So much has been written about the importance of employee engagement that it almost seems foolish to spend time talking about it. But if we are creating environments that create happy, productive employees, why do organizations like Gallup report that only about one third of employees report being “engaged” in their work?
The reality of what employees actually think about your brand, their job, and your customers needs to be measured. Why? Because literally hundreds of research studies, including those from Market Force, show that engaged employees create more revenue, lower costs, and create more loyal customers. In one study by Market Force, we found that a 30% difference in absentee rate and a 19% difference in retention between locations with high vs. low employee engagement.
Employee engagement is a vital part of your customer experience management strategy. So how should you measure employee engagement? You will need to assess satisfaction and engagement in two core areas: Engagement and Enablement. Consider the following in each core area:
- Engagement. Do your employees love your brand? Do they understand your mission? Do they personally believe that the brand and the location they work in serves customers well? Do they believe that their job matters to the business and that they do their job well? Do they believe they can grow and learn?
- Enablement. Do your employees have the tools and training they need to do their jobs? Do they receive regular feedback about their performance? Do they understand corporate policies and how to follow them? Do they have a reasonable workload and are able to balance?
In restaurant and retail, employees come and go. You may think the revolving door is inevitable. It’s not. By getting a clear picture of what employees need in these two core areas, and then having the fortitude to act on what you learn, your brand will thrive and be the place where the best want to work.
To learn more about our employee engagement best practices, schedule a briefing with us.
