Hang on to Your Rock Stars, Your Movers, Your Shakers – Your Engaged Employees

by Lois Moncrief

In the last two issues, I have talked about the Gallup Management Journal Survey from October 12, 2006 ( http://gmj.gallup.com/content/24880/Gallup-Study-Engaged-Employees-Inspire-Company.aspx ).

The survey mentions 3 types of employees: engaged, not-engaged, and actively disengaged. I said I would take the next few weeks to discuss how to deal with each type of employee. This week I want to talk about your engaged employees and how to retain them and seek more.The Gallup Management Journal Survey referenced above defines engaged employees as follows:Engaged Employees work with passion and feel a profound connection to their company. They drive innovation and move the organization forward.Wow!  Your engaged employeesdrive innovation and move your organization forward!All companies want engaged employees even your competition.

How Are You Going to Keep Your Engaged Employees and Hire More Engaged Employees?

A few weeks ago in my July 8th ezine, I talked about the need to keep your engaged employees as the economy recovers from this recession as these are the people who are going to help power your cllimb out of the recession hole. I suggested you to take action to make sure you did not lose your engaged employees as your competitors might be trying to hire them away from you.  I urged you to sweetened the deal you have with your engaged employees to entice them to stay with you.I also suggested that you might be able to pick up some more engaged employees especially any who may be working for your competitors who have been weakened from the recession.Those employees of your competitors may be looking for a better and more stable situation for themselves and your company may be just the ticket. 

How to Keep Your Engaged Employees Who Help Keep Your   Business Growing

The first place to start is to talk to each of them individually.Each of them has needs and wants that are important to them and may not be the same as what some of your other engaged employees.You want to give them what they want as much as you can.  They have earned that.For example, consider the following list of motivators and perks you may be able to offer them:

Motivators (examples):

• Promotion
• Raise
• Attending a professional conference or seminar
• Mentored by a higher ranking employee for more challenging assignments
• Given a temporary assignment to a different, exciting, and challenging area.
• Given a temporary promotion to fill in for a higher ranking employee who has been given a temporary assignment.
• Assigned Project or Team Leader on an important but temporary project
• Additional Education for a possible promotion in the future.
• More responsibility

Perks (examples):

• Work from Home
• Flexible Work Schedule and Work Hours
• Stock Options
• Gym Membership

What Motivators and/or Perks on the above two lists would each of your engaged employees really like to have and can you give it to him or her?

A Word of Caution

Make sure that you give these perks and motivators to the truly deserving.These should not be for “friends” but for your best performers. You are sending a message when you give perks and motivators for engaged employees.You are recognizing and awarding your best employees and you are also sending a message to the rest of your employees about what it takes to be an engaged employee and what it takes to get these perks and motivators.If done fairly and correctly, you can motivate all your employees by recognizing your outstanding employees.If it appears that it is based on the good old boy or buddy system then you have found a way to demotivate a lot of your employees.

Remember

Any investment you make in your “engaged” employees is likely to come back to you multiplied in how they help your company. It is a win-win for all!

Consider Hiring More Engaged Employees

This is the time as the economy starts to recover to look at opportunities to pick up engaged employees who may be working for your weakened competitor by offering those employees a better deal.

Copyright (c) 2009  Lois Moncrief  Globebic LLC     All Rights Reserved