Employee Benefits Connect 2020: Having clearly defined business values can be key to underpinning employee engagement strategies for the workforces of the future, according to Debrah Corey, author, speaker and adviser to Reward Gateway.
In her session at Employee Benefits Connect 2020 yesterday (26 February), Corey said: “Business values can significantly help employees understand what a business is, and how they can hit targets. It gives employees energy, and defines [what] a business is.”
Corey cited research showing that 94% of employees think its important to be aligned with a mission, while younger staff believe it is the second most important aspect when applying for a new job.
When clarifying business values to use as foundations for future strategy, Corey asked attendees to consider three fundamental points: whether the values are specific to the organisation; whether the values can and will be lived; and how the values will be brought out to play.
Corey said: “If you can’t live by your business values, there’s no point having [them] in the first place. Additionally, if business values aren’t driving the business forward, you have to change it to go in the right direction.”
On the subject of putting values into practice and engaging staff with the fundamental tenets of a business, Corey outlined the importance of bringing them into the onboarding process. Additionally, recognition strategies can be highly effective in driving and promoting business values.
Corey said: “It’s important to get people in the door of that business [understanding] your values, it’s important to give values the limelight every now and then. If employees aren’t bombarded with their values, the vast majority of them will forget them. Make them everyone’s responsibility.”