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Engaging for success: Enhancing performance through employee engagement
Integrity – behaviour consistent with values
56 Most organisations have espoused values and all have behavioural norms. Where
there is a gap between the two, the size of the gap is reflected in the degree of
distrust within the organisation; if the gap is closed, high levels of trust usually
result. If an employee sees the stated values of an organisation being lived by the
leadership and colleagues, a sense of trust in the organisation is more likely to be
developed, and this constitutes a powerful enabler of engagement.
57 Examples of the sorts of gaps between espoused values and what actually happens
in practice might include a company claiming to be passionate about the
environment, whilst failing to provide staff with recycling bins; or having a sign
outside the office that reads ‘employees are our most important asset’, whilst
tolerating a culture of bullying; or failing to provide the basics that keep working
conditions tolerable (such as air cooling, heating, replacing broken office furniture).
58 first direct has a reputation for being a bank with a strong focus on customer
service. The case study below shows how, by ensuring that its behaviour towards its
employees aligns with its public values, first direct has been able to maintain and
even increase employee engagement even during tough times.
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