HOW ENGAGED ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES? Chris Byrnes - ByrnesMedia The research company Gallup has conducted 10 million workplace interviews in 114 countries across a wide range of industries to come up with the key elements of what motivates an employee. What emerged from all these interviews is that often it’s the front line managers that have a larger impact when it comes to rallying the troops than the CEO. To relate that to radio, the General Manager, Program Director and Sales Manager are often the key to motivating an employee and getting them “engaged” in their job.
When the researchers at Gallup looked through all the interviews conducted over a 10 year period they discovered there were 12 statements that “engaged” employees consistently agreed with strongly. These statements formed the basis of a best selling book entitled “First Break All The Rules” which was first published in 1999. When these interviews were conducted the Gallup researchers also gathered other benchmarking data such as customer surveys, resignations, accidents, sick days, sales and profitability information. By analyzing these business metrics along with engagement ratios Gallup can provide an accurate measure as to the true health of a company.
A company with engaged staff has 27% less absenteeism, whereas a company with high employee dissatisfaction has 31% more staff turnover. Companies with happy engaged staff enjoy profits 51% higher than those where the employees are unhappy. Staff theft is 50% higher in those companies where a high percentage of the staff are not engaged. Another measurable link between employee engagement and the way a business operates is its customer service. Those companies with engaged staff received on average 12% higher customer satisfaction scores than those companies where the staff are unhappy.
These elements combine to create an appreciable competitive advantage.
When Gallup sorted all the surveys from the most engaged to the least engaged and split them down the middle, teams in the “more” half were over twice as likely to succeed as their counterparts on the other side of the divide. When the teams were split into four equal groups those in the top quartile were three times as likely to succeed as those in the bottom quartile, averaging 18% higher productivity and 12% higher profits. Among publicly traded companies the more engaged organizations outperformed the earnings per share of their competitors by 18%.
Since the breakthrough book of 1999, Gallup has gathered 10 times more data and has refined some of its findings on what really motivates employees to want to do the best job possible for their employer. Here, then, are the 12 statements and how they might be applied to radio:
I know what is expected of me: Ensure all staff know what their jobs are and how their performance will be measured. It sounds simple, but there are lots of radio employees who don’t have a letter of employment and/or a clear written job description. In some cases it’s because they have always operated on a hand shake, and in others there is a desire to be vague.
I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right: Radio today is relying more on technology than ever before. The benefit to the bottom line is we need fewer people to run the radio station. But with fewer people doing more jobs there is an increased pressure on technology. If the printer is not working or the news computer locks up this can impact the efficiency of the operation. Consider asking each staff member what they need to do their job better, and you may be surprised by the suggestions that don’t end up costing a lot of money. I was at a radio station recently and the Production person mentioned he needed an inkjet printer to make more professional-looking labels on the CD’s they sent to clients. Less than $300 later, the Production person was happy and the external image of the radio station was improved.
At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day: This means matching the skills of the person to the right job, and then ensuring they can do their best work. The Accountant in a radio station I worked at some years ago was a real character. He appeared to work all hours of the day and night around the needs of his personal property investing hobby. He did a great job at the radio station but it would be fair to say his people skills were lacking and no matter what we did we could not improve them, so we simply kept people away for the guy. I was, therefore, puzzled when he was recruited to run the corporate accounting office of a large group of radio stations with a lot of staff reporting to him. In a few short months the place was a mess because of the way he treated staff. He is now looking after their multi-million-dollar property portfolio and doing a great job.
In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work: Human beings crave recognition which is one of the things that sets us apart from the animals. So make a point of catching someone doing it right and compliment them. All too often the only feedback received is negative as managers and supervisors point out the areas that need improvement. A positive comment about someone’s work can often inspire them to try even harder and leads to a more productive work place.
My supervisor, or someone at my work, seems to care about me as a person: Knowing when someone’s birthday or anniversary is and recognising that can go a long way to creating a more productive environment. I worked for a General Manager who always remembered every staff person’s birthday and gave each person a card and a small gift. Years later I found out that his assistant took care of it all, but it was the thought that counted and we all loved and worked our hearts out for that man.
There is someone at work who encourages my development: This seems so simple, but even the Gallup researchers found that in a lot of companies this does not happen. Radio tends to attract a lot of “left brained”, creative people and it’s been proven time and time again that the more artistic a person is, the better they thrive on encouragement. On a radio station this means the PD, GSM and GM need to meet with their staff, and together develop a plan to grow their careers or qualifications. When budget allows, send them to appropriate conferences and training programs.
At work, my opinions seem to count: Asking for feedback and listening to suggestions seems such a basic and simple thing, but all too often this goes by the wayside because the people who should be listening are just too busy. Not all suggestions can be acted on and some are less than practical, but there needs to be a forum where ideas can be shared.
The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important: The common theme running through a number of these 12 statements can be summed up in one word: communication. Most successful companies have a clear vision and communicate that vision to all the staff. Talk to any Disneyland employee and they will tell you they are cast members of the show and their uniforms are costumes. Even when they are picking up garbage they are “on stage.” All employees are well trained to ensure the Disney experience is always the "The Happiest Place on Earth." In short ensure all the staff know the goals of the company, how you are going to achieve your objectives, and most importantly, how they fit into the plan.
My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work: Having qualified, talented people who are all good at their job makes for a happier working environment. But a good team is only as strong as its weakest link. If for example you have one sales executive who continually misses target, this can impact the performance of the rest of the sales team, and place a strain on the rest of the staff. If this lack of performance is tolerated it can also lead to mediocrity.
I have a best friend at work: This is a tough one, especially in this “fluid” environment we work in today. Staff turnover is higher than it was a few years ago with consolidation, so the number of people who have worked together for several years is therefore less. But encouraging an environment where the staff can gather socially can lead to better friendships. This, according to Gallup, leads to a happier working environment.
In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress: Formally meeting with each member of your staff to conduct a performance review every six months is something that every company should do. It enables the company and the employee to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and create an important forum for honest feedback and dialogue. In some areas of radio, such as sales, there are tangible benchmarks to measure performance, while in other areas it can be more difficult. Ideally a good job description will form the basis of areas to be measured.
This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow: The need to learn and grow is a natural instinct for human beings. We can learn and grow by finding more efficient ways to do our jobs. Where there is growth, there is innovation, and this is a breeding ground for more positive and refreshing perspectives toward ourselves and others.
Conclusion Ask yourself how many of your staff would strongly agree with the above 12 statements. Consider developing a plan to get your staff more “engaged” and watch the positive impact on the bottom line, the ratings and the overall feeling within the workplace. |