Measuring Engagement Risk During Times of Change

Summary: Here I offer some advice on how to measure and sustain employee engagement and retention during times of organisational change.

"Any organisational change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts"

Those companies successful at managing change keep on doing business as usual, they keep their global survey in place and afterwards they regularly monitor morale through different means i.e. implementing small pulse surveys among senior members of staff (managers) is a common option (Read more: Continuous Listening ).

It is not advisable to delay assessing engagement levels during times of change; this is actually the perfect time to get a baseline measurement, not only of how engaged your employees are, but to develop strategies to manage any potential retention/engagement risk.

Employees want to see and hear from their senior leaders where the new organisation is going, and how these changes will influence not only their jobs, but the organisation as a whole. Employees have to understand the new business model and direction, the new work groups, cultures and business processes of the newly combined organisation (Read more: Internal Communication Effectiveness ).

"The approach for driving engagement will look different depending on the organisation and their M&A situation"

Overall, during times of change it can be difficult for employees to simply stay productive. What we know is that employees experience an associated loss of status, certainty, control and familiarity that comes with a takeover. In most cases, such changes are met with resistance from employees. Acquisitions normally make employees feel confused and unsure about how they will fit in the combined organisation. Uncertainty and role conflict lead to increased turnover, additional job expectations, and delays in accomplishing goals while new decision processes and budgets are developed.

The key areas that we would envisage to measure in an 'Employee Engagement' diagnostic of this nature, when companies are experiencing dramatic organisational change, are presented in the image below.

Focus on the market / Customer Orientation

It should be business as usual, continue with the production of new and high-quality products and services required to satisfy market needs. Here I provide some survey statements that you could consider:

• From what I see, my Company is maintaining its focus on business performance during the integration process.??
• Overall, I believe the integration with XYZ will provide long-term benefits for our customers.?

(Read more: Seven Critical Business Growth Questions )

Clear leadership, business direction and communication

Encourage and enrich dialogue with employees, offer a clear sense of direction, inform employees about plans and progress, encourage employees to challenge and to share their ideas, act on employee feedback. Here I provide some survey statements that you could consider:

• Management has a clear view of where the organisation is going and how to get there.
• Management keeps me informed about important issues and changes.

(Read more: Communicating in Uncertain Times )

People focus

Explain to employees how they will benefit from the merger. Ensure performance expectations are clear, people are developed to their full potential, the most competent are promoted and reward is perceived to be competitive. Here I provide some survey statements that you could consider:

• I am developing professionally working here.
• I am offered training or development to further myself professionally.

(Read more: 8 steps to a colossal career )

Merger Effectiveness / Success

First and foremost, it is of utmost importance to measure the effective integration of all employees into the new organisation. Transitioning cultures is hard, people generally hate change. So we need to evaluate their initial views and perceptions and how these may influence any potential engagement risk in the new organisation. Here I provide some survey statements that you could consider:

• I feel I am being fully welcomed by XYZ.
• I am confident that the strengths and best practices of my company will be recognised and maintained in XYZ.
• I received the information I needed about the acquisition and what it means for me.?
• After our integration with XYZ, I feel my circumstances at work will improve.

It is important to note that during times of change, most internal organisational restructuration, mergers and acquisitions fail mainly because of people and culture issues. Nearly two-thirds of all organisational mergers fail to achieve their anticipated strategic aims and financial objectives.

This degree of failure often is linked to various HR-related factors, such as: incompatible organisational cultures and management styles, poor motivation, morale and low levels of engagement, retention challenges / loss of key talent, lack of effective communication, general resistance to change, diminished trust in leadership and uncertainty of long-term goals. Therefore it is also crucial to measure Employee Engagement during times of change (Read more: How to Measure Employee Engagement ).

Some Final Thoughts...

Organisational change presents a superb opportunity for the HR function to demonstrate its strategic value by actively participating in ‘all’ the stages of a change process, and not only in the final implementation phases (Read more: HR Participation in Organisational Merger Processes - Winning a Seat at the Table ).

Thanks for reading my blog & your kind support. Were any of the insights provided of value to you? I would welcome your feedback - please do ‘Like’ or ‘Comment’ your experience on this subject in the space provided! -?Follow me on LinkedIn ?for more articles and insights!

Disclaimer: The author is making this ‘Opinion Blog’ available in his personal effort to advance the understanding of best practices in workplace related matters. The author assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this ‘Opinion Blog’ or for the results obtained from the use of the information provided. The information is provided on an ‘as is’ basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness and without any warranties of any kind whatsoever, express or implied. The views expressed are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of any entity whatsoever with which the author has been, is now, or is to be affiliated in the future.