74% of Australian employees say they would leave their job if the right opportunity came along, yet almost 90% of employers believe their workforce will be largely the same in two years.*
Retention of staff, ageing population and supporting a growing economy are critical to our economic success. Many companies are finding that the fight for talent is progressively fiercer and maintaining good stakeholder relationships is more vital than ever. Recent research tells us that 93% of Australian opinion leaders identified ‘senior leadership that can be trusted’ as the number one characteristic for good and responsible corporations. Communicating ‘frequently and openly with employees’ came in fifth with 82%!**
Securing skilled staff is no longer enough. To be future-proof and remain innovative and competitive, today’s manager needs to be increasingly ‘savvy’ at ensuring their employees want to stay with the company. Even more so when knowing that the quality of the relationship with one’s direct manager is the number one driver to stay with an employer!
In such an environment, a smart engagement strategy is a strong strategic asset. Maybe even a necessity.
Strong bottom line
An employee engagement strategy establishes an environment where staff members understand their company’s goals and objectives and understand their role in achieving them. Engaged employees are emotionally involved in the success of their company, creating a relationship that stretches beyond just turning up for work. Staff are more loyal, productive, profitable and successful at creating strong customer relationships. On top of that, organisations with an engaged workforce find that their employees are a valuable innovative partner and trusted brand ambassadors. All of which is recognised by a strong bottom line.
Successfully managing change
Even though engaging staff requires ongoing attention, there are key periods when issues should be anticipated in advance:
- During a merger or an acquisition
- During or after a corporate reputation crisis
- After a considerable period without effective competition or change
- Change in senior management.
At Edelman, we provide advice that creates compelling communications for all employee groups. We identify communication and organisational issues, and develop research-based, positive experiences between employees and their leaders. We work with our clients to build a measurable program that creates mutual ownership and ensures that the right people get the right information, through the right channel at the right time. We plan and consult to C-level executives and senior communications and HR professionals to ensure they are effectively communicating their vision to all staff groups and showcasing how they play a role in bring the company's goals to life.
The result: we foster productive working relationships between all levels of staff in the company based on transparency, knowledge-sharing and business innovation.
*The Great Divide – 1st Executive (Nov 2006)
**2007 Edelman Australia Stakeholder Study
What would a typical program look like?
A peek in our toolbox
