The Covid pandemic with all its challenges has provided unprecedented opportunities for organisations to cultivate a closer connection with employees who are not only receptive but actively seeking a role in recovery plans.
At Childbase Partnership – which has 44 nurseries in England – we can point to uninterrupted service provision for keyworkers during lockdown and occupancy rates now substantially above the sector average, as the rewards for prioritising employee engagement before and during this crisis.
1. Leaders must be visible. Establishing and developing strong confident leaders who have clearly defined responsibilities, goals and the authority and means to act is essential to effective operation under normal conditions but absolutely vital in times of crisis. Strong connections, particularly with the frontline, provide an accurate, current picture of specific challenges and morale. This in turn informs decision-making and communication to address particular concerns.
Our leadership team maintains high visibility and engagement with colleagues. Video conferencing helped sustain contact during lockdown but on the lifting of restrictions the executive team began socially-distanced visits to setting gardens to inspire, energise and support colleagues on the frontline.
2. Communication is key. Trust is built on transparency and frequent, consistent messaging is key to reducing distress and fear of the unknown which paralyses productivity and adversely impacts health and wellbeing.
We have developed a range of communication tools to reach out to our colleagues including a company app, a weekly email and video meetings with managers and team leaders. Thoughtful, concise messaging focusing on factors affecting individuals in and outside the workplace alongside tactical guidance and sharing results, demonstrates the executive team is not only managing a fast-moving situation but also adjusting responses in light of new information. It also connects all staff by highlighting best practice and personal and professional accomplishments.
3. Aim for partnership over collaboration. As an employee-owned business we have replaced the traditional hierarchical styles of leadership to focus on partnership over collaboration. This recognises the vital role played by everyone from strategists to frontline providers in achieving overall success.
Surveys have their place but establishing a strong listening culture and a variety of forums for colleagues to report both concerns and ideas guarantees engagement and ensures a climate in which innovation thrives. Changes resulting from staff feedback are communicated via our “You said, we did” initiative, which reinforces the role of colleagues as partners in the business and, in turn, encourages continued engagement.
Our Partnership Council of employee-elected representatives from each setting is instrumental in company decision-making and actively involved in analysing and refining policy and practice to optimise frontline efficiency and wellbeing. They also provide an accurate picture of morale and working environments and ensure colleagues receive, and understand, company information.
4. Focus on wellbeing. A holistic approach that identifies and addresses potential stress triggers in and outside the workplace before they become problems enhances employee connection and engagement.
Our employees know they can apply for salary advances or loans from our Hardship Fund. Meanwhile, a confidential human resources helpline, supplemented by access to external, trained counsellors, provides support when they need it.
Colleagues need the freedom and support to exercise some control and make a difference. We offered incentives to staff to identify new examples of best practice. This not only provided an outlet for creativity but – with Ofsted inspection resuming in January – ensured a focus on excellence.
Under our Happiness initiative – a bespoke training programme for everybody including the executive team – all settings have created their own “manifesto” with a set of agreed values. During the height of lockdown settings organised “Happiness Days” dedicated to positive thoughts and actions that highlight team bonds and capabilities. More elements of our training and mentoring programmes moved online during lockdown while others are being adapted to keep careers and professional development on track.
5. Recognise and reward achievement. A profit-sharing and reward culture at Childbase Partnership ensures staff are engaged and invested in achieving sustained excellence.
Extrinsic rewards – like a bonus payment to teams working throughout the lockdown – have a role in maximising employee engagement but they are not a panacea. In the current climate it is vital to recognise effort, dedication and loyalty and put “unsung heroes” in the spotlight for overcoming obstacles or providing voluntary support in their communities. Providing employees with the psychological lift that comes from doing work that personally matters, in an environment that actively encourages and empowers them to effect positive change, results in high-performing organisations equipped to weather crises and drive growth.
