Two year’s on since the publication of the “MacLeod Report” Engage for Success, surveys suggest that engagement levels in the nation’s workforce remain low. So should we be welcoming the recent announcement that the report’s authors, David MacLeod and Nita Clarke are to head up a new Employee Engagement Taskforce, or should we be considering what we can do right now to make our workplaces more engaging?
Jackie Orme, the CIPD chief executive has welcomed the initiative, commenting that it should provide a catalyst to plug the gap caused by a leadership and management skills deficit. But will the taskforce provide this catalyst or will the gap get wider as we wait 18 months to be told what large and public sector organisations did on engagement pre 2011? And how relevant will their stories be to your business? It’s important to remember that every organisation is different and whilst it can be helpful to learn what others are doing, most companies would be best advised to start by listening to their own employees and find out what engages them.
So rather than wait until 2012 when the taskforce is due to report on its recommended strategies, perhaps you would do well to consider the words of Employment Relations Minister, Edward Davey, who at the launch said:
“Workers know better than anyone how the firm they work for can grow, innovate and succeed. For any business or organisation a committed and involved workforce that are all pulling in the same direction is essential. This isn’t just about ending “them and us” attitudes. It’s about a better way to work.”
His faith that all workers will know better than you how your business can succeed may be overstated, but it does suggest that your workers have a positive contribution to make – they may have insights in to how they can do their job better and feel better about doing it.
If you want to learn about better ways to work, contact gill@unisonmedia.co.uk
Source:
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=418886&SubjectId=2
http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2011/03/macleod-to-head-new-engagement-taskforce.htm