Engage to Rebuild Your Workforce

Economic uncertainty seems to remain in the air, but it’s also clear that the job picture must be improving, at least in the macro, from some recent things I’ve been reading on certain career-focused Web sites.
This recent post from Career Builder advises companies how to attract and win over ideal job candidates. The list includes lots of perks that range widely:

• Offering a healthy work/life balance
• Having flexible or alternative work schedules
• Corporate volunteering groups and efforts
• Cross-training opportunities
• A “Green” facility
• Tuition reimbursement
• Health benefits for an employee and his/her family
• Casual dress
• Dogs in the office
• Employee trips
• Candy at the reception desk
• Free yoga
• In-house massage
• Learning opportunities
• Fun contests to promote recognition
• 15 days off during the holiday season
• Profit sharing

Missing from this list, arguably, is the key strategy of engaging current employees and offering them a tangible system that helps them set, achieve and celebrate goals. Employees under your roof now are your greatest asset, and best advertising tool to boost your ranks with top-performing people. Best to start the year right by setting a policy and agenda toward employee engagement for a sustainable organization.
As discussed in this recent post from Jo Confino, executive at the London-based Guardian, employee engagement is not really rocket science, but more a matter of communication. Says Jo:

“We are delighted that our most recent employee survey has shown that our staff engagement programme has led to a dramatic uplift in the scores on sustainability, compared with the same survey the previous year.”

According to Career Builder, the job forecast for the upcoming period is improving. It’s probably a good time  to shore up employee engagement to build a truly sustainable and productive workforce.