Employee Engagement for Competitive Advantage

Your brand is only as safe as your least engaged employee. Engage your employees and align them with your corporate vision and values, as they are the face that represents your business at all levels, interacting with all stakeholders. Employee engagement is also an effective source for competitive advantage. Not only are employees an asset that is dynamic, flexible and resilient, but they are also difficult for your competitors to replicate, a source of value and uniqueness.

Managing Retention in FIFO Operations

In an increasingly competitive employment market fuelled by the resources boom, how can mining companies differentiate themselves to attract and retain quality fly-in fly-out (FIFO) talent?

There is abundant anecdotal evidence that the FIFO lifestyle compromises the well- being of the employees and their families in terms of stress, relationship break-down, alcohol and drug use, depression and suicidality. Lowered job satisfaction and increased stress appear to be associated with…

Are you helping to put a man on the Moon?

There is a well-known story linking NASA and employer branding during the rush to place man on the moon.  In this story, it is suggested that whilst inspecting the NASA facility prior to take-off, President Kennedy came across a janitor in the hallway.  Casually asking the janitor what he specifically did in the facility.  The janitor’s response was quite remarkable.  Not “I clean the ablutions and mop the floors”.  No, the janitor showed an organisational-centric response in saying…

Retention: Why it’s not just about the Money!

In a recent conversation with a business owner, he stated “employees are greedily seeking jobs that offer the highest salary and there is little that will prevent them from being poached or switching to another employer in favour of a higher salary”. I disagree and recent research supports my position.

The influx of Gen Y into our workforces demands that retention strategies must evolve to meet new expectations and needs. Recent research suggests that employees may be attracted by…

What Underlies Employee Engagement?

Employee engagement is currently very topical. It has been widely documented that there are links between an employee’s level of engagement and their willingness to remain with their employer. Attraction and retention of quality staff is also very topical, especially with the media reporting further skills shortages in the labour market as demand outpaces supply. So for any manager to proclaim, “My employees are engaged in their work” is commendable, but it begs the question of how…

Employee Surveys – Insourcing vs Outsourcing

It is widely recognised that employee engagement is essential to the success of any organisation; as such, research into employee’s intentions to stay, employee satisfaction and what influences these allows an organisation to be proactive in attraction and retention of the best employees. An organisation can either conduct employee research internally or commission an external research provider to complete the work. There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach that need to…

Talent Retention as a Fundamental Business Strategy

It has long been stated there is an imperative need to successfully attract and thereafter retain top talent. However, the debate continues for developing effective strategies to aid employee retention. By meeting fundamental psychological employee needs, employee engagement and retention can be greatly enhanced.

Addressing the psychological needs of your employees is equally as important as their physiological needs. Employees are motivated by at least three psychological needs…

Recession Beating People Strategy

As 2010 draws to a close, there’s opportunity to reflect upon issues most Executives faced and continue to do so to this day such as the layover from the GFC, downsizing, the now present skills gaps & a definitive lack of Employee Engagement.

Understand people are your most important asset, and a critical start point when designing and implementing winning business strategy to prosper in 2011. Organisationally, your top four priorities should be:

a) Retention of the…

Have you deserted your Employer Brand?

During the downturn many companies refocused priorities and resources, in the process making their Employer Brands virtually redundant. Abandoning an Employer Brand during a recessionary phase can prove to be a very costly mistake during a market upturn.

Let’s not forget the basics surrounding the need to engage employees regardless of the market environment and business challenges. Cutting back on internal communication and people development is short-sighted and a knee jerk…

Employee Engagement - Investing during a down turn

One of the biggest challenges senior executives face during the current recession is managing the need to balance costs with sliding revenues and profits during the market downturn. To find the balance between shedding unprofitable investments and not missing out on too many potentially profitable ones, it remains not a question whether cost cutting should be undertaken, but rather from where, how this is conducted and why it’s crucial to communicate information on such measures to…