Building an Employee Engagement Program in 4 Steps

I had been doing marketing for a fast-paced and rapidly growing B2B startup for four years. We had over 2,000 employees in more 500 locations across 47 states. A distributed workforce at it’s best.

Ninety percent of our employees worked on the premises of clients, which presented two very important challenges: streamlining branding, messaging and customer service practices; and maintaining a level employee connectedness that was as great or greater than their connection to the customer.

The research is everywhere. The data is in front of us daily. There is a correlation between employee performance, job loyalty, and employee engagement. Employees who are engaged perform better and stay longer.

If you’re wondering, “How do I even get started?” I am here to help. Follow these steps on your journey to building a lasting employee engagement program at your company.

1. Gather the necessary team members.
   The task at hand is often cross-functional. You’ll need HR to help with the general pulse of the population and to ensure policies are up to code. You’ll need someone in Finance to help analyze costs and set goals related to KPIs. You’ll need someone creative to generate messaging and campaigns that speak to your population. Most importantly, you’ll need C-suite buy-in. Having a senior executive supporter will help move this initiative along properly, making it a part of your culture and not just a good idea.

2. Consider your employees your most important customer.
   Shift your mindset to think of your teammates-at-large as customers. Your VIP customers. They are the most emotionally-tied stakeholders to the company outside of the owners. They are responsible for delivering your products and services. They are extremely important. Like any other customer, build a persona for them. Understand what is important to them; why they work for your company; what keeps them there; and what gaps or opportunities currently exist. Just as there is a customer lifecycle, there is an employee lifecycle. This is where a marketer can especially help.

3. Define your objective and set quantifiable goals.
   You have your team. You have your research and data detailing your population. Now, it’s time to determine the proper type of engagement methods. Start by defining your objective and what you’re trying to accomplish. Follow this up with quantifiable goals. This is important as it will be how you measure your program’s success and give you insight into opportunities along the way.

4. Find the right tools for your program.
   There are seemingly a thousand tools offering a myriad of benefits that range from points-based incentives to opening up communication channels to offering peer-to-peer recognition. Based on your objective and goals, you’ll be able to find the proper tool to help you deliver your initiatives.

The road ahead is a challenging and fun one. But it is one that will yield great results when done with attention and care.

Have a suggestion or question? Drop me a line. Let’s chat.