7 Things Great Employers Do . . . and You Influence Every One of Them

It's always great when I can share research that makes it clear how important you are to your company's success. I wish more of you would: a) Take the research to heart and to your business leaders and b) incorporate the research into your strategic priorities for compensation. After all, in addition to improving lots of things about your place of work, addressing findings like these in your own back yard could mean improved career opportunities and job security for you.

Here I go again! This time, I'm pushing research from the fine researchers from Gallup (so the research holds water), which has been publicized by those persnickety practitioners at HBR. They're giving us practical insight into what it takes to have your engaged workers outnumber the detached ones by 9 to 1.

Here are seven things that great employers do that Peter Flade, James Harter and Jim Asplund, three distinguished leaders at Gallup, "feel confident in recommending." It's the short version, with me adding some cheerleading for what these seven things have to do with our work.

1. Have involved and curious leaders who want to improve. Selection, development, coaching and succession planning anyone? Not to mention, effective executive pay-for-performance.
2. Have cracking HR functions. That's right, we're #2. Why? Because effective HR contributors teach leaders and managers to stretch and develop employees, and effective compensation specialists make sure that recognition and rewards are provided for these behaviors.
3. Ensure the basic engagement requirements are met before expecting an inspiring mission to matter. And I quote, "When employees know what is expected of them, have what they need to do their jobs, are good fits for their roles, and feel their managers have their backs, they will commit to almost anything the company is trying to accomplish." How's that for an endorsement of the importance of job definition, competencies, recognition, development and straightforward compensation practices?
4. Never use a downturn as an excuse. The recession's been around for going on eight years. You may still be cautious about money, but there is no excuse for being stingy about hope, the researchers point out. Constant communications are one of the few things that leaders and managers can accomplish when most everything else is out of control, and it pays off!
5. Trust, hold accountable, and relentlessly support managers and teams. What more can I say?
6. Have a straightforward and decisive approach to performance management. Can you believe it?  ". . . the hallmark of these great workplaces is that they are filled with recognition junkies . . . (who) see tolerance of mediocrity as the enemy."
7. Do not pursue engagement for its own sake. These researchers are saying that outcomes that influence results matter-- customer service, financial and employees' ability to do their best -- are what should matter. Not HR programs or (dare we say it) their metrics.

Remember the unfortunate chest beating in past years, with all the hollering that our compensation work is only about money, with no intrinsic motivational value? It ignored what compensation is meant to influence and is able to accomplish. But this research makes it evident.

Of course, outside the 32 exemplary companies that Gallup studied, life is no where near as rosy. But remember #4 -- don't use your current state as an excuse. Acknowledge the potential you have and check out further details that will help you get organized at the Gallup Business Journal.

Margaret O'Hanlon, CCP is founder and Principal of re:Think Consulting. She'll join Ann Bares and Dan Walter of the Compensation Cafe to speak the unspoken -- Everything You Do (in Compensation) Is Communication --  in an upcoming book so ready to be released in the coming weeks that we have a cover and nine pages in layout. Margaret brings deep expertise in compensation, career development and communications to the dialog at the Café. Before  founding re:Think Consulting, she was a Principal with Towers Watson. Margaret earned her M.S. and Ed.S. in Instructional Technology at  Indiana University, Bloomington. Creative writing is one of her outside  passions, along with Masters Swimming.

Comments

[Jacque Vilet]

Right on Margaret! And agree that Gallup has some fine researchers and is well respected. More people should get to know their work.

Oh by the way, the "7 points" in the title DID catch my eye! :-)