As part of a Strategic Planning process, many organizations have identified employee success or engagement as one of the most important areas of strategic focus. As an industry, we have recognized that employees are key to an organization’s success; but have we truly considered the internal professional development and success planning mechanisms that are required to create an internal culture of ownership, transparency, and growth?
At TransPro, our core values are at the forefront of our approach to employee success. One of these values reads, “I understand what success looks like for me and how I contribute to TransPro’s success.” This value emphasizes the importance of internal alignment on organizational goals. If employees are clear on how their work contributes to the health of the organization, it is more likely that they will be purposeful in achieving both professional and personal goals – they feel a sense of belonging… that their work matters.
Success in employee engagement is becoming increasingly important as many industries are facing challenges related to labor shortages, including transit. A healthy internal work culture may increase both employee performance and retention rates of high-performing employees. We often encourage organizations to look beyond traditional incentives such as competitive benefits packages, wellness programs, and training programs; although these are important, they should be offered in tandem with an overall employee success plan. For TransProvians, individual success plans are developed annually and are revisited and reflected upon quarterly. There is clear alignment with the agency’s overall goals, and employees are given the opportunity to populate their own plans; allowing them to pursue success as they define it personally and professionally, while demonstrating how their work contributes to overall agency success.
As organizations develop internal practices to improve the employee experience, the alignment of individual performance and overall organizational success is key.
