Viewpoint - January 2020

Building a Culture of Engagement

by Bob Gershberg, CEO/Managing Partner, Wray Executive Search

Creating a culture of engagement is critical to leading a company to success. Engagement happens when employees are expected to give their ultimate best and know exactly what they are held accountable for. They need to have something to believe in and feel a part of something worthy. Engagement happens when the team feels informed, involved and able to openly discuss their thoughts. People need to feel they matter, and they are valued in an organization.

Engagement starts with rigorous recruiting. Identifying the right leaders is paramount to creating a culture of engagement. Hire those who are likely to be engaged from day one. Focus on what inspires a person. Spend time on the mission and determine if their career trajectory will intersect with the company’s path to fruition. Understand what motivates them.

A collaborative environment is essential to engagement. Your culture needs to be collaborative, as does your environment. Encourage interaction and encourage it again. Communicate and be transparent with your team. If things are bad, tell them what’s going wrong and how the challenge will be addressed. Over-communicate. Foster positive relationships.

Setting goals and metrics for each employee and team will go a long way but involving them in establishing their own goals is even better. Make certain they are attainable, timely and measurable. Leverage team accountability with regular meetings, encouraging them to discuss how they performed in the last period relative to their goals and expectations for the next period.

Aligning company and employee values will serve you well. Make certain the company’s values are well-defined. Include values in your performance discussions. Make sure they know you care by providing both professional and personal development opportunities. Ask them about the things they need to be successful, and what they want for their careers. When you put their future as a priority, they know you’re investing in them for the long term, not just the company’s immediate needs.

Nothing boosts engagement better than employee recognition. The cost is low and the impact is high. Trust is the foundation for healthy work environments and employees need to trust each other, as well as their leadership. Employees are constantly watching leadership to see how their decisions affect the strategic direction of the organization and if their behaviors reflect what they say. Create code of ethics and teach employees and leadership the value of operating an organization with integrity.

All the best,

Bob Gershberg |CEO|Managing Partner|

bob.gershberg@wraysearch.com

(888) 875-9993 ext 102

Finding tomorrow’s leaders today!

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