Why summer is the ideal time for HR to plan ahead
The summer months are usually a slightly quieter time for plenty of businesses as lots of staff take time off to go on holiday at some point in June, July or August. Even those who are still at work can find it’s not as busy, perhaps because the colleagues they need to work with to progress specific projects are off, or even that customers are away on their summer break too. The end of July and the month of August can be particularly affected as these match the school holiday period and many parents have no choice but to take time off then. All of this means that it’s potentially a less hectic time for HR too – and ideal for having a little more time to think beyond the usual day-to-day challenges.
Knowing that the same summer lull is coming each year means it’s the perfect time to make plans or take time to step back and look at the bigger picture. HR leaders often struggle to find the opportunity to focus on value-adding initiatives or build strategies to address core issues such as mental health and wellbeing or data management and reporting for example.
One key area that every HR lead must keep a close eye on is employee engagement.
How well are you doing?
Most companies will measure employee satisfaction and have a view on ongoing engagement levels across the business thanks to surveys and employee feedback systems. Once the right measurement processes are in place, the bigger problem is finding enough time and resource to respond and take action.
Why not use the summer period to take the lead on employee engagement, develop a cohesive strategy and then put in place initiatives and corrective actions to boost the overall engagement score?
Time to take action
Engagement is a key part of every career journey and impacts everyone in your business from the very top down. Consider the following questions:
- What are your engagement score trends? Has employee engagement generally been improving or declining over the last 3-5 years?
- How does your employee engagement performance compare to other companies?
- What factors are widely agreed to be impacting your engagement scores?
- Are there other elements that may be influencing engagement in specific areas or teams that should be looked at more closely?
- What do employees say they would like to see from the business and can these (or a version of them) be delivered?
- Is HR communicating clearly about what has been done in response to previous surveys or employee requests?
- Is any employee feedback ignored or is HR explaining why some perceived issues can’t be resolved in the way employees expect?
- What new ideas does HR have that could help to boost engagement further?
Once you have a detailed understanding of the present position, it’s much easier to create an integrated strategy and action plan. Remember that engagement begins early – before a potential new candidate has even come on board. How the company comes across throughout the recruitment process ‘sets the scene’ as to how it treats employees and how well they are valued. It’s also the first real exposure a candidate will have to your company culture, so it really pays to ensure everything is as positive and engaging as it can be.
The majority of engagement activity will necessarily be focused on your existing workforce. There are lots of elements to consider here from physical working environments to staff training and development, to mental health and wellbeing. It all boils down to whether each individual feels supported, valued, looked after and appreciated. Ultimately you want every member of staff to feel interested in their role and happy to come to work – and it’s understandable that it can feel like a very big challenge to manage.
Summertime is the ideal point for HR to embrace that challenge and really elevate the employee engagement programme to the next level. It’s not just about having the time and inclination to address it – consider too that as your workforce starts to drift back to work after their summer break, they will hopefully be feeling rested and rejuvenated. Launching your new engagement initiatives as summer comes to a close will give you the chance to really build on that positivity.
One final thought
A workforce of engaged employees is a key feature of the elite group of companies HR professionals commonly describe as ‘destination employers.’ These are the organisations which talented and aspiring people actively want to work for. As well as an engaged team, destination employers can also be recognised for other attractive traits such as strong leadership or a dynamic company culture example.
If you’re planning to use the next few weeks of summer to plan strategic next steps for HR in your business – take a look at our free quick start guide for some great ideas to add to your action plan.
