Welcome to the 8 Questions, where we ask senior figures in the sector the questions every business leader and ambitious professional wants answered. In this edition, Lisa Beck head of HR and EDI at McCann is asked what is essential to effective engagement with employees within the sector, how this was sustained throughout the project and what the the future of employee engagement looks like. Lisa led on the “McCann Family” Our People Matter project.
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At McCann we believe that clear and effective communication is the most important element of employee engagement. Effective communication with employees ensures our team understands our business aims, objectives and goals. It builds trust and respect across our business, and it ensures our employees are informed, engaged, and motivated and helps them to perform to their highest potential.
We embedded a culture of meaningful engagement led by our Senior Leadership Team, this was achieved through the analysis of the results of our employee perception survey. Our challenge was to understand, and overcome, the Say/Do gap, which we achieved through an increase in communication streams and the frequency in engagement opportunities of the leadership team at site level. Our engagement opportunities have led to open and honest communications by leaders accepting their shortfalls, which developed trust with our employees.
We learnt that we need to act, where possible, to improve employee experience through active and effective communication and engagement. We will identify small and easy to implement changes that can make a big difference to our employees.
At McCann’s we understand that the capability to build trust is an essential element to employee engagement. Open and honest communication with the ability for discussion amongst our teams to ensure they feel included and that they also understand, and are aligned to, our values and visions. By giving credit and taking responsibility, gives fair accountability at every level. Having an open mindset and being able to listen actively ensures we adopt a collaborative approach.
At a site level, we conduct frequent “pulse surveys” to gain an understanding of the impact and effectiveness of current engagement practices. At a Company level, we undertake an annual employee perception survey and look for any concerns and areas we can improve on.
We ensured we had regular engagement with our employees and provided them with feedback. We established ground rules to promote honest and open communication and acted on feedback. One area highlighted during our engagement sessions was the need for additional, operative level, mental health training to ensure it was accessible to all levels of our employees. Our response to this was the creation of a bespoke Mental Health Champion programme which we have rolled out to 18 of our site-based employees, with a plan to roll out further in the coming months.
Our employees’ well-being, mental health and personal development is paramount to our continued success. The industry is seeing a lot of people who are more than happy to leave their current jobs because they feel the company isn’t doing enough for them. Meaningful communication, recognition, and reward for employees at all levels is a great way to show appreciation for the work and celebrate individual success. When you show your appreciation, you will get rewarded with loyalty, gratitude, and sustainable engagement.
We need to be aware of social media and how the negative perception of the workforce can be easily, and quickly, spread. We need to be looking at a holistic approach of physical, mental and spiritual health and well-being. Leaders need to take into consideration that the upcoming workforce are looking for more than “just a job” – they are looking for a job that provides the opportunity for enrichment, development, and the feeling of belonging, rather than work just providing them with a wage.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the CIHT or its members. Neither the CIHT nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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