What makes human relationships successful? We know that the key to success in any relationship, personal or professional, is commitment – but there is more to it than just the word. Read on to learn about how commitment can be measured using intelligent employee surveys in this first installment of our Love & Surveys series. You can’t make your people fall in love with you, but you can know if they like you, or if they really, really like you.
Commitment, in or out of the workplace, is complicated. Retensa designed and validated an innovative survey methodology, named CAPLET that directly captures commitment in the modern dynamic workplace. For the last 17 years, only our clients had access to it! But we realized that was selfish, and not loving, so in honor of Alexander Graham Bell’s birthday (March 3rd), we want to communicate to the world our secret sauce for all of you to share. This is how to really take an authentic pulse of commitment in the workplace:
Connectedness
For relationships to last within the context of an organization, an individual must feel a sense of belonging and relatedness toward an employer’s mission, goals, values, and staff. It requires a clarity of purpose, whether or not there is a sense of relatedness (“us” not “them”) to one’s peers, where everyone is on the same team.
Appreciation
Morale is a delicate thing but it can be encouraged by the sense of recognition for employees. Intelligent employee surveys assess whether individuals’ believe their unique contributions to the products, services, mission, or peers are being acknowledged, valued and believed to make a difference.
Productivity
Employer’s reliability in providing the tools and means to succeed encourages employees to consistently and efficiently achieve intended outcomes with impeccability. Employee surveys evaluate this and capture the extent to which management has provided their people with the resources and also inquiries about employees’ individual intentions to succeed within their environment to the best of their ability.
Loyalty
For commitment to fully be in place, there are certain policies, procedures and resources that can encourage dedicated and supportive employees. These employees are faithful and proud advocates of their employer. They will be prepared to defend the organization’s long-term brand, product, service, and potential because being an employee of their organization is also in their best interest. Without loyalty, motivation can crumble at the first sign of adversity, stunting the company’s growth. Employee surveys can help organizations lend an ear to their people, and suggest the best course of action.
Engagement
All else equal, organizations that take the most right actions will win. Employees who are totally vested in their work, their peers’ work, and the mission of the employer, wake up excited to go to work and take ownership to further the organization’s reputation and interests. Employee surveys determine if management has gone all-in when it comes to making sure their teams are appropriately challenged by their experience while maintaining enthusiasm and a positive outlook.
Trust
Employees will trust their organization if they believe that their peers and leaders act ethically, with integrity, and in consideration of others’ needs, wants, and expectations. Without trust, people cannot help but get the sense, even subconsciously, that something is off. Trust is one of the most critical readings in an intelligent employee survey.
If you’d like to learn how you can put your thumb on the pulse of employee commitment, please email requests@retensa.com.