B&Q does it again

For the second year running, B&Q has shown it’s got what it takes when it comes to engaging with its workforce.

Monday, 19 May 2008

As a new survey revealed the sorry state of staff commitment in the UK, the giant home improvement retailer was the only British employer – and the only retailer – to be honoured in the prestigious Gallup Great Workplace Awards which recognise businesses across the globe with high employee engagement.

Only 20 businesses world-wide received awards, chosen from hundreds of applicants using a survey-based programme that measures employee engagement.

Six out of 10 B&Q employees were estimated to be “actively engaged” with their work, more than twice as many as the global average of just 28 per cent.

Martyn Phillips, B&Q’s HR director, said: “We are delighted to receive this award as it really recognises the huge strides we have taken to put employee engagement at the heart of our business. Our people are the key to success in the current economic climate.”

Meanwhile, another global study of employee engagement has found that only one in four UK employees is fully committed to their work.

The State of Employee Engagement 2008 Survey, produced by consultancy BlessingWhite, polled more than 7,500 HR professionals and line managers across four continents. Its findings revealed that the most common factor influencing job satisfaction was being given “the opportunity to do what they do best”.

Comment on this article: