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"The Swiffer Strategy," according to HR consultant Alison Davis in her recent speech at the Society for Human Resource Management Strategy Conference, "is a way of looking at problems in an innovative way." Davis is referring to the new way to clean floors that doesn't involve a bucket and a mop: the Swiffer Brand that consumers have fallen in love with.
Davis asserts that HR Managers can think of new ways to engage employees at a time when companies are reacting to the recession in ways that have increased employees' distrust in their leaders. According to Gallup research, the number of actively disengaged workers has gone up from 3 percent to 24 percent in organizations that have laid off employees.
When employees are actively disengaged in their work, productivity decreases, morale goes down and workers don't care about their customers or their co-workers. Employee listlessness can sap any energy the company is trying to create to gain momentum and competitive advantage as we emerge from the recession.
Davis noted that there are several reasons why employees disengage from their work. She says that management practices are stuck in the 50's, that top-down hierarchy restricts access to needed information for employees. In addition, employees often disengage when there is not enough face time between them and communication is only done electronically.
To change disengaged employees to engaged employees, you have to do some work, challenges Davis. That's where the "Swiffer Strategy" comes in. You can't do the same, old things and expect new results. You'll need to think about this problem differently and find new solutions.
Communication is a big issue, says Davis, citing the example of flying. "It's comforting just to hear the pilot's voice when the plane is going through turbulence." It's the same when companies go through tough times: the employees need to hear from their leaders to know that someone has their eye on the ball.
Davis recommends the following:
- Conduct a focus group of employees to learn more about their needs,
- Have someone from the outside facilitate,
- Develop key employee engagement indicators, like survey scores, performance and retention rates,
- Support employees' strengths and help them work on their weaknesses,
- Communicate frequently with all employees,
- Help middle managers to get their jobs done easily (middle managers are the most trusted leaders in an organization, according to Davis),
- Use social media to help employees to connect,
- Give employees opportunities to contribute and be innovative.
Helping employees to stay engaged in their work is a significant role that HR plays in your company. It can mean the difference between success and failure, between profit and loss, between sustainability and lack of growth.
At HR Resolutions, we've seen the negative and positive impact of employee engagement as we work with companies who truly do care about their people. Let us know how we can help.
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