Published by the Credit Union Association of New York

humanresources
Status check: How well are you engaging
your employees?
By Christopher A. Pajak, PHR, Management/HR Consultant, Credit Union Association of New York
WHILE WE’RE STILL DEALING WITH DIFFICULT ECONOMIC
times, we’re certainly seeing some positive signs of recovery.
In particular, we’re seeing signs that credit unions are
beginning to consider hiring for new and/or replacement
positions that had previously been put on hold. This begs
the question: Has your credit union done a good job of
keeping employees engaged so they won’t think about
jumping ship as the economy turns around? If the answer
is no, it’s never too late. Let’s take a moment to review
some tips from one of my previous articles to see where
you stand on your employee engagement efforts.
Have you been leveraging internal resources to help
with staff professional development?
While it is likely that you have cut
back on your training budget, hopefully
you haven’t cut back on opportunities
to utilize your more senior, experienced
staff to help with initiatives such as
mentoring, job shadowing or
conducting internal training. A lot
of employee growth can come from
on-the-job opportunities, and these
initiatives won’t cost you a dime.
More importantly, it’s a win-win
scenario. It helps provide development
for more junior employees while also reinforcing your
confidence in senior staff with regard to their knowledge
and skills. This also shows how much you value them and
results in higher engagement for all parties involved.
Have you increased efforts to make sure your employees
fully understand the products and services offered by your
credit union?
You may be wondering what this question could possibly
have to do with employee engagement. Employees with a
solid understanding of the products and services offered by
your credit union become more valuable and, thus, more
engaged. This goes for every employee, regardless of their
role. When staff develop a strong understanding of all
Satisfied and engaged
employees lead to
happy members.
products and services, they are more inclined to feel a personal
connection to your credit union and its success. This way,
even an employee who isn’t charged with member-facing
responsibilities is able to help promote your credit union and
feel good about it at the same time.
Have you been communicating regularly with your
employees about any challenges your credit union may be
facing?
If not, consider providing regular updates on the financial
condition of your credit union, and share a big picture
overview of your strategic plan and goals. Not doing so can
lead employees to wonder about the stability of your credit
union during a tough economic climate.
However, if you’ve been open and honest
with them along the way, they will likely
be more engaged and committed to your
credit union’s overall success.
Have you kept your door open?
Having a true, open-door policy that
encourages any employee to drop in to
your office to discuss a concern or an
idea can go a long way towards keeping
employees engaged. If you answered yes
to this question, but you haven’t had
employees coming to you, it’s time to figure
out why. Perhaps everything is going great; however, it is
unlikely that nobody has a concern…and it’s probably safe to
say there are a few people who might be keeping a good idea
to themselves. If this is the case, maybe your employees don’t
perceive your door as being truly open. Consider managing by
walking around. Stop by the desks or work stations of your
employees frequently to ask how things are going. Engage
them in conversation, and ask for feedback regularly.
Have you been asking for new ideas?
Have you been seeking employees’ opinions, feedback
and ideas on how things could be improved in your credit
union? There are a variety of ways this can be approached.
24 SEPTEMBER 2012 Connection