Want to be a ‘Top Employer’? Level of employee engagement seems to be the key. Here is a list of just a few of the strategic practices that you can put in place to achieve excellence in your organization and drive all-important employee engagement:

1. Offer a competitive compensation & benefits package – An effective compensation and benefits plan is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to your employees. According to a 2004 Job Satisfaction Survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management and CNNfn, responding employees rated benefits and compensation/pay as the two most important job satisfaction factors. A competitive remuneration structure benefits your business by ensuring valuable employees are committed to you for the long haul and thereby reducing turnover. Conservative estimates show that hiring, training and creating a productive employee costs a minimum of 700 times the worker's hourly wage, or up to 1.5 times the annual salary!

When determining an appropriate salary for a position, search government sources and surveys, consult industry colleagues, or visit websites like salary.com (which even offers a free trial for small businesses). Use this data for developing your salary structure, but only after you've conducted a thorough job analysis to gain a clear sense of the duties, scope and demands of the position. In pure market pricing, compensation is determined by examining the labour market, and then adjusted by the organization's pay philosophy (for example, set rates at, above or below the market), to place value on jobs. In this approach, the work is analyzed by determining baseline knowledge/skill requirements and other defining attributes. The job summary you create will make it simpler to compare the job you're assessing to what's out there in the marketplace.

2. Nurture culture – In a 2003 article in Digital Outpost Magazine, author Jason Miletsky suggests that the following factors contribute to the creation of a positive culture: positive reinforcement, freedom to create, flexible work schedules, no micromanaging and letting the passion flow. Define your company's vision and goals clearly, then work with your employees to determine how to achieve them. If your company doesn't yet have an established vision and goals, schedule a brainstorming session with key employees to determine who you are as a company and the direction you want to take. Employees who can exercise creativity and authority in meeting business goals become actively involved in developing strategy, and tend to increase their commitment to the organization.

3. Communicate – In March 2006, Watson Wyatt reported that shareholder returns for organizations with the most effective communications were 57 per cent higher than returns for firms with less effective communications over the past five years. This ‘2005/2006 Communication ROI Study’ also found strong correlation between a company's communications and its employee engagement and retention levels. Are you planning changes that will have an impact on your workplace? Are you in the dark about which HR programs and employment conditions truly matter to your employees? Consult with your employees through frequent well-designed surveys and value their input. Create an anonymous Suggestion Box or employee email address where staff can direct comments, ideas, concerns or questions. You might be surprised by what you learn from these two vehicles. Most importantly, respond quickly to the information with sincere statements or actions.

4. Boost employee spirit and loyalty with a flexible working environment

• Consider offering flexible work schedules including compressed work weeks, job-share arrangements, contract work and part-time opportunities. Providing alternative work arrangements to employees can help secure their loyalty.
• Set reasonable workload expectations. According to Health Canada, more than 50% of employees report high stress levels, much of it resulting from role overload, or having too much to do in too little time. Empower managers to provide team members with the freedom to attend to important personal issues, and to be respectful of the established work schedule. In the 2004 job satisfaction survey, employees rated “Flexibility to balance work/life issues” as the fifth most important out of 21 factors to their satisfaction.
• Casual-dress days, employee social committees and workforce campaigns in support of local charitable organizations can also contribute to positive morale. Get behind these initiatives and make a commitment to supporting employee-driven campaigns that benefit the community. Your support will boost loyalty among employees, while resulting in positive gains for your company's image in the marketplace.

5. Foster a learning environment – A business where professional development opportunities are available contributes to a productive and skilled workforce. Encouraging employees to add to their skills helps ensure your company's needs are met when technology is upgraded, the market changes, or new business processes are adopted. Whether it’s software training, management skills or business-related courses, a professional development program is a worthwhile investment.

Identify team leaders – key employees who have an in-depth understanding of their role and who can bring out enthusiasm in others. Ask them to assist you in developing staff skills through qualified, direct leadership. Most importantly, bolster your management team through ongoing training and development opportunities to ensure they have both the technical skills and softer people skills to effectively manage a department. Research shows that ineffective management is just as important a factor as poor rate of pay in an employee’s decision to leave a company.

6. Institute a goal-based Performance Management system – Set your organization and your employees up for success. A formalized Performance Management program is an excellent means of establishing priorities that support your company's key strategies. Most importantly, employees who feel connected in their daily jobs to the company's larger goals feel as though they are contributing to something that counts. Rewarding employees based on mutually agreed-to performance plans is a best practice. Use the SMART formula (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Trackable/Time-based) to set goals that will serve as work planning guides, and provide a fair analysis of an individual’s performance. Schedule quarterly performance reviews to assess progress.

In your efforts to become a top employer, you can learn from the valuable insight that award-winning companies offer. Give employees opportunities to stretch, grow and develop through innovation, education and challenging projects. Ask your employees how they feel, what they think and what they need to succeed. Listen carefully, and respond accurately, honestly and in a timely fashion. In other words, communicate, create a positive environment and reward your employees!

Finally, remember – a good salary and great benefits are key, but employee engagement is king!

Ceridian is honoured to have been chosen in 2006 as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (Maclean’s Magazine), a 50 Best Employer (Hewitt & Report on Business Magazine), and one of the 30 Best Workplaces (Canadian Business Magazine), three prestigious awards bestowed for innovative HR programs and practices.

Sources:
1. www.staffinginsights.com
2. SHRM Online. Introduction To Market Pricing. Kenneth H. Pritchard, CCP, 2002.
3. SHRM Online. Find What Workers Want. Pamela Babcock. April 2005.
4. SHRM Online. Great Places, Inspired Employees. Ann Pomeroy, 2004.
5. SHRM Online. Study: Top Canadian Employers Engage Employees. David P. Marino-Nachison, 2004.
6. The Globe & Mail. Keep Employees in Loop. Virginia Galt, March 2006.

This article first appeared in Ceridian Canada’s e-newsletter, The Specialist, August 2006 issue.

Ceridian delivers best-practice Human Resource solutions to help customers acquire the best talent, pay their staff accurately and on time, improve HR decision-making and reporting, and drive employee engagement and wellbeing. To learn more about our suite of HR solutions and how we can partner with your organization, click here or call us toll-free at 1-877-CERIDIAN.

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