Engagement or Not?

Rita Floyd, Director of Organizational Development, Trustmark National Bank

Meeting the needs of an constantly evolving  workforce is a challenge many organizations face.  Too many distractions and short attention spans cause associates to falter and lose focus. For some, it is a struggle to just keep up.  Generationally, we are still challenged to provide the appropriate resources for the various groups that make up our workforce.  With the continuing departure of the Traditionalist generation from the workforce and the continued flow of Generation Z workers into the mainstream, we are continuing to see a greater shift toward technology-driven training and engagement methods delivered more frequently and with more defined time constraints.  We also see a demand for immediate gratification and a lack of perseverance to hang in there for the long haul. 

Knowing what an organization is up against, how can engagement be bolstered so that associates are willing to stick around? Engaged associates generally mean happier associates who care about their work and their organization. They take pride in what they do, and this creates a win-win for the associate and the organization.

Here are a few steps that we have taken to encourage associate engagement at our organization. First, we needed to understand the diversity of our workforce. What was the generational mix? Secondly, we needed to understand the needs and desires of our associates.  One way to obtain this knowledge was to launch an engagement survey. We tailored the questions to the information we were looking for and worked with a vendor to make this happen.

Next, we needed to identify the skillsets of our associates. Talent audits are a great way for managers to understand what their team brings to the table when it comes to skills and abilities. We sat down with managers and reviewed each of their associates to determine what the person did well and what needed to be improved. Once this information was captured, we showed our managers how they could build development plans in our talent management system.  The manager could assign activities and courses from our online library and all information could be tracked for completion. 

Another project we worked on was the creation of a structured mentor program which we had talked about for a few years. We partnered with a vendor to pilot a program that we will make available to the entire organization this year. We call it Impact. There are many types of mentor programs that can be established. There could be a general program, a diversity program or even a high potential one. Matching the right mentor and mentee is important to the success of the program. 

Finally, we felt that it was important to know what our millennials thought about their work place, since they have been one of the more impactful generations to enter the workforce.  We convened a group we called Next Generation or Next Gen and met monthly over lunch to discuss various topics of interest to the group.  This allowed us to keep our finger on the pulse of the group and it gave them the opportunity to be involved in some of the initiatives that were being introduced. This is a way to show associates that you care enough to take the time to ask.

These are just a few of the ways that organizations can promote engagement.  To ensure that engagement remains, organizations should periodically conduct pulse surveys.  Pulse surveys are a way for organizations to check the temperature of specific areas or business units and can be done as frequently as needed.  Engagement does not happen without intervention.  We must be diligent in our pursuit to make our organization be viewed by our associates as the best place to work.