'This is HR's time to shine'

The concept of employee engagement has been around for decades, according to Kim Seeling Smith, Founder & CEO, Ignite Global. Seeling Smith told HRD that engagement is one of the few measures we have outside of employee turnover, sick days or utilisation rates to gauge the health of our workforce.

“However, Australia has been unable to raise their overall engagement rates in over a decade,” said Seeling Smith.

“We have to think differently about what engagement is and what we do to impact it.”

“I am going to be looking at engagement through the lens of employee experience, based on the research my team and I did in 2018 on this hot topic,” said Seeling Smith.

“My presentation will reflect the latest thinking and practical tools around how to truly impact employee engagement.”

So, if Seeling Smith could give one piece of advice to HR professionals relating to his topic - what would it be?

“Research shows the key to employee engagement is the connection between manager and direct report,” said Seeling Smith.

“This connection is strong or weak depending on the manager's leadership competencies. Smart companies are now putting more (and some companies are putting all) of their employee engagement funds towards increasing their manager's capabilities.”

Moreover, leading experts now say that the combination of market disruption and the critical skills shortage could mean “lights out” for many businesses over the next decade.

“Unless you can build and retain the workforce to help you kick your goals today, tomorrow and beyond, you may become one of those businesses or managers,” Seeling added.

“Automation, digitisation and artificial intelligence are disrupting how we do what we do. Globalisation is disrupting what we sell— and at what price we can sell it.

“And the changing needs of our workforce is disrupting centuries old organisational structures and management/leadership paradigms.”

To make matters worse, this upheaval is happening at the same time as “one of the direst skills shortages in our life-times”, said Seeling Smith.

“This is HR’s time to shine - to truly step up and be the business partner to the C Suite they want to be. To do that, though they must keep up with the latest thinking, strategies and tools.”