How We’re Unlocking Colleague Engagement at Greif

In 2018, Greif was in the 32nd percentile for colleague engagement, as measured by Gallup and benchmarked against surveyed manufacturing companies from around the world. Today, Greif is in the 82nd percentile and our Executive Leadership Team is in the 94th.

How did we get here? Why is this metric important? And why do we call employees colleagues?

At Greif, we measure success not just in the quality of our products, but in the commitment and passion our colleagues have for the work, each other, and the company’s broader strategic objectives. From top to bottom, we prioritize an inclusive, people-focused culture that is customer driven and fueled by a bias for action.

We value teamwork and collaboration and believe that every colleague plays a vital role when it comes to customer service. While we each have unique responsibilities and expertise, working together towards a common goal we view ourselves as equals. No role is more important than another and so we use the term "colleague" instead of "employee", to emphasize our shared importance and mutual respect.

You Can’t Improve What You Can’t Measure.

For the past six years, Greif has conducted an annual Colleague Engagement Survey through Gallup. Every colleague is asked a handful of questions about how they feel about themselves and the company and they’re encouraged to be candid in their feedback. Results always remain confidential with Gallup, which not only helps build trust, but also ensures an accurate assessment.

The results from that first year were eye opening for me, and for the company. We poured over the findings, analyzed feedback, and empowered our teams to implement changes up and down the organization. While I am proud of the work we put in to more than double engagement at the company, we know building a culture of engagement is a journey, not a destination. And we remain committed to measuring and improving colleague engagement across the company’s footprint in more than 35 countries.

Customer Success is Company Success.

A Greif, we place a tremendous amount of weight on the service-profit chain concept, which highlights the critical link between engagement, customer satisfaction, and financial performance. We understand a people-focused culture and a positive work environment are foundational to engagement, and therefore also an essential part of maintaining satisfied customers.

And we are obsessed with our customers. We know our success is intrinsically linked to theirs, and when they succeed, we succeed. This belief drives us as an organization to go above and beyond in solving their problems and meeting their needs.

If customer success is company success, then the foundation on which it is built is colleague engagement. And so, we apply this very same mentality internally, treating everyone as critical stakeholders in the process - listening closely to feedback, making necessary changes, and striving to provide the same level of customer service and financial success across the organization.

No Risk, No Reward.

Mistakes inevitably happen. It is an unavoidable part of running a business or being part of a team. I believe how an organization responds to mistakes is perhaps the clearest indicator of the culture that exists within your organization.

At Greif, our actions are rooted in a deep commitment to people, leadership, and action. We encourage colleagues to work outside of their comfort zone, be accountable and deliberate with their work, and have a clear bias for action. We want every colleague to feel empowered to act, take risks (within the framework of our values), and know if a mistake happens, it will be celebrated as a learning moment rather than a failure.

When it comes to unlocking colleague engagement at Greif, these principles - and the psychological safety net they create – are integral to the process. When colleagues are empowered by the company, they return that trust through candid and transparent feedback. It may not always be what you want to hear, but it will be precisely what you need to hear.

Marginal Gains Matter.

Lastly, engagement is not built overnight.

It takes time to establish the right principles, create the desire to support internal customers just as you would external ones, and measure and interpret the results. In a word, it takes time to build trust. Greif did not go from the 32nd percentile to the 82nd overnight. It took the better part of a decade to get here.

At Greif, an important part of this journey has been recognizing – and celebrating – marginal gains. Minor improvements by thousands of colleagues can add up to a significant impact over time, but without acknowledging these small wins it can feel like a very long, lonely, and even pointless exercise. So, allow yourself and your teams to recognize small wins and use them as a platform on which to build.

I am incredibly proud of my colleagues and teams at Greif for the work they have put into creating and nurturing a culture of engagement. As a company, we have lofty goals of being the best-performing customer service company in the world. Whether or not we ever get there is less important to me than knowing our culture of engagement is fueling our desire and passion to continue to try.?