employee compass results

Employee Insights

Updates from the bottom rung

Karin Allen

Cabela’s Outfitter • Gifts & Fudge - Grand Junction • June 19, 2013

  

 2013 ENGAGEMENT PRIORITIES

1. Growth & Development
2. Future/Vision
3. Trust
4. Recognition
5. Support and Involvement
6. Diversity

Employee Compass

Is this compass set at true north, magnetic north, or wherever management says is north?

What is Employee Engagement?

According to the June 2013 Outfitter newsletter, Employee engagement has increased to 71% favorable. Unfortunately, I have no idea what that means. 

I think I am “engaged”:

I come to work and do my job.  I ask for the tools I need to complete my tasks.  I enjoy interacting with my customers and co-workers.  I am constantly improving my efficiencies.  I spend too much time thinking about my job and Cabela’s as a whole during my time away from work... this writing is done at home on my days off or sleepless nights.

But I have no real concept of what employee engagement means from the Corporate point of view.  I’m concerned that all the “communication” in the form of newsletters, index cards, posters etc. is meaningless to anyone below the rank of management.  Most of it comes in the form of out of context “bullets” which reminds me of shooting into the air instead of at a target (using a metaphor that Cabela’s can understand).

I’m not sure whose priorities the 2013 Engagement Priorities are.  Are they a direct result of the employee survey?   Are these priorities addressing the top concerns of the outfitter?  I’m assuming they are the top items that need serious work and attention from management in support of employees.  Am I being naive again?

  Here’s how I would rank the priorities and explain what they mean to me:

1. Support and Involvement - I would like my management to be involved in my day to day tasks to the point of helping me know what their priorities are for me, and making sure I have the tools and training to do what needs to be done.  This sounds pretty basic, but I continually have issues here.
2. Recognition - In the past 4 months, there has been huge turnover in our store.  The best employees have taken a leave of absence, hoping, I guess, that things will be better after some time off or that they will find something better before they are due back.  Several employees were fired, and others quit for a variety of reasons.  In the mean time, the outfitters that are still here are working twice as hard (with no more, and sometimes less paid hours) to compensate for vacancies until new hires can be hired and trained.  Moral is at an all time low.  I know that turnover costs dearly, and I believe that recognition and monetary compensation are two ways to control that.  There should be a better pay advancement system in place to reward and retain the best employees.  There should be some kind of discretionary  bonus system for employees who step up to the plate and put their best forward in difficult situations.  I got a fish card at Christmas, just like everyone else, including the two employees in my department who called in on the busiest day that our Cabela’s store ever had.  My Christmas bonus was a “green sheet”, but I couldn’t afford to buy much of anything even at a discount.  The new policy of buying stitched-in items at deep discount just makes me feel under compensated because I can’t afford to buy any. Point made.  
3. Trust - Trust is a two way street.  I think I am trustworthy and I would hope that my co-workers and supervisors find me to be trustworthy.  Unfortunately, it is not always a two way street.  This goes back to point one.  When I ask for what I need and I am told it will be done, it often takes until we are completely out and I really can’t do my job before it is taken care of.  I can trust that my needs will not be met in a timely manner and that is the wrong kind of trust.
4. Growth and Development -  I am assuming this refers to outfitters, not more stores.  Investing in continued training and advancement of the best employees would lead to better customer service and employee retention.  In my department there could be multiple opportunities to improve product knowledge.  This could be done by sales reps (for cheap) in a planned environment (conference room with multi-media, snacks and hands -on activities).  This kind of training could be fun, a break in the routine, and would certainly result in increased sales.
5. Diversity - I think we have pretty good diversity in our store except for a lack of hispanics.  The other day there was no one who could take a call in spanish.  We have good diversity in male/female, age, and even sexual orientation.  
6. Future/Vision - Again, with no explanation of what is meant by this, I’m guessing that management wants outfitters to at least understand if not help create a vision for the future. Sorry, I am clueless here.  My future/vision would be that Cabela’s would become a model of conscious capitalism.  That they would compensate employees as if they were truly their greatest asset, that they would help protect the environment for future generations by building green and recycling as much as possible. That they would promote and sell products that are made in factories that are built green, pay decent wages and recycle. That the products sold can pass the test of time and are not built with planned obsolescence in mind. And that they actively participate in conservation projects by donating time and money -  because it’s in your nature.

Have fun at your strategic planning retreat.  I hope you come home with more than just more bullets!