Employee disengagement is not a problem organizations can sweep under the rug. It is persistent, debilitating, and inevitably flows through to the customer.

But there is a silver lining. We believe there is a solution. More than that – we believe you can turn the problem on its head and derive real benefits from employee engagement! It is an opportunity for innovative organisations to grab the bull by the horns and to stand out in a sea of disengagement.

We use employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) as a key measure of employee engagement. Promoters are highly likely to recommend their organisation as a great place to work, while Detractors are more reluctant to give a recommendation.

Effectively, Promoters are what you get when you “do” employee engagement right!

 

What does a Promoter look like?

They are more efficient. They put in more effort beyond the call of duty. They strive for bigger and better. They understand and are personally committed to the organisation’s strategy.

They engage your customers. Customer experience and internal culture are inexplicably linked and are essentially two sides of the same coin. If staff are proactive, creative and enthusiastic then this will shine through in their customer interaction. Creating a customer experience worthy of recommendation is undoubtedly a great way to fast-track business performance and overall organisational growth.

They recommend their organisation’s products and services to others. From our Australian Consumer Studies we know that 47% of consumers base their purchase decision on Word of Mouth. Not to mention, consumers love to get information from people ‘in-the-know’. So your employees, out on the street, promoting your organisation’s services is the most valuable (and 100% free) marketing channel you could ask for!

What does a Detractor look like?

They merely clock in at 9, do the bare minimum, and then head out the door by 5.

They may not understand nor are they likely to be committed to their organisation’s strategy.

They have a hard time creating a customer experience worthy of recommendation.

They are less likely to promote their organisation’s products to others.

Promoters vs Detractors: Head to head

Here comes the worrying news: 43% of Australian employees are Detractors. That is just over double the number of Promoters (at 20%).

 

You want engaged employees. You want Promoters. So the question is how to turn these frowns upside down. Over the next few weeks we will tease out our recommended approach based on the key insights from The State of Employee Engagement in Australia. What approach does your organisation currently take to combat employee disengagement?

If you would like to know more of the joys Promoters can bring, and more importantly, how to create Promoters, you can download your complimentary copy of The State of Employee Engagement in Australia here.

Stay tuned for the next instalment of the Employee Engagement Blog Series, presenting the state of employee engagement in Australia: where we are, where we could be, and secrets of how to get there.