Mind the Gap

"There is a sizeable gap between what employers know reward communication can achieve and what they are actually doing about it. A study by World at Work suggests almost 80% of employers strongly believe reward communications impact organisation effectiveness and performance. However, most organisations are not using these communications as an opportunity to reinforce possible employee influence on performance and business results. It is little surprise to find, then, that only 35% of employees actually understand how their organisation’s reward programme works.

A recent example: a good friend of mine, let’s call him James, recently read with interest about the Government’s Cycle to Work scheme. He had heard nothing officially from his employer but whispers suggested he may be eligible for the discount. It took James a full week and a half to get a firm answer from HR about whether or not this applied to him (it did) and last week he got his bike at 40% off through the scheme..." By Account Manager Claire Briscoe. READ MORE

The latest from caburnhope.co.uk

NEWS: O2 launches new pension investment choices

Based on data such as current age, predicted retirement age, level of contribution, whether the user will take a lump sum, and different levels of investment risk, the O2 pensions calculator forecasts the employee’s total fund upon retirement. Interactive sliders immediately demonstrate the impact of different circumstances and choices, including salary, retirement age, level of contribution and scheme selection. The tool also provides a useful printout the user can refer to when making their investment decisions through O2’s flexible benefits scheme.

See the modeller online at www.o2pensions.co.uk

NEWS: Management fail to appreciate the importance of engagement

The main barrier for managers attempting to connect with their employees is a failure to understand the importance of engagement, our poll survey reveals.

Thirty-five per cent of those who took part in the poll judged underestimating the importance of engagement as the top obstacle for management.

The organisational culture of a company was cited as the second reason with 29 per cent, whilst 24 per cent chose lack of awareness or understanding of engagement as an obstacle. Just 12 per cent of respondents blamed uncertainty of where to begin as the primary reason for a breakdown in engagement.

Chris Hopkins, MD of Caburn Hope, said: “Every manager should recognise the importance of engagement, but the main question is whether they actually understand what it means for an employee to be fully engaged, and whether they know the ways in which engagement can be improved.

“Providing managers with the tools necessary to help them motivate employees, including clear communications materials which capture and excite the imagination of the manager as much as the employee, will emphasise the fundamental role of engagement and help deliver key messages from the top down.”

POLL: How do you measure intranet success? Share your views in our new Industry Spot Check poll. Click here.