INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Your five-point plan to drive employee engagement

Employee engagement is an ever-expanding marketplace and discussion topic within businesses worldwide, but what does it mean, and do we prioritise it? Scott Read from Growth Partners explains.

I’ve worked in this industry for almost ten years and the way in which so many businesses understand employee engagement is inconsistent and means something different, depending on your viewpoint.

Over the years, we’ve seen the introduction of benefits such as staff discounts and employee assistance programmes with a view that those employees who benefit from them will be thankful, enhancing their job satisfaction. We now find ourselves in a situation where employee benefits are, or should be, the norm. I would argue they’re essential to business operations as they demonstrate that you care for your employees and want to improve their lives, even in a small way. Employee benefits Vs employee engagement

Ask yourself the following questions: 1. Have you made benefits available to your employees, believing this will drive loyalty, appreciation, and productivity? 2. Do you spend thousands of pounds trying to implement a range of technology, products and services, only to see low-level usage? 3. Are you frustrated that your efforts in encouraging usage are wasted?

If you answered ‘yes’, then you’re probably focussing on employee benefits, not engagement.

What is employee engagement?

Employee engagement is a much more difficult and complex project entirely. Genuine employee engagement is a culture, a belief system, and a management ethos. It needs to be adopted by every team leader, manager, director, owner, and executive within an organisation for it to work.

Can you look across your organisation and say that you’ve nailed employee engagement? I look around our business daily and find things we could do better or differently. However, striving for perfection is unrealistic. Employees change, their circumstances change, and working environments change, so we must constantly evolve to meet the needs these changes bring.

Employee engagement requires an honest assessment and strategy. With clear objectives and the right management approach, you can transform your business from a benefits culture to an engagement one and benefit from the gains in retention, loyalty, profits and productivity.

Ask yourself this, when was the last time you reviewed your engagement strategy; do you even have one?

Download your 5 point plan

If any of this has struck a chord with you, then hopefully, my 5 Point Plan to can help you genuinely drive an uplift in employee engagement within your business. growthpartnersplc.co.uk/5-point-plan

Scott is a results-driven business leader with an impressive track record of helping employers strategise key business growth.

Growth Partners provide cost-effective and expert payroll, pension and employee engagement solutions. Find out more at growthpartnersplc.co.uk or email scott.read@ growthpartnersplc. co.uk

FREE webinar

has everything you need to know about moving goods to the EU

Nearly two years after the UK left the EU, many traders are still trying to get their heads around the many procedures.

Join us on Monday 5 December for a free webinar which will briefly touch on the questions you either thought you knew and didn’t or didn’t realise would cause so much additional work/preparation.

Topics include: UK-EU trade agreement, ATA Carnet vs duplicate list for temporary exports, paperwork required for permanent exports and moving from CHIEF to CDS.

Visit the Chamber website to find out more and book your place: www.members. devonchamber.co.uk/events/details/ moving-goods-to-the-eu-what-do-i-needto-know-8395

Our new certification price structure effective from 1 October 2022

Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce remains committed to delivering the highest quality service to all our users, as we understand this is of key importance to you.

The Chamber has in the past absorbed the increasing costs of operations and the certification process by freezing the price for our customers.

Unfortunately, as our costs have again increased, we have been forced to revise and adjust our prices. Effective from 1 October 2022 we have increased our certification prices but simplified our price structure.

The Chamber commits itself to delivering the best quality of service and this increase will allow us to maintain these proven standards. We wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your business and look forward to being of continued service in the future.

Visit the Chamber website to see the new price structure.

Sign up now for our December International Trade training courses

With over 15 different international trade courses – many of which are British Chambers of Commerce accredited and result in recognised qualifications – the Chamber’s international trade training programme is ever-evolving so as to meet the needs and demands of current and would-be exporters.

These sessions are delivered by expert and experienced trainers from Devon-based International Trade Matters. They will cover the key skills that are essential to businesses that trade overseas, including Customs Procedures & Documentation (13 December), Export Documentation (14 December) and Understanding Commodity Codes (15 December).

Visit the Chamber website to browse our training dates and register your place: www.devonchamber.co.uk/international-trade/ training