For 20 years, organisations of every size and sector across Ireland have engaged with Great Place to Work. Indigenous and multinational, public and private, charities and corporations: all have committed to developing and sustaining high-trust, high-performance cultures for their teams. For each one, that journey begins with a first step.
We’re often asked, “What are the fundamentals that make a Great Place to Work employee engagement project successful?” Here are a few key areas that can take a project from good to great:
Clear communication from day one
From the outset, commit to honest and authentic communication about why you’re looking for the employee perspective. Explain that their feedback is integral to the organisation’s success, and findings will be shared at the end of the process. Check in regularly throughout the project to provide updates.
Ensure employees are part of the process
The most successful Great Place to Work projects are neither HR- nor management-led. Every employee has the ability and responsibility to develop a great workplace through hundreds of colleague interactions on a daily basis. Emphasise that the project is by everyone, and for everyone. Facilitate those who wish to develop their skillset by getting involved in the project rollout.
Commit to an action plan
Once colleagues have taken the time and effort to provide you with their thoughts, it’s essential to formulate a plan to turn those findings into action. If results end up sitting on a shelf gathering dust, your employees won’t take the time again to let you know how they feel. Develop working groups throughout the organisation to discuss how key areas can be implemented.
Develop a cycle of feedback
Engaging in a regular survey rhythm is critical to developing a deep reservoir of trust between colleagues and throughout the organisation. By checking in with your team on a consistent basis throughout the year, employees know they have a reliable forum where they can raise concerns, confident that the organisation will take action when feasible, and communicate clearly why when not.
The Great Place to Work model provides of decades of research, along with a robust benchmarking framework, that enables us to gather employee sentiment and develop it into clear, effective actions that promote a workplace culture where everyone is facilitated to do their best work. We’re delighted to share our experience and expertise with organisations who want to take that first step from good to great.
Joseph Benkanoun is client success list and awards executive at Great Place to Work