The decline in employee engagement is currently one of the key business challenges. According to Enpulse data, nearly one in five employees in Poland report low engagement, while the Gallup Institute estimates the global cost of this phenomenon at USD 8.9 trillion annually. In response to these challenges, Enpulse – in cooperation with Anna Farion’s “Quality Without Retouching” – is introducing the Enpulse Engagement Quality Standard™ (EQS). It is the first employee engagement management maturity certificate in Poland. The standard is based on the guidelines of the international ISO 10018:2020 standard.
– The decline in employee engagement in Poland is a problem we have been facing for several years. The good news is that the market is finally beginning to move away from treating employee engagement as a soft HR-related issue and is starting to recognise it as a hard business metric. We are being approached by a growing number of companies that no longer want merely to put out fires, but are looking for systemic solutions to genuinely strengthen their teams – says Magda Pietkiewicz, labour market expert and founder of Enpulse. – This growing interest prompted us to create Enpulse EQS™. It is a standard that structures the way companies work on employee engagement. As a result, organisations can approach this area in a systemic and long-term manner – she adds.
Certification based on hard data and an audit
Enpulse EQS™ is based on the ISO 10018:2020 standard, which focuses on creating a more effective link between engagement strategies and the way an organisation operates. The standard provides a framework that supports the development of employee engagement and competencies, helping employees feel like an important and integral part of the organisation. It has been adapted to the realities of modern organisations and combined with a practical approach to examining employee experience and management processes.
The certification assesses, among other things, leadership, communication, organisational culture, change management and everyday Employee Experience. It analyses both hard data from employee engagement surveys, including the eNPS score, and the company’s day-to-day operations. The certification process consists of two stages: a diagnosis based on the analysis of employee data and an audit assessing how managers work with their teams. At the end of the process, the company receives a result at one of three levels – Exemplary, Good or Requiring Improvement – as well as specific recommendations indicating what should be improved within the organisation and how.
Engagement is a process
The Enpulse Engagement Quality Standard™ certificate is awarded for three years, although the programme includes annual monitoring. This model motivates organisations to work continuously on employee engagement. Companies that consistently maintain the highest standards may be granted the status of a reference or benchmark organisation.
– Engagement cannot be built through occasional bursts of activity and then put on a shelf in the hope that the results will sustain themselves. An organisation must remain close to its employees, especially during periods of change – it must talk to them, explain its objectives and show what these changes mean for them in practice. This is why regular monitoring of employee sentiment and continuous attention to a culture of quality are so important – points out Anna Farion, Vice-President of the Qualitas Foundation and creator of the “Quality Without Retouching” project.
A strategic advantage in a demanding market
The Enpulse EQS™ programme was developed for medium-sized and large companies that want to manage engagement systematically and consciously shape their organisational culture. The certificate is intended to confirm that these activities are structured within the organisation and based on specific standards. This, in turn, will enhance the company’s credibility in its relationships with investors and business partners, while also making it easier to attract the best employees on the market.
– It is time to change the way we think: engagement is not about fruit Thursdays, team-building trips or performance reviews ticked off once a quarter. People engage when their work has meaning, when they feel safe and when they see that their leaders are simply there with them, rather than locked away in their offices. It is about building transparent, everyday communication and creating an environment in which employees have a genuine influence on the organisation’s operations and development. The Enpulse Engagement Quality Standard™ is intended to translate these issues from the realm of theory and attractive slogans displayed on walls into concrete actions and management practices – concludes Magda Pietkiewicz.
