The submissions for our Blank Slate Challenge are in and this week we’ll be featuring some of your submissions from around the world of HR. You may recall that we challenged HRExaminer.com readers to create an HR led strategy that could produce results in your organization like the iPhone and iPad have for Apple. How would you change the way you recruit, hire, develop and retain your employees so they could reach their full potential while keeping them engaged? After we post these select submissions our Editorial Advisory Board will be voting on the top three entries with the grand prize winner taking home an Apple iPad. – John Sumser
The following submission is from Mark Bugaieski, SPHR
Want a “Seat at the Table?” Then Bring Them the “Holy Grail!”
This is a tired, worn out phrase in HR. Over the years, we’ve been told we need to be “business-people”: crunch numbers, employ metrics, delight customers.
All of this is true, but how can we really have impact?
The answer is to pursue a thoughtful, organized, analytical approach to Employee Engagement.
Experienced, thoughtful HR pros know this is the Holy Grail of our profession. Everything we do is encompassed under this umbrella term.
If senior management “gets it” and buys in, the sky is the limit…this is the framework that gives meaning to addressing “soft skills” that have a huge impact on the bottom line…it ties HR and the company’s employees inexorably to profits and the company’s success…while making everyone “happy” at the same time! It is a win/win/win – employees/shareholders/customers.
Managing employee engagement allows us to truly manage “culture,” that elusive and oh-so-important element of all companies.
Employee engagement gives us discretionary effort and passion from employees. HR’s job is to build the systems (surveys, training, support, etc.) to get the ball rolling, and then watch it grow exponentially. It turns “victims” into “volunteers” and replaces toxic emotions with enthusiasm & energy.
So, how do we get “a seat at the table?” By marrying the “soft skills” derided by hard-line managers with evidence-based, measurable, actionable data. Gallup’s statistics show that Employee Engagement is a key driver of organizational performance – I would argue THE key internal driver. Based on extensive personal research, I am convinced that Gallup’s “Human Sigma” methodology is the best out there.
Will it be easy to move the Employee Engagement needle significantly? No, but the efforts will move the organization to fulfilling its complete potential
I am no longer an “HR Director,” I am an Employee Engagement Specialist!
