If you’re serious about attracting and retaining top talent, do these 3 things...

I joined a brilliant and uplifting breakfast round table earlier this week, hosted by Marie-Solange Fusil-Garcia , with Caroline Sheridan , Ed Johnson and Tessa Marchington FRSA (she/her) , leading a discussion on engagement and belonging at work

Belonging is a fundamental human need

When leaders are intentional about creating community at work, employees feel connected and seen, both are essential for high performance

Below are 3 simple ideas, for anyone facing the challenge of attracting, retaining and growing, top talent… all of them tied to building community and a sense of belonging…

#1.

What if, silos didn’t exist and communication was free-flowing across your business?

So that, colleagues from different parts of the organisation came together, to collaborate and harmonise.

The answer - a workplace choir Music In Offices

For example, imagine kicking off your next company all hands or even the dreaded Monday morning meeting with a rousing chorus, it’s bound to lift the spirits of even the most jaded

And there’s more.. studies have shown that when people sing, endorphins and oxytocin are released by the brain which in turn lowers stress and anxiety levels - Catrin Lewis

To find out more connect with Tessa Marchington FRSA (she/her)

#2.

I don’t know about you, but my career success is everything to do with the brilliant mentors I was lucky enough to meet and work alongside

Hybrid and remote working means many of our young people are struggling to build the networks they’ll need to be successful.

The answer - introduce a formal mentoring programme PushFar - The Mentoring & Career Progression Platform

Reverse mentoring is the biggest reason companies are choosing to do this right now...

Why?

Because we have executive teams, many of whom are not digital natives, leading enterprise-wide digital transformation

And we’re asking these leaders to pivot from knowing the answer to leading teams where ambiguity is the new normal

Uncertainty is challenging at the best of times, it typically illicit’s a fight or flight response

Reverse mentoring (and mentoring) unlocks a powerful inter-generational partnership that delivers two key benefits:

• Leaders get to practice curiosity, empathy and humility - 3 behaviours essential for psychological safety; and the foundation for innovation. Because, when I feel safe to speak up, I'm more likely to challenge and share disruptive ideas
• And your up-and-coming talent get to share their knowledge across AI, Big Data and Cloud, building their confidence and growing their network

It’s a no-brainer really...

To find out more, connect with Ed Johnson

#3.

My third and final idea, puts learning and development centre stage

What if, we change the way we speak about work?

Forget labels like employee, workforce, colleague, and boss…

Let’s level the playing field and adopt a new descriptor….

“Learners”

I’m a learner

You’re a learner

*The organisation of the future is going to be enabled by AI and driven by people

Which means… learning velocity matters

Studies have shown we learn **230% faster when we’re in a FLOW state (the opposite of flight or flight)

***Mastery, which means "I want to learn and improve", is one of three intrinsic (internal) motivation factors for humans

And if you don't already know this - the number ONE reason your people want to leave your business today? ??

"Lack of career progression"

Many of your colleagues believe your organisation is not invested in their personal and professional development

So perhaps, the single biggest opportunity is a shift from the old 9-5 “employment contracts” to a “personalised learning contract”, fully portable between organisations

So there we have it, 3-ideas, that will move the dial on engagement and belonging in your organisation

And the biggest benefit?

You’ve optimised for individual, team and organisational performance

I’d love to know what you’re doing to engage and build community, belonging and engagement, please comment below ??

#emotionalintelligence

Credit: What matters most? Eight CEO priorities for 2024, McKinsey, Dec 12, 2023*

Credit: The Neurochemistry of Flow States - Steven Kotler , June 2018**

Credit: RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us*** Daniel Pink

Jane Ferguson Roly Walter Roz H. Patrick Sheehan Jeremy Hill Ian Price Patrizia Amanati MSc Tony Rampere Anita Walters David Whincup