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The Power of The Blog!

How You Can Spark Successful Change In Your Business

How SkedX Makes Taking A Sick Day Simple!

Attracting Top Talent To Your Small Business

Good Afternoon SkedX’ers! Today I wanted to share with you all a short video on how you can attract top talent to your small business! The New Year has just started but there is still time to consider how your small business is going to be successful this year. As we enter 2012, the popularity [...]

The Power of The Blog!

Good Afternoon SkedX'ers!

Today I wanted to share with you all some insight into the world of blogging and the many advantages that can come from it. A blog is simply a journal like website that allows the user to share information with others and also have it accessible for viewing by others. It also acts as an outlet for sharing other items of interest and is a great tool for expressing what the organization is all about.

Now why I am discussing blogs with you all today is because an interesting shift has occurred in public media and journalism. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES), bloggers were invited by many companies to come and report on there upcoming products as well as the show as a whole. Why this is important, is because the influence bloggers have as independent reporters on consumers is very high.

Bloggers are mostly independent and provide insight into products and companies that normal public relations firms do not. The blogger is the consumers reviewer and influence, so as an organization it is important to to influence the one that influence's consumers.

Some organizations are even going so far as to have employees who are there to help the blogger with his/her report.  At the recent North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Ford invited 150 bloggers to come see and discuss there new line of automobiles for the year and even had Ford Employees help bloggers by holding cameras, iPad's, tripods, and anything else they could do to make the blogger write his post easier.

Why Ford did this is because the way a blogger reports is by storytelling and giving their personal opinion on the matter versus how a press release is normally done where the release is written beforehand and approved.

The power and influence blogs have is immense because it can be a great way to reach out to new customers or create a buzz around your business.  By creating your own blog you can then express the culture of your business through writing style, design, topics of interests, and more. With a blog you can have greater interactivity with consumers because it acts as a message for the readers each day and can also be used as an engagement tool by rewarding and providing dedicated readers with exclusives.

Also businesses' should consider the power of other bloggers. For example if you own a small restaurant and know there are three major food bloggers that have great influence in the area then invite them for a free meal and give them no reason to write a bad post about you. From that you can see more consumers and increased credibility which ultimately leads to greater revenue.

Blogs are more than just pieces of writing, they act as little communities that can have great influence on your business. So consider creating a blog of your own and building a community around your business.

Happy Scheduling,

Aman

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Jan, 31, 2012 By Aman | Posted in Employee Engagement, featured, Founder, Marketing & Sales, News | Comments (0)

How You Can Spark Successful Change In Your Business

Good Afternoon SkedX'ers!

Today I wanted to share with you all some insight on how to develop and maintain a rich organizational culture. Creating change within any type of business is a difficult task so here are some things to consider when developing your organizational culture.

The first step to creating change is by demonstrating it from the top to bottom level. Too often companies wish to see change but if you do not practice what you preach then the impact will be minimal to none. Another important factor in creating change is ensuring that senior executives communicate the need for change, provide the necessary resources, and understand that a successful culture is something that takes time and dedication to create.

But with change comes resistance, some people just don't see the need and some feel change brings on greater pressure from the employer.  “People don't resist for one reason, but multiple reasons. Most efforts fail because people don't see the need, or urgency, for change,” says Prof. Seijts, former director of the City of London leadership program. “People like the status quo. We always underestimate the ease of driving people out of their comfort zones. This is probably one of the most difficult things to do.”

The key to motivating people past their boundaries lies in dedication and support from the top level of the company, senior executives have to be passionate about initiatives and really care about the success of not only the company but the employees themselves. One very important aspect of a rich organizational culture is aligning company goals with personal goals. By doing so, then work feels more rewarding, quality of life increases, and employees are more likely to stay with you in the long run.

On top of communicating the vision/mission effectively, it must be communicated frequently as well. If this initiative is something that is only really pushed for one or two weeks then employees will overlook the message and will continue to work at the rate and quality they currently do.

"People often don't hear you the first time, or the second time, or the third time. They don't understand what you're trying to achieve. So it has to be repeated over and over by different managers, because some are more credible than others" says Harvey F. Kolodny, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

Providing the capability for employees to be successful is also an important factor in conjunction with focus and motivation. “Employees need to have an understanding of what is being asked; the tools, or capability, to do the job; and the will, or motivation,” says Jeff Moir, Toronto-based partner with Deloitte's human capital consulting division. “When it comes to the ‘will’ component, these companies really think through why employees would want to change the way they work,” says Mr. Moir.

Jaded and negative employees who are disengaged can also be a serious harm to the success of your culture, so it is important to understand why they feel that way and how you can re-engage them. “You need to bring the cynicism to the surface and deal with it in an upfront manner,” says Ronald Burke, professor emeritus, organization studies at York University's Schulich School of Business, in Toronto. “If not, your employees will be half-hearted. The reasons for their skepticism will never be identified and addressed in any meaningful way.”

How do you turn those disengaged employees around then? Make initial goals simple and achievable, “Why don't we bite off a small piece and see if we can tackle that?” says Prof. Burke. By completing many small goals, employees will feel more confident about a more challenging program. “The notion of small wins is a good way to deal with skepticism,” says Prof. Burke.” And if it doesn't work out, you can go back to the old way or redesign the process.”

Use your top talent to act as leaders for the development and implementation of your organizational culture. “If you can get those people on your side, then they could be spokespeople to get the skeptics on board," adds Prof. Burke.

Lastly, managers and senior executives must stay on their toes. Ensuring success for tomorrow may not ensure success for a year from now, so it is very important to continually put forth efforts that further build your organizational culture.  As the rate of change appears to be accelerating, we have to find ways to keep the momentum up,” says Prof. Seijts. “Tomorrow could bring a shock in the market or another technological advancement. This means focusing on continuous improvements, even if they are small-scale. You are never done.”

Above post contains excerpts from: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-managing/human-resources/what-to-do-when-your-corporate-culture-sucks/article2294021/page1/

Above image taken from: http://www.cultureforchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/business-culture-positive-work-environment.jpg

Happy Scheduling,

Aman

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Jan, 12, 2012 By Aman | Posted in Employee Engagement, Employee Scheduling, featured, News, Retail | Comments (0)

How SkedX Makes Taking A Sick Day Simple!

Good Afternoon SkedX'ers!

Today I wanted to change things up from our usual style of posts to one about us! Over the weekend I managed to get sick and develop a fever, so this morning I thought why not write a post on how easy it is to call in a sick day with SkedX! We have all experienced the type of feeling I currently have (running hot, aching muscles, lots of mucus, and simply no energy) and sometimes it can be a challenge in itself to get on the phone and notify a manager of your illness.

With SkedX, requesting a sick day is very simple and can be done from any electronic device with an internet connection. To do so, simply log into your SkedX account and mouse over the purple time tab.

Click "Manage Vacations," from there you are taken to the manage vacations page.

Here you can submit a sick day/vacation request to your manager. To do so, simply enter the start and end date, the type, and the reason.

After you have entered all the required information, then click "Submit Vacation Request." After doing so your request will be sent to your manager for approval and can be found under pending vacations in the "Manage Vacations" page.

After approval/disapproval, that's it! Requesting sick days/vacations with SkedX is simple, quick, and effective.  As in the case above, the employee was able to notify the manager of there illness and have there sick day approved without even directly speaking to the manager!

To see how other SkedX features can benefit your business, please click here.

Happy Scheduling,

Aman

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Jan, 09, 2012 By Aman | Posted in Employee Engagement, Employee Scheduling, featured, Retail | Comments (0)

Attracting Top Talent To Your Small Business

Good Afternoon SkedX'ers!

Today I wanted to share with you all a short video on how you can attract top talent to your small business!

The New Year has just started but there is still time to consider how your small business is going to be successful this year. As we enter 2012, the popularity and success of social media continues in conjunction with a growing focus on employee engagement and developing rich organizational cultures. So it is important to consider the use of social media to not only engage current employees but also attract new ones. If any of you are regular readers here at the SkedCast, you already know that Generation Y looks for greater opportunity elsewhere and is not afraid to switch between many jobs.

As discussed in the video below the key to attracting top talent for small businesses is by seeking what they want in a workplace and providing that. Make connections with future talent so you can gain a better understanding of what they seek along with their peers so you can attract them when out of school.

How can small businesses attract top talent?

Happy Engaging,

Aman

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Jan, 06, 2012 By Aman | Posted in Employee Engagement, featured, News, Retail | Comments (0)

Managing Generation Y for 2012

Good Morning SkedX'ers!

Today I wanted to share with you all some information on how you can be better prepared for employing and ensuring the success of Generation Y.  As some of you may already know Generation Y are mostly those under the age of 30 and are the children of the Baby Boomers.  Generation Y are very tech savvy and expect more than just a paycheque from the workplace, they seek a positive work environment with a strong organizational culture as well. They also seek to be put in higher positions earlier and have greater input in the decision making process.

Many employers have been unable to meet the requirements of Gen Y though, as HR consulting firm Aon Hewitt recently released information showing Generation Y has the lowest employee engagement levels. Generation Y only makes up 5 to 20 percent of the workplace, so organizational culture tends to be geared more towards Baby Boomers.

This gap in the workplace also leads to technological frustrations as Generation Y feels they need certain technological tools to be successful where Baby Boomers may not.  Generation Y also requires a greater need for feedback/recognition versus Baby Boomers, as Generation Y has become accustomed to real time feedback and recognition. 

Gen Ys have a high need for feedback and recognition from their bosses, “It’s not just about stroking,” he says. “Even if they’re not performing well, they want to hear about it sooner rather than later,” says Aon Hewitt HR consultant Neil Crawford.

Most companies usually conduct annual or semi-annual performance reviews, which was fine for Baby Boomers but for Generation Y feedback needs to be more frequent and in some cases real time. (Read more about real time feedback here.)

For 2012, employers have to go too far greater lengths to make Generation Y not only passionate about your organization but loyal as well.  "Each person’s perception of the workplace is different, and you have to work with that. You have to see each person as an individual,” says Monique Howat, a motivational expert in Toronto.  

“The best employer is saying, ‘I don’t have all the answers. I need to consult you,’” says Ms. Howat. That doesn’t mean giving the millennials a veto. But they can try to take their needs into account where possible.

An example of this is ATB Financial, the Alberta financial institution, has made it a focus to align organizational goals with Gen Y values. “Millennials expect us to listen to their voice,” says Darleen Holroyd, senior manager, staffing and recruitment. “They expect us to get them more quickly into a leadership role.”

How ATB aligns itself with Gen Y values is by running a trainee program that allows new hires who showed real leadership potential (but lack front line skills) to have the opportunity to fast track. They can have the opportunity to be trained for branch manager or customer service supervisory positions.

“A lot of times [in the banking sector] there is the perception of a hierarchy you need to burrow up,” says Ms. Holroyd. “In a smaller organization such as ours, we will take a leap of faith and put them in the right roles at a faster pace than they would typically see at the larger banks.”

ATB also uses technology to not entice Generation Y but rather to be used as a bonus for those not in customer service positions by allowing them to work out of a virtual workplace. "We didn’t install the technology to appeal to Gen Y but, as a bonus, it does,” says Ms. Holroyd. ATB also encourages staff to use social media, with CEO Dave Mowat leading the way with a Twitter account.

Many employers acknowledge that Generation Y is more likely to change jobs than Baby Boomers, but in order to keep them from doing so it is important to have a strong culture that facilitates teamwork, responsibility, and decision making.

To learn more about Generation Y and how we here at SkedX can provide an engagement solution for you, please click here.

Happy Engaging,

Aman

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Jan, 05, 2012 By Aman | Posted in Employee Engagement, Employee Scheduling, featured, News, Retail | Comments (0)

Canadian Retailers On The Rise

Good Morning SkedX'ers!

Today I want to discuss with you all how retailers who hired for the holiday influx can use this as an opportunity to develop and retain top talent.  Strong retail sales have increased the demand for employees, notably in Calgary, Alberta. As the sales of the holiday season are over, retailers are optimistic for the revenue back to school shopping and warm weather will bring in. This large amount of growth potential has also drawn in American retailers, but among all retailers the main concern is meeting staff requirements.

"Going into this season, we were fairly optimistic that our revenue would hit targets . . . so we have to make sure we have enough associates in our stores," says Chris Taylor, vice-president of human resources for Future Shop.

Future Shop along with many other retailers increased the amount of people they hired over the holiday season, but they're not so quick to relieve those seasonal employees of their duties either. Having the extra employees allows for the new hires to not only see  what working for the organization is like, but also allows for the retail companies to see who fits best and has real future potential. 

"We expect to maintain our workforce" in 2012, Taylor says. "Even when a store is fully staffed . . . we tell our managers to be constantly on the lookout for talent."

The Western Canadian retail market is rapidly growing and outdoing the rest of the country in terms of economic outlook. With Alberta expected to lead in retail growth this year, many retailers are looking to expand into the west as well. The retail growth is also sparking growth in the hospitality industry, logistics and transportation which will eventually lead back to the retail industry growing even further.

With such a growing gas and oil industry as well, the retail sector is struggling to find and retain top talent that isn’t already headed towards the gas/oil industry.

"In Alberta, we're starting to feel it become a little bit more of a challenge in terms of candidate flow, but we were able to get to the numbers we needed," Taylor says.

In September retail sales rose 1 percent, which was doubled than what was expected putting pressure on retailers to employ talented individuals.

Although with economic uncertainty in the air still, retailers have to make strategic decisions for the New Year and assess what they can do to draw in top talent easier.

 "A lot will depend on what (retailers) are seeing coming out of December in terms of their sales and their boxing week sales," says Jackie Ross, president of JRoss Recruiters.

With the increase in employees, retailers will also be looking how to manage this top talent as well as engage them. A simple way of doing this is by providing employees with the opportunity to have input in decisions that regard the business.  This doesn't mean allow your employees to decide what your financial goals are going to be, but rather decisions that are relevant to them.

A great simple way of engaging employees is by letting them have input in the schedule making process. In the retail industry scheduling is a large part of the business and can eat up many man hours with so many edits. So instead why not utilize scheduling software to free up time for other responsibilities but also engage your employees.

 To learn about how we here at SkedX can create a customized engagement solution for you, please click here.

Above post contains excerpts from: http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Retailers+holiday+hiring+stay+strong+into+year/5918543/story.html

Above image taken from: http://www.lanesales.com/images/ist2_13442944-made-in-canada-product-s-barcode.jpg

Happy Engaging,

Aman

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Jan, 04, 2012 By Aman | Posted in Employee Engagement, Employee Scheduling, featured, Retail | Comments (0)

People First, Money Second.

Good Morning SkedX'ers!

First and foremost I would like to wish all of you a Happy Holidays! As many of you spend time with friends and family this year, we often think about what the New Year holds. Considering this is a time of gift giving, many employers are also thinking about how to recognize and reward their employees for the last 12 months of effort.  Most employers turn to the monetary route, yet this year they will find it not as useful in making their employees feel valued.

New results from a quarterly study conducted by the Corporate Executive Board showed that employees believe money is not biggest driver of employee retention or engagement.

“Even with all of the bad news about the labour market, the reality is that it’s starting to get better, and for the highest potential talent it’s still an incredibly competitive market,” says Brian Kropp, managing director of the CEB’s corporate leadership council. “What companies need to be thinking about now when considering these employees is recovering from a lot of the wounds that they’ve inflicted upon their workforces over the past few years.”  Employees are seeking to be recovered now more than later.

“Employees have weathered years of slower pay increases, furloughs, cuts in compensation, cuts in benefits, increased pressure and additional workloads,” Mr. Kropp says.

So what are the top drivers for employee retention and engagement then?

1.  Job - Interest alignment

2.  Manager quality

3. Co-Worker quality

4. People Management

5. Respect

6. Collegial work environment 

“There are things that get people to stay at a company and there are things that get people to leave and join a different company,” says Mr. Kropp. His research also shows that monetary benefits may not engage and retain employees, but it is the number one reason that makes them leave to go elsewhere.

In terms of retaining and engaging internally, he adds “It’s interesting to see what’s changed over the last couple of years. Coming out of the economic downturn, it seems priorities have shifted away from the dollars and cents of paycheques and towards more intangible elements of work.

With companies growing in size, more and more employees find they're doing jobs they weren't originally hired for creating job-alignment issues. "Making sure people are doing jobs they’re interested in is key,” says Mr. Kropp, and says it’s a quicker fix than many companies think. “Surprisingly you don’t have to let employees have complete control over their roles to meet their expectations,” he says. All it takes is a little bit of manipulation. “By giving employees small choices and just the littlest bit of control over even a single element on their to-do list, it dramatically increases the feeling that they’re doing the job they want to be doing.”

Mr. Kropp also makes note of the fact how people make up half of the retention driver list. It's the people and work environment that truly retain and engage employees. “What we’ve seen is that the amount of hours that people are working has increased by about 10 per cent over the last three years,” he says. The average full-time employee is working about 46-47 hours a week, up from about 42 in 2007. “So when I’m at work almost an extra hour each day, I really want to work with better quality people.”

“We find that the quality of my peers is just as important as the quality of my manager in terms of getting me engaged and keeping me with the company,” he says. But since you can’t force employees to get along, short of firing the social misfits in the group, strategies for increasing the “quality” of managers and employees in the workforce are tricky, Mr. Kropp says.

Mr. Kropp also notes how smarter companies looking to have an advantage in the New Year should be developing group activities. This ranges from the top to bottom line and should be focused on strengthening organizational culture among peers. Organization's next year should also be focusing on providing quality work and making employees feel valued.  Employees are beginning to look at the workplace on a larger scale and wish to work for one that does more than just provide a decent salary.

Above post contains excerpts from: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/career-advice/on-the-job/what-employees-want-more-than-a-raise-in-2012/article2272559/

Above image taken from:  http://www.power2motivate.com/Portals/71148/images/People%20first.jpg

Happy Engaging,

Aman

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Dec, 23, 2011 By Aman | Posted in Employee Engagement, featured, Founder, Hiring, News | Comments (0)

9 Ways To Motivate Without Money

Good Morning SkedX'ers!

Today I wanted to share with you all 9 ways to motivate employees without money!  Motivation in the workplace is a very important thing because it ties closely to employee engagement. If an employee does not feel valued or have any reason to complete responsibilities then your organization can see higher rates of turnover, less customer interaction, and overall less revenue.  Motivation also shapes great leaders and in turn those leaders inspire their peers to do better, so overall motivation has great value in the workplace. Many organizations are unsure the best way to motivate employee though, many still turn to the monetary route that has lost its relevancy over the few years and find it unsuccessful with their current employees. So how can you motivate your employees successfully besides money?

9 Things That Motivate Employees More Than Money:

1.  Praise! Praise! Praise! Everyone seeks recognition and it's easy to provide. It can have the greatest effect from the CEO himself and allows for less fear between the top and bottom level.

2. Self Management: Provide staff with the opportunity to head up projects as a work team rather than having a supervisor. Employees do not wish to let their peers down so they work faster and smarter in a group setting compared to a manger standing over them where they feel more stress and pressure.

3.  Ask! Don't Tell!  Employees hate being told what to do, and when it happens there's the sense of being spoken down to. Being told what do results in them feeling undervalued, so instead ask your employees their opinion on certain matters making it more of a collaborative effort.

4.  Never say "You're Wrong" The easiest way to de-motivate someone is by telling them they're wrong. Instead use indirect approach's to help the person learn from their mistakes so they fix them for the future.  Rather than blaming an individual, strike up a conversation. Ask "what do you think is the best way to approach the problem?" and “what do you think could be done differently?"

5.  Lead The Way! Use leaders as examples for peers so the bar is set high and employees are motivated to reach that top spot.

6. Lunch Time!  Choose and employee at random and surprise them by taking them out to lunch. By making it so spontaneous it feels like  a special occasion and allows for you to speak with an employee on an informal level. Not only do you learn more about that person and how they relate to the organization, but it's also an easy way to remind that person you appreciate their efforts.

7.  Recognition & Rewards: Provide employees with the opportunity to earn relevant rewards by being recognized for their efforts. Internal games, contests, and prizes make work feel less like work (when needed) and also is another way of reminding employees of their value to your organization.

8. Have a party! Allow employees to participate in an organized event that allows them to get to know each other further and do things unrelated to work.

9. Be Transparent! When the organization is doing well make it known, and when the organization is doing not so well also make that known.  By being honest and transparent with employees is important so they don't feel lied to, and it allows for them to provide input on any problems. 

So there you have it SkedX'ers! 9 ways to motivate your employees without money, consider trying any of the above for the new year and leave us a comment on how it worked for you!

Above post contains excerpts from: http://www.inc.com/ilya-pozin/9-things-that-motivate-employees-more-than-money.html

Above image taken from: http://skimmingtheprice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/skimmingtheprice.jpg

Happy Engaging,

Aman

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Dec, 22, 2011 By Aman | Posted in Employee Engagement, featured, Founder | Comments (0)

The Two Fundamentals Of Employee Engagement

Good Morning SkedX'ers!

Today I want to share with you all the two fundamentals of successful engagement that you can implement for the New Year.  At the beginning of the year I shared with you all the results of an engagement study conducted by Gallup. The study showed that organizations with engaged employees see greater sales, higher gross margin, and greater growth of earnings per share.  Beyond that engaged employees are also less likely to leave, work better with customers and peers, and are less likely to break rules/policies.

Gallup's research also showed that the world’s top organizations have a ratio of 9.57 engaged employees for every disengaged employee.  That's very significant because the average organization has a ratio of 1.83 for every disengaged employee. 

Gallup's study is summarized below with their belief on engaging employees:

“Actively disengaged employees erode an organization’s bottom line while breaking the spirits of colleagues in the process. Within the U.S. workforce, Gallup estimates this to cost more than $300 billion in lost productivity alone. In stark contrast, world-class organizations with an engagement ratio near 8:1 have built a sustainable model… As organizations move toward this benchmark, they greatly reduce the negative impact of actively disengaged employees while unleashing the organization’s potential for rapid growth.”

We already know from assessing articles, studies, and organizations over the past year that engagement also acts as an indicator of an organizations financial health and performance. The issue is that many organizations still feel that employees are a robot, someone they pay to do a task and expect that task done regardless of other factors such as happiness, motivators, and skill development.

The study from earlier in the year also showed how top organizations with engaged employees saw 3.9x earnings per share growth rate in comparison to an organization with low engagement in the same industry.

Considering we have the proof that employee engagement makes a significant difference within organizations, then how come many organizations still fail to engage successfully? It’s because they fail to recognize two critical things that allow an employee to be successful.

1. Does the employee know what is expected of them?

Let's face it, not everybody knows what they should and shouldn't be doing. Transparency within an organization is important because it can be difficult for some employees to know what they should be doing now, and what they should be doing next.  Part of engaging an employee is also making them aware of their impacts on the organization as a whole. Few organizations attempt to make that connection but those who do see great success from their employees.  How this can be done is by utilizing management software that allows employees to know what is expected of them and be recognized for their efforts (see below.)

2. Does the employee have the materials and equipment required to do their work successfully?

This issue is regarding how organizations do not utilize technologies that allow an employee to do their work successfully and easily. Now the solution to this issue varies by organization, but for an example we will use how cloud technology in the retail environment can allow an employee to do their job easier.   Consider your employees being able to use their mobile phones to see schedules, discuss organizational issues with peers, and be recognized for their efforts. This is a reality for some organizations and allows for employees to spend less time on menial tasks, communicate more, and feel proud in the organization which ultimately leads to engagement.  By providing tools that also allow for skill development, employees are more likely to see the value in working for your organization in the long-term.

Small internal changes and recognizing employees certainly foster engagement but are just a small part in many factors that lead to successful employee engagement.   To learn about how we here at SkedX can create a customized engagement solution for you, please click here. 

Above post contains excerpts from:  http://www.forbes.com/sites/tykiisel/2011/12/14/improvinga-leading-indicator-of-financial-performance-employee-engagement/2/

Above image taken from: http://www.michaelallangreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/goal.bmp

Happy Engaging,

Aman

             
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Dec, 20, 2011 By Aman | Posted in Employee Engagement, Employee Scheduling, featured, Founder, Gamification, Marketing & Sales, Retail | Comments (0)

4 Tips For Successful Employee Engagement In 2012

Good Morning SkedX'ers!

Today I wanted to share with you all 4 tips on employee engagement from PricewaterhouseCoopers and how you can be prepared to engage for the New Year. Many organizations are recognizing the importance of employee engagement but still require some insight on how to engage successfully.  Shannon Schuyler, Head of Corporate Responsibility expresses how PwC is trying to move away from engaging employees after hiring to making it a standard that starts at the recruitment process.

Prospecting with engagement in mind

Employee engagement at PwC starts with interns who take part in a service-orientated retreat to Belize with current employees and alumni. At the retreat, classes on financial literacy for local communities take place but more importantly current employees are able to get a feel of the prospects working style and habits.  “As a member of the PwC team, you’ll be on an engagement team working within companies to educate. We want to see how well you perform on volunteer projects which require both cooperation and leadership, because the skills translate” says Schuyler.

PwC also runs a campaign in office called Make (it) Count. The campaign gives $450 in seed money to chosen partners and staff who come up with an effective and implementable service project.  Staffs then share the results with the rest of the PwC community by video chat on screens in PwC offices all over the world.

The program was found to be so successful, that PwC then extended it to university students who could earn $5000 in funding for a proposed service project. The program has found to be a great success as students increase their leadership skills and get a feel for the real work environment.

Make the employee the focus

In PwC offices engagement is a regular conversation topic as feedback with staff and partners is encouraged.  All pieces of information sent out within the organization contain an “ask me anything” button for employees with inquiries. The button is also found in daily news briefs and videos where staff members share their knowledge and experiences.

One of the largest challenges PwC faces is finding ways to constantly challenge staff. From that they allowed members of other departments to be full members of the corporate responsibility group for 1-3 months. This created engaged employees who then shared the knowledge they gained with their department, and also ensures there is always a rotating group committed to engagement.

Get other companies on board!

Schyuler expresses how it would be a dream if there was one solution for each organization and their individual departments. In reality though, that solution is possible by having a fully developed and supported bottom line. Because of this PwC also shares all lessons learned internally with companies they work with in the hopes of making that dream possible.

The key to success is also determining what employees care about and providing that. How PwC determines this is by using the “affinity circles’ model to organize employees based of culture, circumstances, or mutual interests.

The model has been found to be quite successful and is now used to solve internal/external organizational issues by creating employee circles to find a solution.

Benefits

We know the greatest benefit an organization can receive from employee engagement is having employees that seek to improve themselves and the organization. It has already been shown that worker satisfaction and client satisfaction directly relate so it’s important to keep employees satisfied and motivated.  These employees are more likely to take part in organizational activities, stay longer, achieve more, and feel proud of the organization.

So there are 4 tips to ensuring successful employee engagement within your organization. These tips should be taken into consideration but modeled after your organization, because ultimately successful engagement is about customizing the program for your employees. What works for one organization may not work for another, and the same goes for employees.

 To learn about how we here at SkedX can create a customized engagement solution for you, please click here.

Above post contains excerpts from: http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/12/employee-engagement-corporate-responsibility-pricewaterhousecoopers/#comments

Above image taken from: http://marqueeincentives.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/presentation-300w.jpg

Happy Engaging,

Aman

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Dec, 19, 2011 By Aman | Posted in Employee Engagement, featured, Founder, Hiring | Comments (0)