Yesterday’s post pointed to some positive potential for the 2010 economy. And even as we wait for hiring and employment levels to kick in, we can begin planning now to stimulate our employees’ engagement.
Several engagement tools were put on hold (or tossed right out the window) last year. Now’s the time to consider which tactics to bring back and to what degree. Here are three you want to consider, depending upon your projections for 2010.
Return employees to full-time status. Devote active thought to prioritizing who, how, and how fast you can begin to bring back:
- Employees shifted to part-time or contractor status
- Employees put on furlough
- Employees laid off
Offer held-off promotions. A promotion typically means a pay increase and pay increases went away last year. Consider who among your people is ready to be promoted, who would have been promoted last year, and whose promotion will stimulate not only her/his engagement but others as well.
Bring back raises and bonuses. Like consumer spending, levels of pay raises and bonuses may be relatively lower, compared to previous years. However, opening this door even a slight bit invites employee confidence back in. And confidence is a proven contributor to engagement.
The sooner you make time and energy available to consider the above possibilities, the sooner you can take steps to generate excitement > engagement > success within your 2010 business.
Tags: Culture, Employee Engagement, motivation, Performance
