel appreciated for their contributions will always be a solid strategy – whether in volatile times or in the calm that follows.

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