Link employee and customer engagement for business success

Keeping employees engaged is something that firms in many different industries strive for and this is no exception in the eating- and drinking-out market.

Research carried out by CGA Peach on behalf of customer experience specialists InMoment found that companies failing to link employee and client engagement could be missing significant opportunities.

Of the companies polled, 95 per cent said they believe employee engagement is very important to drive positive interactions. However, one in seven admitted they don’t actually track it.

Just 16 per cent said they actively correlate employee and customer satisfaction, with one-third admitting it is something they intend to do in the future.

Gary Topiol, managing director international at InMoment, said: “Businesses that are customer centric have the message clearly reinforced from the board down.

“They intertwine everything they do with this perspective – it is not something you do, but who you are.”

A variety of methods are used by companies to measure levels of staff engagement and among the most popular are exit interviews, according to the survey. Over half (54 per cent) of the respondents utilise online or paper surveys to collect feedback.

Employee reward schemes also have a strong following, as 71 per cent of business leaders said they believe recognition based on customer key performance indicators is a good way of driving positive outcomes.

However, just 60 per cent of respondents revealed how they share real-time feedback with their site or store managers, which could ultimately impact their operations.

Peter Martin, vice-president of CGA Peach, said better two-way communication is necessary across various parts of an organisation to make sure it can remain competitive and relevant.

This will involve better employee engagement and ensuring all elements of a business are as closely linked as possible to deliver the best possible results.

Why not invest in HR management software to help your workers better understand their roles and deliver positive outcomes for your business?