How to talk about engagement with your team?
Alright, you have taken the big leap and have decided to focus on employee engagement. We know that this is one of the most important aspects of any business, and we are delighted that you have come to see the same. But now you have to take the time to talk about engagement with your team. What is the best way to go about doing this?
Be prepared – Do you have guide and the training material at hand?
First, you must be prepared. You are introducing your team to a concept that they might be wholly unfamiliar with, and so if you seem disorganized and flustered, they will underestimate how important it actually is for the success of your business. During this initial meeting, have all of your training materials at hand and be prepared to go through them with your entire staff.
Be clear about your expectations before survey and the actions you may take after survey
No one likes to be greeted by a big change at work – your employees might worry that this new campaign is the result of something they did wrong. They might worry that it is the first step towards a series of restructuring or layoffs. You need to be clear and calmly explain that this is not the case. Clearly lay out your expectations about the survey and how you want your team to participate, and alert them to any potential changes that might occur after the results are in. Again, it is important to reassure them the changes will benefit everyone.
Be curious – ‘good’ results may not be good and ‘bad’ results are not always bad
Now that you have introduced the concept of employee engagement, the time has come to administer the surveys themselves. Reiterate to your team that you are not looking for the ‘right’ answers – there are no right or wrong answers, and you simply want to gauge their natural and honest feedback.
In fact, getting too many positive or ‘good’ results might mean that your employees are too frightened to be fully honest, fearing reprisal or other negative consequences. Getting many ‘bad’ answers could be sign that your team is ready to be fully honest and get engaged.
Engage – people may have questions throughout the entire process
Throughout the entire employee engagement survey process, your team might have questions and concerns. Part of the whole concept of employee engagement is that they should feel comfortable and empowered to come with you or other members of the management team to voice those thoughts.
Encouraging and answering these questions will go a long way to build trust and start the process on the right foot. When someone asks a question that you do not have the answer to, ensure that you get back to them in a timely fashion – this is all about building trust.
