Cultivating an Engaged Workforce

“Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.”


-Anne M. Mulcahy, former Xerox CEO

It’s not a new concept that an engaged workforce usually means a successful workforce. A recent Gallup poll shows that companies with engaged workforces have higher earnings per share, and they seem to have recovered from the recession at a faster rate. Conversely, a disengaged employee costs their organization $3,400 for every $10,000 of their salary. In another study, Gallup and The Engagement Institute report that  disengaged employees cost organizations between $450 and $550 billion annually.
How does an organization cultivate an engaged workforce? That is the question on many leaders’ minds today. Here, we’ve asked local HR executives how their organizations work to create a culture that fosters an engaged workforce.

Engagement.Beckley


Bill Beckley


Corporate Director of Human Resources, Miller Industries

CS How important is a company’s culture for an engaged work force?

BB Company culture is one of the most vital pieces of the engagement puzzle because it’s built on how employees feel, and it cannot be controlled by any person. If employees believe they are appreciated, respected, and trusted, they will perform to the best of their abilities. In today’s highly competitive global marketplace, a company needs to have the flexibility and openness to change rapidly. Having an engaged, motivated workforce is the best way to achieve that result.

CS What are the most important steps that a company can take to build morale and employee engagement?

BB Our leadership team has a saying: be firm, fair, and consistent. You must display ethical behavior and follow through with promises or employees will not trust you. All employees should know how their role is critical to the success of the organization – someone who feels purpose in their work will be more loyal and productive. Rewards should be tied to company performance so that when the company succeeds, employees do as well. Another necessary step is providing training. Our newest program is a 12-week Weld School that certifies welders to the American Welding Society’s D1.1 standard.

CS What other factors are important to boost employee engagement?

BB Employees are more inclined to be engaged if they believe the company is looking out for their best interests. This includes providing a competitive wage and a benefit program that acts as a safety net for them when needed. We provide education to employees on how to maximize their benefits, and conduct preventive onsite biometric screenings. We also commit to doing whatever is possible to maintain an employee’s status during an economic downturn by establishing furlough programs that keep employees’ benefits intact instead of laying them off. These programs have been successful in the past, and we have recovered from the recession a stronger company because of it.

Engagement.Ward


Karen Ward


Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

CS How important is a company’s culture for an engaged work force?

KW A vibrant, healthy culture is a vital part of an engaged workforce – culture impacts your employees’ ability to work well with each other and within the wider company.

CS What steps has your company taken to build higher levels of employee engagement?

KW We build and sustain employee engagement by listening and seeking input. We survey our employees annually and our leadership team reads every comment. We use the feedback to enhance and improve everything from workspaces to policies affecting dress code and work/life balance. Our intranet site is a resource to find out more about the issues and events that impact their work and life, and it also provides a space for continual feedback. Opportunities for growth and advancement are important, and we’re proud to offer a career development program that includes mentoring programs, a job rotation program, and tuition assistance. We also host internal career fairs and events related to diversity, inclusion, and wellness. Our Team Blue program helps connect employees with service opportunities. In 2015, we established a Family Fund, which provides employees financial support during a time of need. These efforts let employees know that BlueCross cares about them, both as professionals and as people.

CS What are the most important steps that a company can take to build morale and employee engagement?

KW It’s important to listen to employees, and to be prepared and willing to take action on feedback. If things need to change, it’s usually better to make well-communicated, incremental adjustments than attempt sudden, drastic reforms. You don’t necessarily have to take care of every concern all at once, but you do need to let employees know their concerns are heard and considered.

Engagement.Thompson


Amanda Thompson


Vice President of Human Resources, U.S. Xpress

CS How important is a company’s culture for an engaged work force?

AT Culture can make or break an organization. A company’s best-laid plans can only be realized when the culture is ready to embrace and execute them. I believe that an engaged workforce is one where people feel that they’re working for something greater than themselves, where they’re respected and rewarded for results, and where they’re held accountable for their work product. None of those things happen without the right culture in place.

CS What steps has your company taken to build higher levels of employee engagement?

AT Our senior leadership holds town hall sessions to talk about what we’re trying to accomplish and to hear employee points of view. We’ve also embraced the Franklin Covey 4 Disciplines of Execution model which is designed to align the whole company to work towards a common goal. Outside of those efforts, there are department-specific initiatives in place aimed at hearing our employees and acting on their insights.

CS What are the most important steps that a company can take to build morale and employee engagement?

AT Morale and employee engagement start with an employee’s immediate supervisor. Investing in leadership development at all levels of the company is an important step in making sure supervisors have the skillset and capacity to manage their people in a way that achieves results and motivates the workforce.

CS What other factors or initiatives are important to boost employee engagement?

AT I believe that most people want to do a good job, they want to be rewarded for good work, and they want the opportunity to contribute. But it starts with asking their opinion and listening to what they have to say.

Engagement.Webb


Marie Webb


Vice President of Human Resources, EPB

CS How important is a company’s
culture for an engaged work force?

MW It is extremely important for a company to cultivate an engaged workforce. We know engaged workers are “all in” so to speak. It may be a cliché, but they bring not only their minds, but also their hearts to work. They care about what they are doing and are enthusiastic, committed, and can be counted on to be the best brand ambassadors a company could wish for. On the other hand, disengaged employees cost organizations a tremendous amount of time, money, opportunities, and other valuable resources that few can afford to squander.

CS What are the most important steps that a company can take to build morale and employee engagement?

MW Acknowledge the role that employee engagement can play toward reaching corporate objectives and make it a priority in both words and actions. Engagement is a tool to improve the quality of life for all employees and is key to higher levels of productivity.

CS What other factors or initiatives are important to boost employee engagement?

MW Wellness. As we all know, employees will struggle to show up “ready to work” with their best foot forward if they are not healthy or suffer from chronic conditions that diminish their abilities to contribute. We focus on supplying employees with all of the information they need to make healthy choices. Additionally, according to Gallup, two major factors that influence employee performance are engagement and wellbeing. We know that if both elements are in place, people thrive and deliver even higher levels of productivity as compared to those who don’t have both components.

Engagement.Francescon


T.W. Francescon, Jr.


Corporate Director of Human Resources, Southern Champion Tray

CS How important is a company’s culture for an engaged work force?

TWF We believe a strong culture with a focus on people and values is vitally important to effectively serve our customers. Without that culture guiding how we do business, how we treat each other, and how we partner with our suppliers and customers, our coworkers are not as inclined to go the extra mile, work through differences, and persevere through growing pains.

CS What steps has your company taken to build higher levels of employee engagement?

TWF While we have more to learn than to offer when it comes to building morale and engagement, here are a few ways we seek to build engagement. We are transparent about our mission, vision, and values, beginning with the recruitment process. We seek to value and develop the whole person by offering opportunities for our coworkers to grow and impact their families and communities, such as confidential counseling, an onsite Wellness Center, Dave Ramsey financial classes, and FamilyLife marriage enrichment weekends. We have quarterly, company-wide meetings, where 679 coworkers have an opportunity to hear business updates and ask questions about our financials, sales, and strategic objectives. Coworkers are also invited to participate in a nine-month mentoring program that pairs mentees with seasoned leaders and to participate in teams and committees (e.g. 401k Investment Committee, Safety Team, Continuous Improve-ment Team, Wellness Day Committee, etc.).

CS What other factors or initiatives are important to boost employee engagement?

TWC Another way to boost engagement is to openly discuss business challenges to build trust. When we have faced tough economies or business challenges, our goal has always been to steward our resources so that a layoff would be a last resort (and we are grateful we have never had a layoff in our 90 year history). An issue not unique to SCT is managing different generations in the workplace. Last fall we hosted meetings, led by an outside speaker, highlighting the importance of respecting the generational differences and how we can better relate to each other in the workplace.

Engagement.Brown


Megan Brown


 Director of Culture & Talent Development, Vision Hospitality Group

CS How important is a company’s culture for an engaged work force?

MB I think there is a strong correlation between a company’s culture and the level of its employees’ engagement. As the workforce has changed in recent years, so have employees’ expectations. More than ever, employees look for mutually beneficial employment, where in exchange for work, they are compensated appropriately and work in an environment that meets their specific needs.

CS What other factors or initiatives are important to boost
employee engagement?

MB Helping people connect their work with their personal mission can boost engagement. Everyone has something that matters deeply to them. If you can tap into a person’s passion and help them find a way to fulfill it, you’ll find that their level of engagement increases. Also, make sound hiring decisions so that applicants’ skills and talents are matched with available work. If you hire someone who isn’t very organized for a job that is very detail-oriented, you will both likely become frustrated quickly. It’s important to be clear about job descriptions and expectations from the very beginning of the hiring process.

CS Is there anything else that you can share on this topic?

MB I think that a company’s culture is what makes or breaks it. If employees are treated well, they are happier to come to work. They are more productive while they’re there, they have fewer absences, and turnover is reduced.  Their output consistently meets or exceeds expectations. Companies that recognize the value of their employees build cultures to support them, and become employers of choice. Companies that haven’t fully embraced the importance of their employees often create a ‘company-first, employee-second’ culture, which will ultimately drive their employees to seek out opportunities elsewhere.  This results in high turnover, which costs the company time, money, and effort that could be spent elsewhere.

Shares

Looking for the Latest CityScope Annual Business Issue?

The Annual Business Issues can now be found with the rest of your favorite CityScope content!