Being an Employer of Choice

Great employees make great places to work.  Employees who feel good about the work they do are more productive.  They look for ways to delight the customer while adding dollars to the bottom line.  

Great employees look for great places to work, and in today’s labor market the best and the brightest will have their choice of employers.  This is true even in these uncertain times.  Naturally, there are the “working wounded,” many of whom are excellent employees.  But keep in mind that companies who are downsizing are making a concerted effort to keep their top performers.  In addition, over the next 8 to 10 years, more than 20 million people will be needed to replace today’s aging Baby Boomers who will begin to leave the workplace.  As a result, competition for good employees is going to get tougher—not easier.  It is critical to create an environment where great people want to work.

The best way to do that is to give employees what they need.  

  How can I tell if my agency is an Employer of Choice?

Ask.  We’ve been conducting employee satisfaction surveys for agencies across the country.  By looking at our survey results it's easy to see the attributes that define Employers of Choice.  You can ask your employees how well you are doing in meeting their needs.  Then compare those results to how well others are doing. 

Employers of Choice understand that even the best people cannot overcome inadequate systems and procedures that perpetuate duplication and errors.   They know the right infrastructure must be in place to allow employees to maximize their contributions to the organization.

There are some very basic tools that employees need to do their job.  They need to know what their job is and how it should be performed.  They need regular feedback on how well they are doing. They also need standard procedures. Most respondents acknowledge that there are standard operating procedures in their agencies. Unfortunately, only about half as many report that procedures are in writing and available to all.  
Perhaps more startling, when asked to rank how consistently people follow procedures, employees give it only a 5.7 out of 10.  The good news is that results are much better for Employers of Choice, those agencies that rank in the top 20% of our surveys.

Employers of Choice take a strategic approach to training, offering employees an intellectual challenge and the opportunity to grow. As employees grow, they become even more valuable to the business.

Most agencies provide training to meet continuing education requirements.  Few go beyond that.  That's borne out by the fact that on average only 27% of employees state there is a formal training program in their agencies and less than half of those believe it to be effective. Our Employers of Choice get much better results with 52% stating their agencies provide effective training for new employees. 

Employers of Choice understand that rewards come in many forms, and they know employees respond based on their own personal values and priorities.  While salary isn't the only way to recognize achievement,  employees need to feel that their pay is fair.

In our surveys, 52% of the respondents think they are paid fairly for the work they do.  The result is significantly higher for our Employers of Choice.  Are Employers of Choice paying their employees more?  Not necessarily. Our research seems to say that they do a better job of making sure the rewards are commensurate with the knowledge and skill – and the efforts – of their employees.

Employers of Choice practice communication that is top down, bottom up, and side to side, making sure the right things are being communicated to the right people in the right ways.   They recognize that employees who have information about the goals and results of the agency are much more likely to be connected to their jobs in ways that really matter to the customer. Employees who work for the best agencies are reporting that they are more likely to get the information they need.  
One good way to ensure communication is through group meetings. As you might expect, Employers of Choice get much better responses in this area too.  They are more likely to hold regular meetings and those meetings are more likely to be productive. Their reward is satisfied employees and customers who are agency advocates and good will ambassadors.

Employers of Choice support employees’ needs to balance their personal and business lives. When this occurs, the success of the organization becomes personal. 
In the best agencies every employee feels that management cares about them.  They also get high marks for soliciting feedback and input from employees -- all part of maintaining a connected environment where everyone wants to contribute to the success of the organization.

And perhaps the ultimate test of whether a company is an Employer of Choice is whether employees want friends and family working with them.  These are your advocates. They help you recruit more great employees and they help you keep your good customers.  Virtually all employees in the top agencies in our surveys respond that they would recommend their agency as a good place to work. 

Commit to Continuous Improvement.  Follow the four steps listed below.  

Step 1:  Take the pulse of your agency.  Survey employees.  Ask how well you are meeting the criteria for an Employer of Choice.  You can design your own survey or there are sample surveys available from a wide variety of sources, including the Internet.  

Transformation Advisors, Inc. has a survey you can use at www.transformationadvisors.com/employee_satisfaction_survey.htm. if you prefer, give us a call and we’ll mail or fax a copy to you. 

If you conduct your own survey, be sure to protect employee confidentiality.  Whether it’s concern for their jobs or a desire to spare your feelings, employees need to feel safe giving you honest feedback.  If it’s an issue for your agency -- or if you don’t have the internal resources necessary to develop, conduct, and analyze the survey -- get some outside help.  

Step 2:  Analyze the results.  Look at your results -- in comparison to where you think you ought to be as well as in comparison with other agencies results.  Typically, there will be strengths that shine through as well as an opportunity area or two.  

Step 3:  Identity key objectives and develop an action plan.  Put a plan in place to address the results of the survey.  Build on your strengths.  Look for ways to eliminate or at least mitigate your weaknesses.

Step 4:  Monitor progress.  Periodically review the progress you've made in reaching your objectives.  You may want to re-survey your employees in a year or so -- but only if you've taken positive steps to resolve issues identified previously.    

Give us a call or visit our web site at www.transformationadvisors.com.  

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