Moving staff engagement online

This year I’ve noticed a huge growth in the number of HR managers coming to me looking for ways to better engage new staff.

We all know how important engagement is — yet a recent survey by Gallup revealed only 13 percent of worldwide employees feel engaged at work.  

In the first of a new series on HR Grapevine I’ll be looking at ways you can improve your engagement process to ensure new starters aren’t missing out.

The digital approach

My first tip might seem radical, but it’s a way to truly re-energise your engagement process — now is the time to move your engagement programme online and create an interactive version.

In a rapidly expanding digital world the benefits of this approach are manifold. New starters absorb content better when it’s presented interactively and are quicker to become more knowledgeable about their company, its values and mission.

Create an interactive engagement programme and you’ll be able to track and measure responses, meaning you’ll discover what works for new employees — and conversely, what doesn’t.

Remember too that the engagement process isn’t over and done with in a day. You should plan at least three months for onboarding.

I advise HR managers to break the process down into three steps. To help with this, I’m running a series of three webinars tailored specifically to HR managers.

1. Offer of employment. This is where the engagement process starts! Remember that first impressions count, so create a truly memorable employment offer. By doing this digitally you’ll be able to add interactivity, tailoring content to the individual in an engaging, slick and secure way. Our webinar showcases how engaging an interactive employment offer can be, why it’s a great alternative to the traditional job offer and how easy it is to make. Watch it here.
2. Pre-induction. Your new starter may only have a limited understanding of your company and its aims. An interactive pre-induction pack, which can be sent out via email before employment commences, can cleverly convey key messages about the company and the role. Find out how this would work for your new starter by booking on to my webinar here. 
3. Induction. I work with lots of HR managers who are concerned that key messages are lost during the induction process. Creating an interactive induction allows you to present information in an interesting way, while monitoring reaction and response levels.

Done well, the engagement process can make a huge difference. Find out more about our products, including a limited special offer for HR Grapevine readers here.