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Chapter 1: Employee engagement – what, why and how
Freshfields have had to be fleet of foot in responding to new lines of work and
partly as a result of this new versatility have been able to contain the impact
of the market volatility. In the view of Tim Jones, London Managing Partner, the
firm could not have responded as quickly to the change in market conditions
without the extra creativity and preparedness to innovate that has been
facilitated by their engagement programmes.
The challenges ahead
58 But dealing with the recession is only part of the story. Engaged organisations,
releasing the talents, creativity and innovation that resides in their workforce, will
be at the heart of the UK’s efforts to meet the new challenges from the emerging
economies. A 21st century developed economy like the UK increasingly relies on
skilled, motivated and productive employees in every sector to succeed, particularly
in the growth sectors of the economy: high end manufacturing, business services,
retail, the knowledge and cultural industries, and health and social care services.
Miles Templeman, Director General of the Institute of Directors told us, “Everyone
has access to the same information, so making the most of human capital is
fundamental. Think of it this way: if you are a manufacturer with the same production
line process as everyone else in the world, what can you do to gain a competitive
advantage It starts with your people. They are what will give UK plc an edge over
competitors.”
59 At the same time, the evidence is that many people, particularly younger
employees, want more out of work than simply a wage packet at the end of the
week. As Matthew Taylor, the Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts reminded
us, many people are taking increasing personal responsibility for themselves and
others in their everyday lives, whether it be care for elderly relatives or healthy and
sustainable lifestyles for themselves; they will be less and less willing to abandon
that desire for self-determination when they enter work. “You have to negotiate
authority now, and achieve it through consent”, a point echoed by John Earls, from
the trade union UNITE.
60 Notwithstanding the effects of the current economic climate, nor will the greatly
increasing number of young graduates be likely to put up with working lives where
they are expected to hang their brains and individuality at the door, or buckle down
under a command and control management style. A less deferential population is
less and less willing to subsume their individuality in any area of their lives. They
want choice – and voice.
61 Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, the Royal Navy’s Commander-in-Chief Fleet, put the
new reality well when he pointed out that even in the armed forces young men and
women putting their lives at risk will, at an appropriate moment, ask and expect to
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