Managing 02 and measuring employee engagement Experience in a competitive industry sector with traditionally high levels of staff turnover SUZIE WELCH, People Director, PizzaExpress JO HARVEY, Engagement and Communications Manager, PizzaExpress Internal communications is a luxury discipline. The board believes in its value but, at the end of the day, it remains a good thing to have rather than an essential. That's the telling assessment of Jo Harvey, Engagement and Communications Manager at PizzaExpress, a business in which IC is clearly rising up the agenda and increas- ingly perceived as a key engagement tool. When Jo took our Pulse Check™, the results were intriguing. They revealed the underlying tension between the vision of a company that’s going global, fast, and the challenge of interpreting and channelling the all-important feedback and contributions of employees into that vision. The desire to achieve this is obvious — in Jo’s vivid descriptions of the ways in which rapid progress is being made, and in her uncom- promising passion for driving engagement, The opportunity to hear,The People Business at first hand, how this tension is helping to define and deliver the benefits of an enlightened IC strategy in the dynamic culture of an instantly recognizable restaurant chain promised some unique insights into the hows and whys of success. At PizzaExpress, HR is called the ‘People Team’. The role of Engagement and Comms reports directly to the People Director ~ her voice on the board. The business is structured around a geographical hierarchy: regions, areas and 463 (and rising) restaurant locations The role of Engagement and Comms Manager is to lead the engage- ment agenda with 11,500 employees across these locations, most of whom — waiters, cleaners, pizzaiolos, managers ~ are restaurant based. Making sure they are all aware of the latest business news and intly working on how the company builds retention events, and cons throughout the business are two major areas of focus; reaching them is always a challenge, bearing in mind that they are working with customers rather than sitting in front of a computer all day waiting for ‘broadcasts’. The solution is to cascade messages from the top down through the hierarchy of the business. But Jo is clear that the.channels also need to be in place for messages coming in the other direction, so that the challenges faced by operators on the front line are heard loud and clear by restaurant support people, who can then put strategies in place to help solve them. Human contact is an essential aspect of the cascade approach at regional and area levels: frequent face-to-face meetings between restaurant managers, area managers and opera- tions managers. This is the preferred method for ‘big’ messages and internal campaigns, backed up with the intranet and e-mail Annabel: How would you say IC is perceived as a profession today? Suzie: It’s changed beyond recognition in the past three to five years. It’s now seen as one of the distinguishing factors of a good business, because keeping employees engaged and aware of the context hehind news and events is more and more important. Annabel: Do you think that one of the reasons why a board can still see IC as a luxury is because they need the business equation to be proved to them? Suzie: Yes, because the people priorities, Som quickly and communication: challenge to ensure that we cost of the engagement but get it wrong, Annabel: Can you elaborate on its purpose during chi Suzie: The business is 50 ye in that time. We are not the challenges how we maintain message consistent and rel across the world, More and therefore it becomes d with where we are. People Having said that, it is dl all that time: when you strip pizza. Quality pizza and enj the heart of what we do. H join us every year so helping then deliver it ns it is key Annabel: How has this imy Jo: It’s always been the are the first to know. Cor make sure the right people process, determining who Then it’s a matter of filtering, always face-to-face communi news, whether it’s through a or a meeting where everyone always based on our strategi to achieve. That has never thar’s the message. Annabel: Can you say what And what hasn't worked quitEmployee Engagement, PizzaExpress Suzie: Yes, because the operational challenges can outweigh the people priorities, Sometimes things need to be pur into place quickly and communication can be disregarded. There is a constant challenge to ensure that we work hard to not make decisions at the cost of the engagement but sometimes it isn’t possible or we just get it wrong. Annabel: Can you elaborate on how the company has kept focus ‘on its purpose during change? Suzie: The business is 50 years old and has seen so much change in that time. We are not the business we were; just our sheer size challenges how we maintain a view of our direction and keep the message consistent and relevant for everyone, both in the UK and across the world. More recently, the speed of change has increased and therefore it becomes challenging to keep everyone up to date with where we are. People can only remember so much. Having said that, it is clear that our purpose hasn't changed in all that time: when you strip it back we serve pizza ~ really good pizza. Quality pizza and enjoyable experiences have always been at the heart of what we do. However, we can have a lot of new people join us every year so helping them to connect to our purpose and then deliver it means it is key to have strong IC channels. Annabel: How has this impacted IC messaging to your team? Jo: Ie’s always been the priority to make sure that our people are the first to know. Comms plans are always worked out to make sure the right people learn first. They follow quite a strict process, determining who gets told face-to-face or by phone. Then it’s a matter of filtering it down the organization. There are always face-to-face communications to back up any big piece of news, whether it’s through a video conference, a conference call or a meeting where everyone gets together. Communications are always based on our strategic priorities and what are we trying to achieve, That has never changed. It’s always been reinforced; that’s the message. Annabel: Can you say what works well by doing it in that way? And what hasn't worked quite so well?