Success Story: Employee Engagement Project
A Groundbreaking Employee Engagement Improvement Project
When front-line supervisors receive the right training and tools morale improves and so does engagement.
According to research by the Gallup Organization, only 28% of the 80,000 employees surveyed considered themselves fully engaged in their work. Even more troubling, many call centers report employee engagement levels of less than 20%. When 80% of the workforce is delivering sub-par performance, operating costs rise, efficiency drops and customer satisfaction suffers.
Supervisors play a pivotal role in driving employee engagement. But studies show that the vast majority of supervisors are 
woefully under-trained. In 2008 Barbara Burke and Vertex, a leader in business process outsourcing, conducted an innovative project that demonstrated that when supervisors get the correct training in coaching and mentoring skills, employee engagement improves dramatically. The ground-breaking project involved 250 reps from two call centers and included 21 supervisors. The results were impressive. Within three months after the supervisors completed training, the engagement survey scores jumped an average of 10%. (Group photo <above> of 8 of the 21 Vertex supervisors who received the specialized training and implemented the project)
Five Important Take-Aways from the Project
1. Supervisors required four things in order to improve the engagement and commitment of their employees:
- Time. Internal surveys revealed that what the reps craved was more “face time” with their supervisor. Supervisors discovered that they could easily increase the amount of time they spent with their employees if they let go of “low-value” tasks and activities.
- Accountability. Supervisors were accountable for employee engagement scores so had an incentive to acquire the necessary coaching and mentoring skills.
- Training. The design of classroom training included ample opportunities for supervisors to
practice their coaching and mentoring skills.
- Tools. The shared experience that resulted from reading a fable book that illustrated solutions for typical work and life challenges, opened the door for meaningful conversations.
2. Employee morale improved across the board when supervisors focused less on enforcing performance standards and spent more time forging a positive, supportive relationship with individual employees.
3. Culture change takes time. To create a positive work environment in which employees are honored and valued required a sustained effort by the supervisors and upper management.
4. When employees have a positive relationship with their supervisor and feel appreciated for their contributions, they have fewer reasons to look for employment elsewhere.
5. The most valuable employee engagement surveys measure the quality of support employees receive from their immediate supervisor. That data helped supervisors measure their effectiveness and make adjustments as necessary.
Contact Barbara to find out if a similar project can make a measurable difference in your organization.
Leadership Training for Customer Care Managers, Supervisors and Team Leaders.
Top 15 Ways Leaders Use The Napkin, The Melon & The Monkey to Make a Difference (PDF)
