Are you looking to seriously accelerate your company's success in the modern world?
Surprisingly high numbers of CEOs won't entertain the idea of a people-centric strategy that could help their business grow and sustainably develop - do they fear that contributing positively to operational progress will challenge the way things have always been? Do they fear looking hard at their own method of management? (Whatever drives this decision, it has led to 90% of the British workforce quiet-quitting or looking for roles elsewhere.)
Whatever drives this decision, it has led to 90% of the British workforce quiet-quitting or looking for roles elsewhere.)
Perhaps the most common go-to for top-line industrial decision makers is new machinery. As soon as profits allow, a shiny purchase costing £Hundreds of Thousands appears on the shop floor, demoralising already-compromised employees still further. They desperately want to feel a sense of purpose in their workplace, but have to watch millions being spent on new machinery while their needs and motivations are abandoned.
So before sacking that person who's suggesting that things could be done a little differently, let's consider some of the prices being paid here (based on international research and calculated for a SME with 50 people on £5m turnover):
1 Symptomatic Costs of Disengagement
Communication problems can easily cost £300,000 p.a.
Loss of a staff member will set you back on average £30,000 per person.
Silo ("that's not my job") attitudes syphon £250,000 p.a. in housekeeping and quality issues.
Low morale also amounts to £250,000 p.a. in lost revenue, absenteeism and down-time.
This adds up to more than £800,000 for every year your culture remains disengaged.
Let's now look at some finer points of detail:
2 Skill Mobility
Many individuals with skills to share spend their working lives at a bench with no opportunity to help others or train new recruits. 1 in 3 workers in the UK are bored with their jobs, costing the UK economy £28 billion a year. You are likely to be employing engineers who could be actively helping to bridge your skills gap; in rough calculation, while this isn't happening we can add another £4 billion to organisational costs according to the OU.
3. Customer Relations
Every time a customer visits your site, they can feel the atmosphere just as you can when you walk into a party. Your customers are watchful of the kind of factors that make you go back to a restaurant - friendly service, people who smile, good value and on-time delivery. You'd be less inclined to put up with a hostile attitude than to tolerate getting your meal late.
Your clients will feel better served by, and remain loyal to, a company with an engaged workforce visibly collaborating to give them the best possible experience.
4 Communication Flow
Getting information to the right place in good time relies on the goodwill of its purveyors.
Disengagement incites discontent and frustration, while people under-perform in conveying information and some even resource-guard it with the idea that knowledge is power. There are many ways to improve your communication pathways and incentivise your employees to improve organisational efficiency.
5. Staff Retention
People leave a company because their instinctive loyalty (that everyone feels when they first join) has eroded to the point where they have to prioritise their own welfare. A company that prioritises people's welfare will ensure that employees retain their loyalty.
6 "That's not my job"
Commonly heard as a reason for not doing things, in reality this is a fear-based response. Choosing not to pick up a mislaid item, move an obstacle in a gangway or pitch in to help someone who is struggling with a task can be traced back to a) not wanting to be noticed, b) seeking to stay in line with what others do and c) avoiding taking on responsibility when it's seen as a punishment. A healthy workspace mind-set shares responsibility fearlessly and fosters equilibrium in distributing its tasks.
7. Morale
Being happy at work is what everyone aspires to - making it a reality for your employee base is not difficult yet the UK boasts the worst record in Europe! However, when you consider the Industrial Revolution beginning here around the middle of the 1800s, perhaps it is not so surprising that our country is last to let go of its trademarks. You could say that draconian management styles were branded onto British industry at an early age.
High morale equates to high input of energy - the happier people are, the better they work.
Effortlessly.
8. Innovation
A workplace can only be truly innovative when its people are in tune with each other and aligned with the mission of the company. Ideas spring from individuals, teams, and shared experiences - this is why 'team-building days' are purchased as quick fixes for stagnation. To support and promote ongoing innovation, create an engaging workplace environment!
9. Recognition
Output increases with an engaged workforce - to the tune of 21% on the production line. People feel valued when they are recognised for effort, for a job well done, and thanked for input of any kind. Recognition can take centre stage at award ceremonies or it can become a daily habit of appreciation - whatever routes are taken to ensure self-worth is actively supported, they will pay dividends on the bottom line.
10. Profitability
The pros and cons of workplace engagement are so wildly unbalanced in favour of the positives that it's hard to understand why companies shy away from investing in their people. An engaged workforce is a profitable one. However, evidence speaks for itself -
peppered throughout this Post and widely available to source.
If you genuinely want to save hundreds of thousands of £££s and bring sustainability to your continuous improvement programme, budget for an engagement strategy today.
You can always sound out kathy@worldlinetraining.com - she doesn't charge for chats.
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