Engagement Key to Beating Recession

More reinforcement of my belief that Engagement is critical to business success - especially in a recession!

According to market research agency ORC International, organisations that succeed in making employees feel engaged and positive about their work situation could make the difference between survival and administration.

In its latest report, "Putting it in Perspective", published this week, ORC International reports a rise in employee satisfaction rates. A record 71 per cent of employees surveyed were satisfied with their current employer, up from 67 per cent in 2007.

I wonder whether they are just expressing more satisfaction because of increased nervousness about their job prospects!

The Director of Employee Research at ORC International agrees with me. "Uncertainty in the retail world, or the reported bad publicity of the banking world, could have wider ramifications for how employees feel about their work," she says.

Commitment is a key measure of employee engagement and ORC International’s research shows that 72 per cent of UK employees will not be seeking to leave their current employer in the next 12 months. "This reported increase in intention to stay in 2008 could be a reaction to the recession, with few employees looking to change employers to avoid the risk of being ‘last in, first out’," says Pritchard. "However, there is a danger of employers taking this increased loyalty for granted, assuming that they will continue to retain their valued employees when the economy picks up. This will only be the case if employee engagement is a continued focus."

It's a hopeful note for those of us who believe that a positive workplace is the key to success, particularly in tough times. in summary, the report said: "Employers are increasingly starting to recognise the value of establishing and maintaining a workforce that really feels positive about the organisation. However, in these uncertain economic times, employers are going to have to work hard to preserve that level of engagement. Pride and positivity are easily contagious. On the opposite side, cynicism and apathy are equally contagious - complacency is best avoided."

Pride and positivity also get people focused on getting better results, rather than checking whether they have properly packed their parachute!

Tough times don't last; tough conversations will get you through!

Personally, I'm refusing to participate in this recession! That doesn't mean that I'm pretending that there are no economic pressures around me...just that I'm choosing to get into action to overcome them, rather than let them get me down!

I believe that one of the keys to thriving in this environment is having better conversations - in business and personal relationships. In stressful times like these, we need to be in active communication with our team members and our life partners, sharing the good, the bad and the potentially ugly. If we don't, we risk the danger of people making up their own version of what's going on, or of what MIGHT happen. Almost inevitably, their imaginings are worse than any reality.

So, what kinds of conversations are you having, with the individuals and groups you work with? Are you empowering them to take positive action, or are you letting them make their own decisions - possibly bad ones? Are you consciously driving yourself and your team through the confusion that reigns at the moment, or are you crossing your fingers and hoping that it will all come out alright? Just in case you're confused, it probably won't unless YOU take some positive action!