By Megan Becker, Manager of Hiring and Training, Reservations; Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company; Steering Committee Vice Chair, HSMAI Contact Center SIG and Denise Pullen, Founder, CEO, Daisia Consulting, Steering Committee Member, HSMAI Contact Center SIG.

The HSMAI Contact Center SIG recently gathered and discussed best practices, challenges, and ideas for measuring and improving staff engagement. We all agreed that employee engagement is crucial for the success of our business and our colleagues’ well-being. Our conversation emphasized the importance of listening to staff, creating a culture of trust and collaboration, providing feedback and growth opportunities, and having fun. Please read on for our top six takeaways.

1. Prioritize Regular Check-Ins

One member shared, Each leader connects with colleagues every month to really check and see how they’re currently feeling about their position. Regular, personal check-ins are a useful tool for understanding individual employee needs and fostering a culture of trust and transparency.

2. Leverage Engagement Surveys

Surveys can provide insights into employee satisfaction and engagement, guiding strategic decisions to enhance workplace culture. As one participant shared, We do an annual employee engagement survey, and we are currently looking at moving to a quarterly model.

3. Form an Engagement Task Force

Starting an Employee Engagement Task Force was highlighted as an effective way to involve employees in crafting engagement strategies, ensuring they reflect the team’s true needs and desires.

4. Focus on Career Development Paths

Clear career paths and development opportunities are crucial for aligning employees’ growth with organizational goals, significantly boosting engagement. One SIG member noted, We have a career development hub…it helps the leader and the colleagues both work towards a role.

5. Create Opportunities for Peer Connection

Fostering a sense of community among employees can lead to a more cohesive and motivated team, enhancing overall engagement.

6. Utilize Net Promoter Scores (NPS)

NPS offers a quantifiable measure of employee willingness to advocate for their job, serving as an indicator of satisfaction within the organization. We typically look for…the likelihood to recommend their role to a friend or family member, the Net Promoter Score model…is really indicative of whether or not they’re engaged in their role.

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Questions for Your Team:

  1. How are you measuring staff engagement? Turnover? Productivity? “Feeling”?
  2. What is one way you currently (or want to, in the future) challenge your team to engage themselves?
  3. What have you changed since 2020, and what do you think needs to come back?

To learn more about HSMAI’s Contact Center Special Interest Group, please visit https://americas.hsmai.org/about/hsmai-contact-center-special-interest-group/.

About HSMAI

The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners and is the industry's leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals and their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue through programs such as the Marketing Strategy Conference, Adrian Awards, Sales Leader Forum, and HSMAI ROC. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is a membership organization comprising more than 5,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. Connect with HSMAI at hsmai.org.

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