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Each month Andrew Leigh poses a tough question to the UK's top HR practitioners.
What difference, if any, do you think the recent MacLeod report on Engagement will make over the coming year?
As one of many HR individuals passionate about unlocking the potential of our talented employees, I am a keen supporter of employee engagement as a management priority.
So to see the collation of such a weight of evidence in one place gets me quite excited – sad I know! However, do I see a 157 page report shifting the dial of engagement across the UK by the end of the year? Not on its own, no. The recommendations for engaging business leaders on the topic whilst ambitious, is probably the key to whether this will create the impact required to make the difference.
How many of us get that sinking feeling when confronted by yet another tome of priority people initiatives that should be read by bed-time and delivered by the end of the performance year? Which of our many priorities should we engage our business leaders with this year?
The saving grace of this report and its recommendations, however, is the systematic approach being taken to raise awareness and the proposed offer of practical support to encourage action. It is also the premise that this should be a business priority and not just another bandwagon for HR to leap on to.
Is the communication radical enough to ‘switch the light bulbs on’ for those business leaders and managers who are not yet aware of the significance or the commitment required to make a difference?
There are plenty of evidential hooks from the research statistics and case studies which show, for example how productivity can be increased, staff turnover reduced and absenteeism slashed.
We strive to engage our business leaders on people initiatives by demonstrating the return on investment and there’s certainly plenty of data here to ensure relevance and proof that it’s not just another ‘soft and fluffy’ approach.
This should be enough, shouldn’t it? What is the USP of this approach and why will it make a difference when employee engagement has been on our radar for many years?
The difference, I believe, will hinge on pushing the boundaries of communication, using new media as well as traditional methods and, most importantly, harnessing the energy of the business sponsorship identified. Even if this works, however, I don’t believe that we’ll see the impact on the national economy for many years to come.
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