Consulting is an industry that experiences very high attrition rates, in the order of 15% to 20% annually. As the war for talent rages on, it is important to place the motivation and commitment of its employees at the center of management's concerns, in order to keep its workforce as long as possible.
Employee motivation and engagement not only reduce recruitment and training costs, but also improve customer satisfaction and productivity through a better-trained workforce.
Here are 10 tips to motivate and engage your consultants:
1. Give management the means to engage and motivate their teams
Knowing how to engage your teams is an essential skill, but it is not only acquired but also depends on the culture of the company. Top management must be fully invested in this objective of hiring consultants. This requires developing a corporate culture in which all managers are trained in coaching skills that make teams engaged and autonomous. It is therefore necessary beforehand that the organization has defined and shared a clear definition of management, its obligations and its limits. Only then can a culture of engagement develop
2. Always more customer-centric
Successful organizations are those that put the customer at the center of their strategy. This is even more true for consulting firms and agencies whose service is entirely customer-centric. Consultant engagement should be channeled into client satisfaction. When employees work to make decisions that help customers, they contribute to the company's strategy and goals. For example, when a client is dissatisfied, it is important to give consultants the tools and means to provide an answer to the client and allow him to fix the situation.
3. Continuing education
A culture that fosters commitment requires the promotion of continuing education. Employees must continuously improve so that they have the means to always be able to better meet the needs of customers.
For example, consultants can be trained to respond to client requests, receive training in negotiation or conflict resolution. The more tools you give your employees, the more confident they will be and innovative in the way they satisfy your customers.
4. Access to data
Data is the key to an organization's success, and the more consultants understand that data and how it impacts the organization, the more they will help improve it. Engage your employees by giving them access to data from the projects they are engaged on. This can range from budgetary issues, to customer feedback and utilization rate. For example, by giving them a vision of the utilization rate of the different teams, they will be more likely to proactively engage on future projects to maintain a favorable level for the company
5. Have a mentoring policy for consultants
Mentors always have a positive impact on employees. Every consultant should have a mentor from management to ask questions or to be helped make decisions that can impact their career.
The mentor must be a person who has been able to succeed in things that the consultant is learning.
For example, if a consultant is learning how to respond to a dissatisfied client, the mentor should have gone through projects where he or she has demonstrated his or her ability to unblock difficult situations with the client.
6. Create an environment in which consultants don't feel at risk of making mistakes
We all make mistakes when we take on a new role, and it's important to create an environment where the consultant is coached if they make a mistake. It is necessary to give priority to very regular, almost daily feedback on the consultant's work, whether it is positive or negative. This type of feedback is much more positive for the employee, as it avoids the feeling of judgment that annual or semi-annual feedback can produce. It allows you to acquire skills much faster and avoid repeating mistakes. It allows the manager to be more of a coach than a supervisor.
This type of environment also fuels creativity and innovation, as the entire hierarchy feels more confident to come up with ideas that wouldn't otherwise come out.
7. Align salary packages with customer needs
It is important for consultants to understand that their compensation depends on their work.
It is therefore necessary to align performance objectives with customer expectations, and to monitor performance metrics to link them with incentives. This motivates the employee to make the right decisions.
8. Consider personalities
Some people have an easier time interacting with others. Other people are more effective behind the scenes. Test and take into account these personality differences to offer the right roles to your consultants. Use DISC or Myers-Briggs testing to identify your consultants' strengths. Then put them in roles that are more suitable for them, while allowing them to step out of their comfort zone whenever they want.
9. Write and communicate the criteria that allow you to move up in the hierarchy:
The main reason for employee frustration is feeling stagnant within a company. It is necessary to define very clearly the reasons that allow us to evolve, whether they are based on skills, or on the achievement of objectives. In any case, the better the understanding of how employees operate, the more engaged and motivated they will be to make decisions that will be favorable to the firm.
10. The atmosphere conducive to teamwork
The atmosphere within the teams is particularly important to keep the consultants motivated. It is up to the employer to put in place the necessary actions to promote this favourable atmosphere. More horizontal organizations work better and are more productive, for example. Promoting more horizontal management can promote engagement. Setting up a platform to work together, albeit remotely, also promotes this feeling of teamwork. Finally, the organization of team building has proven its effectiveness in uniting a team.
