At McCorkell we recently kicked off our FY20 with the core focus of engagement. It’s a topic that’s come into the spotlight a lot lately, with Gartner’s Quarterly Update on Global Workforce Trends revealing employee engagement to be one of the core factors that maintains the vitality of a workplace and it’s employees. Really, it begins with having a solid employee value proposition (EVP) which clearly defines the essence of the company and becomes the foundation for staff retention, happiness and discretionary efforts.
As an Integrated Agency, we’re well aware that engagement is essential in a business that depends upon the effective collaboration and communication of each expert. In order to achieve the seamless flow of work from an events director, to a martech specialist, to a content producer – not only do they have to articulate their need clearly, they have to be willing to engage. That’s no easy feat in the rapidly changing world of work – and B2B marketing is no exception.
In order to stay competitive, appeal to your talent and produce first-class work in this current landscape, agencies must stay agile and adaptive. As highlighted in Accenture’s Way Beyond Marketing report, it begins with evaluating your own workplace culture and processes. It’s essential to challenge complacency amongst your employees and to subvert outdated actions and attitudes that hold you back from generating truly meaningful, customer centric work that makes an impact.
That’s where we’re starting at McCorkell, we’re not afraid of risk – or honesty. So we’re holding up the mirror and leaning in. Right in. So far in that it’s going to get uncomfortable. We’re looking at our wrinkles and scars and thinking, holy smokes we’re a 28 year old company, we’ve seen a lot and learnt even more. Once that initial shock subsides you can begin to appreciate how much wisdom you hold as a business and the wealth of knowledge that each member can contribute. But only if you’re willing to ditch the sh**t talk, those fake stories you tell yourself- and embrace #RealTalk.
There’s a few things we’re doing differently to boost engagement and shift our focus this year. Our EVP is centred around ensuring the skills, capabilities and experiences of employees are harnessed in crafting the narrative and evolution of the company. It’s embodied by initiatives like our ‘Solution Makers’ group, aka where the #RealTalk happens – it’s department to department feedback, it’s engagement in action. Because change is most effective when it’s driven by the people it impacts, the kind of change that is actually meaningful and relevant – not just a slogan or the latest buzzword from a TED Talk.
It’s about actively engaging with your industry in the global arena as well. As members of the BBN, we have the opportunity to collaborate with agencies from around the world by lending our expertise and continually expanding our knowledge base and network. If you’re willing to engage you’ll discover a limitless pool of resources you can draw on to stay ahead of the curve and be fully immersed in the world of B2B marketing. At a time when simply leaning in counts for a lot, we’re taking it one step further.