It’s that time of year again! Retail businesses are busy competing over offering the best deals that will get customers in their stores while maintaining decent profit margins. This year, stores opened earlier than ever on Black Friday, some beginning to offer deals starting late Thanksgiving night. However, this did not come without pushback from the employees that would have to accommodate the earlier traffic. At a major retailer in the U.S., over 88,000 employees signed a petition to have the store open later, voicing their dislike of having to miss time with their families (NPR News, November 16, 2011).
Stories like this bring up a good question; what keeps retail employees engaged in their work? Based on Questar’s database of retail employee data collected between 2009 and 2011, the following aspects of work are most indicative of an engaged retail employee:
- Pride in working for the company
- Recognition for good work
- Trust in senior management
- Confidence in senior leadership
- Believe in what the company does
In short, this Top 5 list includes both aspects of a strong company image and strong senior leadership, which need to be cultivated over time. In order to build on these key drivers of engagement, senior leadership should work to enhancing their visibility to employees, as well as their openness in communication.
The second point on the list (recognition for good work) raises the question about initiatives retailers take to recognize their employees when they perform well. Questar asked retail employees just that, as well as what they would like their company to do to recognize their work and found the following were most often mentioned:
| What company does | What employees would like |
| 1. Bonuses/raises | 1. Verbal recognition |
| 2. Small gifts/certificates/awards | 2. Bonuses/raises |
| 3. Verbal recognition | 3. Small gifts/certificates/awards |
| 4. Public recognition | 4. Public recognition |
| 5. ‘Pat on the back’ | 5. ‘Pat on the back’ |
Examples of what company does:
- Gives out treats such as cake, hot dogs, and ice cream
- Send out certificates and they recognize us in emails to the entire company
- Pat us on the back, flex time
- I earn a good paycheck for my efforts
- Thank me for doing a good job
- Fill out a piece of paper saying good job
Examples of what they would like:
- A simple thank-you for my hard work is all I’m looking for
- Receiving positive feedback
- A pat on the back is okay
- Steady raise increases when I do a good job
- Just have my manager tell me I’m doing a good job
- Increased money and responsibility
- A gift card for the store would be nice
Although content on this list is similar, what is noticeable is that verbal recognition, such as a simple “thank you,” was most often mentioned when we questioned the employees on what they would like for recognition. However, when asked what the company does, it seems that this type of recognition falls lower on the list, and companies tend to stick to indirect forms of recognition. For example several comments indicated that companies encourage employees to put words of praise for another employee on paper, something that is surely admirable compared to nothing at all. However, the qualitative analysis of comments in this sample indicates that employees would prefer more face-to-face recognition, i.e., hearing it straight from the boss or even a member of management. So, next time you see employees doing great work do not be afraid to tell them directly! Chances are they will really appreciate the effort.
Amanda Harms |Associate Consultant
Filed under: Employee Communication, Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Executive Leadership
No doubt many of your employees are asking themselves this question as the new year approaches. According research by Manpower as reported in an article on CNN.com, up to 84% of all employees will be looking for a new job as they ring in the new year.
Many employers are making New Year’s resolutions of their own – hoping to avert this impending mass exodus of employees. If you’re doing the same, there are some things you can do to help retain your employees in 2011. Based on research that Questar has done on drivers of employee loyalty, here are some steps you can (more…)
Filed under: Employee Communication, Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Uncategorized, Work Life Balance
Will you be buying your employees a gift this holiday season? Do you wonder what they really want?
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about a few of the things that employees are most thankful for. But not all is rosy in the world of employee opinions. While employees are thankful for many aspects of their work, there are some (more…)
Filed under: Employee Communication, Employee Engagement, Executive Leadership
Nurses in Duluth, Minnesota, may be striking soon. Earlier this week they voted by a nearly 9 to 1 margin to reject their new labor contract. Like so many others in this “do more with less” economy, tight staffing levels have taken a toll, and the Minnesota Nurses Association cites “patient safety” as the primary concern prompting the strike.
Employees decide to strike for many reasons. But at the end of the day, most just want to be heard. In that regard, they’re not alone. At Questar we track tens of thousands of employees’ opinions about their workplace. This research shows that many employees believe no one is listening.
- Only about half (54%) of all employees indicate that their company’s senior management values employees’ ideas and opinions.
- Those on the front lines are least likely to feel heard: While 77% of (more…)
Filed under: Customer Experience, Employee Communication, Employee Engagement
One of the things we do well is help our clients engage employees and customers and create brand loyalty. We do this in several ways—mainly by harnessing the power of employee, customer and stakeholder feedback to improve company performance.
Our friends at Bolster (www.bolstercreative.com) are also in the business of driving brand loyalty. They use authentic storytelling, and engaging and sustainable communications tools to strengthen the reputation of a brand.We thought they had some good ideas and that you might find them interesting as well. Let us know what you think.
Once Upon A Time-Driving Brand Engagement Through the Power of Story
Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact. — Robert McKee, Screenwriter
“Tell me a story.”
“What’s your story?”
“That reminds me of a great story!”
The overwhelming familiarity of these phrases reminds us that we are all truly hardwired for stories. They are how we learn about our world as small children and how we come to define our social and cultural values as we grow older. Listening to others’ stories is how we decide whom to invite into our social circles. If the story someone tells us contains values that align with ours, a connection is made. And perhaps best of all, stories are universal. There have been societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories – true story. (more…)
Filed under: Employee Communication, Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Executive Leadership, Uncategorized
New jobs require new skills. And it’s through new challenges that we build those skills. So it should come as no surprise that the way most leaders learn to lead is by jumping in the deep end.
One of my stories related to this is from a client I worked with years ago. The main character in this story is an up and coming young executive – we’ll call her Sarah (not her real name). Sarah was a go getter, recognized by corporate leadership for her achievements, her performance and her potential. She was just 33 years old when she got her first chance to truly lead. She was named president of a small division within the large global corporation for which she worked. And boy was she ready – this was her chance to really prove herself.
This part of the business was new to her. But Sarah was a quick study and knew just what to do. She wasted no time evaluating the competitive landscape and identified some “quick hits” to gain market share. She worked hard developing plans, securing resources, contacting clients, and informing key stakeholders. She found places to cut costs, introduced efficiencies, and pushed ahead with some innovative product development. (more…)
Filed under: Employee Communication, Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention
According to recent research from Gallup, 70% of US workers say that their jobs are ideal. As you might expect, this percentage is higher for those with more education, those making more money, and for professionals (as opposed to service workers). The likelihood of having an ideal job also increases with age.
Gallup does not provide a historical comparison in the article posted on their website. But I have to believe this has increased – if not in the past few years, certainly when taking a longer term perspective. And on the eve of SIOP’s 25th anniversary, I like to believe that the contributions of Industrial and Organizational Psychologists have played a key part in this improvement in person-job fit.
- Accessibility of career decision tools and processes increase the chances that individuals have carefully chosen the their career path based on values, interests and abilities.
- Effective employee selection processes that include job analysis, valid testing and structured interviews increase the likelihood an employee will have the skills needed to be successful. (more…)
Filed under: Employee Communication, Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Uncategorized
The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Conference is taking place this weekend in Washington D.C. (if you are interested in attending there is still time to register). The conference will be a great place to network, learn and celebrate healthy, high-performing organizations.
Some of the key note speakers include:
- Nico Pronk, PhD, FACSM – Vice-President and Health Science Officer, JourneyWell, HealthPartners, an expert on worksite health promotion and multi-component interventions
- Benjamin Schneider, PhD – Senior Research Fellow, VALTERA, an expert on employee engagement
- Cali Williams Yost – CEO and Founder of Work+Life Fit, Inc. and author of Work+Life: Finding the Fit That’s Right for You, an expert in work flexibility and work-life issues
- Rich Cober, PhD – Senior Director of Talent Management Analytics & Solutions, Marriott International, an expert on employee assessment and selection, performance management and hiring effectiveness
- Fran Melmed – Owner, context communication consulting llc, an HR communication consultant and blogger at free-range communication and Fistful of Talent.
- Roy Saunderson, MA, CRP – President, Recognition Management Institute, an authority on employee recognition
- Judy Martin – Emmy-award winning broadcast journalist, speaker and founder of WorkLifeNation.com
- Howard Ross – Founder and Chief Learning Officer, Cook Ross, Inc., an internationally recognized speaker on diversity, leadership and organizational change
- Tonya Vyhlidal, M.Ed., CHPD – Director of Wellness, Safety, and Life Enhancement, Lincoln Industries, an experienced health and wellness professional with a track record of success
- David C. Munz, PhD – Professor of Psychology, Saint Louis University, a recognized expert on organizationally-based stress management training
- Michelle James, MBA – Health Communication Manager, Intel Corporation, an experienced communications professional with expertise in wellness program development and health promotion
- Matthew J. Grawitch, PhD – Chair of the Organizational Studies Program in the School for Professional Studies at Saint Louis University, an expert on healthy workplace practices
For more information please visit: http://www.phwa.org/conference
