6 Ways to Translate Company Values into Employee Engagement

High-performing organizations spend time creating company values that link employee engagement to broader customer experience strategies and the company’s overall success. These values then become woven into every aspect of the organization and from all levels of management.  

We surveyed nearly 6,000 employees across industries at business processing outsourcing (BPO) organizations and in-house contact centers, including work-at-home staff. Effective engagement strategies lead to improved performance, increased productivity, higher retention and bottom-line growth. However, many companies struggle to find new ways of engaging employees, especially in hybrid and remote work environments.   

Leaders will reap the rewards of increased performance and retention by implementing holistic strategies that help employees navigate success and understand the importance of their contribution.   

Below we address specific ways to ensure your culture, strategy and behaviors link employee engagement to your organization’s overall success. 

Related:
Employee Engagement and Retention: Consider This

1)  Communicate Transparently and Frequently   
Communicating clearly, frequently and consistently helps foster an environment of trust. Ensure employees understand the company’s values and the behaviors that support those values. Give a precise explanation of the importance of the employee’s work, how it fits into the bigger picture and why their role matters.  To reinforce a sense of connection, consistently provide specific examples of how an employee’s performance contributes to the company’s success. Engaged employees want to feel part of something. Letting employees know about company challenges and including them in strategies allows them to be part of the solution.   

Ineffective communication is one of the biggest drivers of a lack of trust. Developing a communication strategy from the top down may include company “town halls,” department strategy, performance updates and team meetings that ensure alignment and understanding.

One-on-one performance reviews are a perfect time for team leaders to listen to their staff and understand what is working or not working. Frequent reviews drive employee satisfaction and offer an opportunity to link the employee’s contribution to the organization’s achievements.

• Employee satisfaction for those who do not receive performance reviews is 44%. 
  
• On the contrary, satisfaction for employees who receive weekly one-on-ones is almost 80%.

2) Develop a Robust and Closed-Loop Employee Feedback System  
An employee feedback system goes beyond a simple measurement of employee satisfaction. Equally as important is actively seeking employee ideas and feedback, communicating results, implementing action plans and explaining the outcome of those plans.  When employees feel their feedback is valued, they are more likely to remain with an organization. 

• Eighty-four percent of staff who feel their team leader values their feedback will likely stay with the organization over the next 12 months. 
  
• Conversely, only 17% of employees who do not feel their feedback is valued are likely to stay.  

3) Tie Performance Reviews and Recognition Programs to Company Values.  
By linking employee engagement strategies with company values, you can incorporate them into all aspects of performance management and recognition. For instance, you can seek 360 feedback from peers and other leaders that focuses on how employees demonstrate company values and are engaged, company members. Or create special award programs that recognize employees who demonstrate specific company values, going above and beyond to be engaged internally and with customers.   

The goal is to expand these programs beyond performance.  It is essential to measure and recognize both quantifiable results and the characteristics and behaviors that demonstrate an employee’s level of engagement and commitment to company values. Individuals like to receive praise for a job well done and notice when they do not get the credit they feel they deserve. 

• One-third of staff say they do not get enough praise or recognition for a well-done job. This means there is a significant opportunity to improve these programs for both performance and engagement.

Webinar:
Team Leaders: The Key to an Engaged & Motivated Team

Research shows that an effective team leader can help improve employee satisfaction and retention. Honing a team leader’s skillset is fundamental to broader contact center employee engagement initiatives. In this webinar with Harte Hanks, we have a research-backed discussion about the impact of investing in team leaders

4) Provide Growth and Development Opportunities  
Growth and development go beyond standard new hire training, coaching or upskilling. All of those are important to an employee’s feeling of accomplishment, but engaged and loyal employees want real opportunities to grow and develop.   

Employees want to be successful and feel the company is investing in them and their future. Employee success requires structured development programs governed by human resources, trained to all leaders and implemented at every level. Success begins by training every leader to be an effective coach that focuses on helping employees be the best they can be.   

Structured training is a fundamental component of development, but organizations should empower managers to seek other opportunities and help employees develop skills in areas of interest. For example, managers may foster an employee’s development through structured mentor programs or by allowing them to attend external webinars. They might also bring in an outside (or internal) expert or provide the ability to shadow other departments.   

• Staff who feel they get enough opportunities to learn and develop are 9x more satisfied than those who strongly disagree that their organization provides enough learning and development opportunities. 

5) Implement Adequate Tools 
Tools play a critical role in an employee’s success. Of course, a great tool cannot fix a flawed process, but nothing is more frustrating to employees who want to do an excellent job than hindering their success with ineffective tools. Tools that support customers, such as knowledge management tools, CRMs and even AI-powered solutions to assist agents, are essential.  

Collaboration, coaching, and support tools are also critical, especially in the current environment, which consists of large work-from-home workforces. Simply put, employees need tools to support customers and to remain connected to peers and management.   

6) Prioritize Employee Well-Being  
All of the above contribute to an employee’s well-being. At the end of the day, employees want to feel secure, supported, and confident they can perform to the best of their abilities. Contact center employees have experienced significant changes over the last several years, so it is no surprise that many may feel overwhelmed.   

Feelings of isolation have also mounted given the ongoing work-from-home (WFH) staffing models. Organizations should consistently evaluate internal and external support resources available to employees and encourage their use.   

For example, increasing available resources related to mental health, financial advice, and fitness/wellness programs all play a vital role. Additionally, work-life balance has become a priority for many employees. Organizations can promote work-life balance and well-being by establishing “ground rules” for after-hours meetings, emails, and the like.   

• Since one-on-one sessions are a time for staff to talk about work and non-work issues, staff who get regular one-on-ones are more likely (78% compared to just 50%) to believe their team leader cares about their well-being. 

Now is the time to embrace employee engagement and weave it into the fabric of organizational culture. The facts are clear – engaged employees are more satisfied, stay with organizations longer and are more productive. Leaders who take the next steps to link employee engagement strategies with broader customer experience strategies will reap the rewards and stand out among competitors.  

Related:
The Role of Company Culture in Employee Engagement