Listen, if we're going to measure this popular phenomenon, employee engagement, why not make the
procedure
- Quick?
- Easy?
- To the point?
- Fun?
- Meaningful?
I offer 3 simple ways to create your own workable, valuable, and enjoyable Employee Engagement Measurement tool.
Design a simple(!) way to measure comfortably your employees' engagement.
- Consider a simple question or two you can ask during informal conversation. If you'd like some sample questions, send an e-mail to tim@wrightresults.com.
- Commit to regular/frequent observation of employees involvement in specific functions. Know what you're looking for, what you will consider demonstration of "engagement."
- Offer invitation to discussions with employees. These should happen informally and frequently enough to become comfortable for employees. Structure the discussions to be open-ended and to cover topics that will speak to your engagement interests.
Test your measurement device for at least 20 days.
"Testing" means doing…recording…reviewing…applying…evaluating.
- You certainly want to do the measuring, by asking, observing, inviting.
- Then you want to record what you learn/discover.
- Next you want to review the sum of your findings and draw conclusions as to what it tells you.
- Next (most importantly?) you want to apply what you've learned by using the information to seek further engagement information, stimulate more engagement, or celebrate existing engagement.
- Finally, you want to evaluate the on-the-spot process you've implemented…to make it even better the next time.
Change your on-the-spot measurement tool.
Use the same format, the same information-gathering procedure too often and you'll begin to get the same answers over and over.
- Decide early how often you want to revise you measurement tool.
- Begin preparing for revision a couple of weeks in advance.
- Evaluate successes and failures of previous measurements.
- Put what you've experienced and learned to work in your next on-the-spot metric.
Please remember, I'm happy to answer questions either publicly here or one-on-one via e-mail (tim@wrightresults.com).
Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sizima/2071700004/in/set-72157603322645755/
Hi Tim. What you’re suggesting here seems so much more relevant to me than the canned surveys so many companies are using. I don’t mean to knock those — I think they can be useful, but my organization just had kind of a bad experience with a commonly used, off-the-shelf survey. Our immediate employee feedback was, “what does this have to do with us?” and “how useful can this possibly be if doesn’t address our specific circumstances?” I agree whole-heartedly. I’d much rather try these suggestions than ever use a survey like that again. Here’s hoping I can convince the deciders…
Comment by soulmagnet75 — August 21, 2008 @ 5:58 pm
Soulmagnet
Glad for the relevance. If I may recommend a tactic for convincing your deciders…you might invite several of your people what questions they would view as meaningful on such a survey. Use their answers as evidence.
Tim
Comment by Tim Wright — August 21, 2008 @ 10:37 pm