5 Things We Learned at Our Employee Engagement Breakfast Seminar

What a fantastic morning we had at Hope St Xchange in Sunderland talking all things employee engagement!

Yes, there’s that buzzword again… But in today’s breakfast seminar Ryan from Hive brought a new dynamic to the conversation as we delved into the science, and ever-growing amounts of data, behind engagement in the workplace.

Ryan took us through his thoughts on the difference between employee engagement and employee experience. He then talked about why he feels some companies are missing a trick by focussing too much on data collection, rather than understanding and actioning what the data is actually telling us about our workplaces.

So if you missed out on a spot at today’s seminar, here’s a quick run-down of 5 interesting discussion points Ryan from Hive brought to the table:

1. Focus on quality surveys over box-ticking

Ok, you may need to plan and promote your big annual employee engagement surveys, but if your people aren’t seeing their feedback acknowledged then it’s a waste of time.

People are more likely to engage and give you honest answers if they can see that their input is going to have an impact. So show people how you’re actioning survey feedback and if you’re not, tell them why not.

2. Authenticity is key

No one likes an ulterior motive, and this is the same when it comes to improving employee engagement. ‘Great place to work’ awards will mean a whole lot more if your organisation is really, truly invested in ensuring you people enjoy turning up to work every day.

3. It’s not easy

As we all know, there are lots of cultural challenges any organisation has to overcome when it comes to employee engagement. Some of the factors that Ryan highlighted were ensuring senior leaders are invested in improving employee experiences, and creating surveys that ask people about the stuff that actually means something to them.

4. Take an integrated approach

There’s no ‘one size fits all’ or ‘quick fix’. To foster a truly engaged workforce you need to consider everything from how people find meaning in their work, to the office environment, to how the managers and leaders across your business are conducting themselves.

5. Let’s not forget about cultural change

As with any organisational change, there’s the ’cultural bit’ that goes alongside it. Deciding to improve employee engagement is a big undertaking, so it’s important that your company creates a culture that supports and embraces change.

Every one of our events is based around an aspect of HR so if you work in HR or are interested in getting into the industry, keep your eyes peeled for details of our next event.