Editorial
Unleashing potential
Engagement is clearly the word du jour—and it’s certainly the 10-letter word that appears most often in this issue of
Employment Today—besides, of course, the ‘e’ word in our name. (Anyone who checks the veracity of this statement is either a very engaged reader or they have too much time on their hands!)
While I never set out to make engagement the focus of this issue, there’s no getting away from the fact it’s at the heart of what makes our workplaces tick—and thus a key theme in many of this month’s articles. Whether it’s surveying staff on their levels of engagement, developing an employer brand, creating a culture that will engage and retain staff, or investing in education; the value is clear.
Former TelstraClear CEO Rosemary Howard told the recent HRINZ conference that employee engagement is crucial to surviving in tough times. But, she warned, a recent Gallup survey found levels of engagement are inadequate in nearly 75 percent of employees in New Zealand and Australia.
They’re so concerned about engagement in the UK that the Government launched a review into the issue. The resultant report—Engaging for success: enhancing performance through employee engagement—was released recently.
Report authors David MacLeod and Nita Clarke were asked to examine whether a wider take-up of engagement approaches would have a positive impact on UK competitiveness and performance. Their answer was an unequivocal yes. “Engagement, going to the heart of the workplace relationship between employee and employer, can be a key to unlocking productivity and transforming the working lives of many people for whom Monday morning is an especially low point of the week,” they say.
If the potential that resides in the country’s workforce was more fully unleashed, through better understanding of engagement principles, say MacLeod and Clarke, there would be a step change in workplace performance and in employee well-being “for the considerable benefit of UK plc”.
At the core of their report, say the authors, is a blindingly obvious but often overlooked truth: “If it is how the workforce performs that determines to a large extent whether companies or organisations succeed, then whether or not the workforce is positively encouraged to perform at its best should be a prime consideration for every leader and manager, and be placed at the heart of business strategy.”
Think again about that Gallup finding that nearly 75 percent of our workforce is inadequately engaged—and think about the possibilities if they were.
—Lyndsey Swan
Feature articles
No room for dispute
HR has played a key role in smoothing the way to greater understanding in a company whose business is the facilitation, mediation and resolution of disputes, Katrina Leather tells Helen Frances.
Riding out the storm
Best-in-class employers use workplace surveys as a valuable business tool, says Neal Knight-Turvey. He explains why such surveys are important if you want to improve performance and ride out the current economic storm.
The value of engagement
Employee engagement is crucial to surviving in tough times, yet recent data shows New Zealand and Australian organisations need to do more to fully engage staff, Rosemary Howard told the recent HRINZ conference. Alice Taylor reports.
Getting the right results
Far from being a luxury in tough times, executive education makes good economic sense, but organisations are seeking new approaches to ensure the best return on their investment. Jackie Brown-Haysom discovers that for many, the answer lies in learning programmes customised to their own workplace.
How to keep your best people
Now more than ever, organisations need to think hard about their retention strategies. Teresa Macgregor and Paul Wood consider generational differences and offer tips on how to conduct exit interviews that will add real value to organisations.
The right remedy?
In the current economic climate, being without a job is an even less attractive proposition than it has been previously. It’s not surprising then, says Bridget Smith, that applications for reinstatement—the primary remedy—appear to be on the rise.
Ten of the best
You know that you’re supposed to have read them, but somehow you never have time! Angela Atkins summarises the key concepts of 10 management books that have become a must-read!
The weight of the law
What do you do when your employer says you’re just too big for the job? Carisse de Beer discusses a recent Employment Relations Authority decision following a truck driver’s claim for unjustified dismissal.
Departments
Aitchison’s HR:
From dealing with shades of grey within a black and white context, Neville Aitchison slips readily into thoughts of black hosiery, women’s legs, and why the time is right to inject serious WOW factor into HR.
The DOL Report: Breaking down the barriers
Mediation costs and timeframes have been reduced by a new co-mediation initiative jointly led by the Department of Labour and the Human Rights Commission. Cara Takitimu and Susan Freeman-Greene outline how the new inter-agency mediation makes resolving issues easier for all parties.
Workplace dilemmas: A process of engagement
Mediation costs and timeframes have been reduced by a new co-mediation initiative jointly led by the Department of Labour and the Human Rights Commission. Cara Takitimu and Susan Freeman-Greene outline how the new inter-agency mediation makes resolving issues easier for all parties.
Strategic HR: Does culture matter?
A company’s culture goes beyond the organisational charts you see on the wall. It’s the stories, politics, symbols and routines that count. Chris Johnson looks at the role these play in attracting, retaining and engaging staff.
Employment branding: The value of insight
The strongest brands in the world are carefully and deliberately built on a foundation of insight and knowledge, says Kate Billing. Yet organisations often don’t have an insight into what’s important for their employees. Do you know or do you just think you do?
HRINZ news: Warrant of fitness
Recognition is a signpost of past achievement, and it helps motivate us to excel in the future, says Eric Gamperle. He explains why accreditation has been an important step in his career—and he advocates taking up the challenge.
Learning & development: On a tight budget
Providing training during a recession is still very important, and you can minimise cost and still get results! This month Angela Atkins shares some different ways to provide training for employees and managers that doesn’t cost the earth.
Leadership: Choosing resilient leaders
Choosing the right leader at any level is difficult. Despite a multitude of ‘how to’ approaches to selection, the real world abounds with leaders assigned to roles beyond their capabilities, says Bob Morton, a keynote speaker at the recent HRINZ conference.
Wellness at work: H&S gender gap
Occupational health and safety programmes need to adopt a more gender-sensitive approach, according to a recent NOHSAC report which calls for more research into the health risks for women in the workplace.
Public sector: Scooping the pool
Although a school caretaker neglected to maintain a school pool over the summer holiday break as he was meant to, his resulting dismissal was held to be unjustified. Paul Robertson explains why. |
