A few years ago, Driveline Retail Merchandising built a private Facebook group to allow employees to connect with one another and share tips and tricks of the trade. To keep the conversation going offline they hosted a t-shirt design competition, and as a bonus, even allowed the winning shirt it to be worn in the field.
While they thought we were being budget friendly by changing the dress code to allow their field team to wear t-shirts, what they had actually done was offend their employees by assuming they’d be budget conscious. After countless calls and emails, it was learned that their field team wanted to be seen and treated as professionals, which meant polos were the bare minimum requirement.
Revisions were made, but Driveline Retail Merchandising didn’t stop listening. Employee engagement isn’t about what management thinks is right – it’s what your employees are telling and showing you.
Gain best practices to help you actively listen to your employees and act on the feedback given, including how to:
- Put yourself in your employee’s shoes and understand what they want versus assuming you’re making the best choice for them
- Break down barriers, get to the nitty gritty, and dig deep to understand what your population is asking for
- Never stop listening or assume that what they want right now will be what they want in the future
David Orzolek,
VP of Employee EngagementDriveline Retail Merchandising
