By Dr. Denis Cauvier
The Canadian business scene is in a state of flux. There is ample discussion in the media and amongst senior executives about geo-political concerns such as the future of NAFTA, increases in minimum wages, volatile commodity prices, global supply increases and currency fluctuations. Powerful foreign and local competitors are attempting to gain market share throughout Canada. Margins are being squeezed, competitors are aggressively targeting your clients and the expectations of today’s consumers are more demanding than ever before.
Business success in any economy is a matter of tapping into the potential of your employees. One of the most effective investments an organization can make is to hire, develop and retain engaged people. Engaged employees will provide the competitive edge to sustain and grow the business in today’s economy. HR Magazine states that for small businesses, highly engaged employees are 3.3 times more likely to be top performers, and 5 times less likely to voluntarily leave their employer than disengaged people. When businesses invest in hiring, developing and retaining motivated, committed, and qualified people, it helps their operation achieve its goals. When they don’t make the needed investments in their people, it affects productivity, profitability, turnover, and workplace morale.
How to create the right engaging EXPERIENCE
Our experiences in life shape how we feel about people, situations and even organizations. For example, if you had a horrible dinning experience at a restaurant you are not likely to return or refer it to a friend. This same holds true for an employee’s experience. If their “on the job experience” is very positive they will be happy to work with you (engaged), they will contribute more value (productivity), they will develop new skills quicker (reduce learning curve, wastage & rework) and they will spread positive comments internally (enhance team moral) and externally (be a brand champion and make employee referrals).
By assessing your employees at work experience you will be able to see the areas that you are already doing well plus identify any opportunities for improvement. Not only does creating such a satisfying, motivating, inspiring work experience improve morale, safety, productivity, engagement, customer service and drive profits, it will also turn your team into a mini-band of head-hunters sharing with others what a great place it is to work.
At a recent workshop for the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association, Dr. Cauvier highlighted his E.X.P.E.R.I.E.N.C.E. ™ acronym and explained the various employee experiences that impact engagement and ultimately your organizations bottom line. He also provided his E.X.P.E.R.I.E.N.C.E. ™ Assessment that helps employers quickly identify areas for improvement as well as many ready to use tools and templates to implement various engagement strategies.
After the conference evaluations were tabulated the following letter was sent to Dr. Cauvier.
“Dr. Cauvier’s workshop was extremely well received by the direct farm marketing industry at a recent Ontario Farm Fresh workshop. He was engaging, interesting, knowledgeable, humourous and relevant to the agricultural sector and our challenges with hiring great staff. I would highly recommend Denis for any HR presentation you are considering offering.” Cathy Bartolic – OFFMA, Executive Director
Dr. Cauvier president of Dr. Denis Cauvier Seminars International is a professional Speaker/Trainer and Consultant with over 30 years experience. Dr. Cauvier is recognized as Global Talent Management expert. He has worked with dozens of food producers and processers throughout Canada. He is the author of 14 Best-Selling books.