Employee Engagement II – Keeping Employees Engaged During Change

Last month we brought you CloudForce HR’s first installment in the employee engagement series. We found that engaged employees are more productive. We also argued that companies should engage employees to think and share their ideas. This week, we’ll add to the long list of benefits of having engaged employees, and we’ll throw in a monkey wrench – how to engage employees during times of change.

Employee Engagement Means Profit

Take a look at the graphic to the right. Leading survey organization Gallup and Corporate Leadership Council both found that engaged employees don’t just mean more productive employees; it means profit for you and your organization.

Engaging Employees During Times of Change

Companies and organizations undergoing changes can wreak havoc and can be stressful for employees – and even management. Structural changes might cause employees to worry about their job safety. If a company is making a move, then employees very quickly become concerned about moving their families, too. That means new schools, new friends and unfamiliar territory.

It is especially important to keep employees engaged at this time to maintain retention rate. Here are some critical steps you can take to rally the troops, which we’ve condensed from Lisa Forsyth:

Share Your Direction

Express a clear vision for the future. Think about what the change means on an individual level, how you want each person to feel about the change.

Give Them Something to Stand Behind

What’s in it for them? Clearly articulating the future of your organization means telling them the reasons for making change. In a very important way, this gives employees a vision, which they can then step into.

Acknowledge the Loss

Failing to acknowledge the difficulties and stresses of change – and what you’re all leaving behind – does not provide the critical catharsis that every employee is likely to need. Then bring the focus back to the future by discussing employees’ career goals with the pending changes. Your employees might be pleasantly surprised to discover that the change means a host of new opportunities for professional development.

Stay with CloudForce HR for more free tips and tricks to keep your employees engaged and productive!

Photo Credit: employee-engagement via Compfight cc

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