I’m an accountant by former trade and schooling, so although human resources is my calling and passion, I can’t help but love numbers. Gallup’s polls, especially when they relate to Human Resources topics, can really be a geeky thrill for me!  Here’s a few from 2014:

• Companies fail to choose the right manager for the job 82% of the time

• Managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores

• Only 30% of US employees are engaged at work

• Only 13% of worldwide employees are engaged

• Only 10% of people possess the talent to manage

Wow!  Sounds pretty overwhelming and scary to me!  Why are these happening?  Gallup, over decades of research, has also found that great managers have the following talents:

• They motivate others to take action
  

• They have assertiveness to drive outcomes

• They create cultures of accountability

• They build relationship of trust

• They make decisions on productivity

So, how do we find these people?  Lots of answers, of course, but a few ways include:

• Hiring, promoting, and retaining employees based on talent, not on years of experience, years in the industry, or technical skills alone.

• Coaching, mentoring, and development plans that are solid and work

• Training – not just generalized training for everyone; some people will never be great managers no matter how much training. But, great training for top performers

Most importantly, find out where your employees strengths are, and let them shine in those areas.  They will be more engaged, and, that alone, encourages others to be more engaged as well.  Then, add the development plans and training (inside, outside, or hands-on) and the individual growth can grow rapidly.

Contact Purple Ink to see how we can assist you in making this happen!