I head up a medium-sized manufacturer that has, in the past, been extremely successful. However, since the recession that started in 2008, we've had to implement a major redundancy programme (the company is now just two thirds its size in the mid-2000s). As result, the spirit among our remaining employees has been hit hard.
We now find ourselves in dire financial straits due, I believe in large part, to the low morale and lack of commitment from shopfloor employees. Their "can't do" attitude has become self-fulfilling, leading to further blows to staff morale and even greater despondency.
I desperately need to increase engagement levels among my employees. At the moment, most of them clearly don't feel part of the business and this manifests itself in several ways.
For example, our absence rates are off the scale; those people that do bother to turn up are clock watchers, leaving as soon as their shift ends; they do the bare minimum they can get away with and fail to display any initiative; and the quality of their work is suffering badly, with reject rates increasing, productivity plummeting and deadlines not being met.
In short, there is a pervasive "I couldn't care less" attitude on the shopfloor.
On top of this, there is clearly a lack of trust in myself and my fellow managers, staff turnover is rocketing and the murmurs of discontent are starting to become a cacophony.
I'm also finding it increasingly difficult to attract talented people because our reputation in the jobs market has suffered badly. And I'm really concerned that this will result in a downward spiral as we are only able to recruit dullards who further damage the company's performance and standing.
I did try to find out why people are so indifferent to the company and what would change their attitudes by initiating a staff survey, but less than 10% bothered to take part and the response of those who did was overwhelmingly negative.
I'm desperate. What can I do to increase engagement and re-ignite a sense of purpose among my dejected employees?
--CI Solution-- Neil Lewin of Festo gives the expert view...
It certainly sounds like you have a lot on your plate. But the first thing to address is attitude. There is a real case of 'them and us' going on in your business. Are you sure your shopfloor employees are to blame for everything?
You have been very successful and it's only since the recession and ensuing redundancy programme that the business has gone downhill.
This raises the question of how well the programme was rolled out. Did you think about how to deliver the message and did you properly prepare your managers?
So, perhaps it's time to face a few home truths. People will get dejected in the face of redundancies, but it is down to management to deliver the message in such a way that those who stay can see, and understand, the reasons for such drastic change. More importantly, they need a vision of what the new future holds for them and how they can be a part of it.
Do you have a clear vision and mission for the business going forward? This isn't just pretty words on the reception wall, but the foundation that will drive your leaders and managers when times get tough. If this isn't in place, it's no wonder your people are feeling dejected and these negative emotions are highly contagious and toxic. This is down to your leaders and managers.
Are your leaders and managers exhibiting the values and attitudes that you want your shopfloor employees to have? I'm not surprised that people hotfoot it out of the door if there is a culture of blame and mistrust. The attitude of your people at the top needs to change first before you can expect your employees to behave differently. If you cannot walk the talk, why should the shopfloor? Behaving with integrity is crucial to rebuilding trust in the business and its goals. Here are some pointers:
? Get your leaders together to develop a strong and compelling story for the future of the business. Then break it down into individual business units so managers can clearly communicate what this means at a team or individual level.
? Understand and exhibit the behaviours necessary to drive forward. Make sure all of your managers demonstrate these values.
? Look for the skills and knowledge that your leaders and managers will require and ensure you put in a place a training programme to support them.
? With these skills in place create a comprehensive communication plan that your managers can utilise with their teams and also specifically with individuals. If you show people how their own role impacts the company, you will begin to reignite their sense of purpose.
Engagement is not a target. It cannot be measured and improved by conducting a survey. As you've shown, if engagement is at rock bottom, why on earth would people give their time to tell you their views? Start with the 10%. Feedback to all employees the un-edited (albeit negative) results. Show them that you take their point of view seriously and tell them what you're going to do about it. Then do it! And remember, it's not a shopfloor problem; it's your problem.
