LV= to invest in employee engagement

The insurance group has announced a new 'leavers and joiners' survey as part of a drive to increase employee engagement

The mutual insurance, retirement and investment group will team up with leading employee survey provider ETS to create and manage the process in a drive to improve communication between management and employees, as well as boosting staff retention.

The company won the most effective recruitment and retention award at the HR Excellence Awards 2011, and is looking to build on that success.

Questions for joiners will focus on their first impressions, their reasons for joining the company, engagement, training and communication. Those leaving LV= will be asked about learning and development opportunities, work-life balance and development opportunities.

ETS will also provide business psychologists to coach LV= managers into taking relevant action based on the survey's results.

LV= HR director David Smith said the company aims to become a "destination employer" and that it is vital to gauge the impressions of new starters. "We are equally keen to get feedback from staff moving on, to use insights that could improve LV=," he added.

Samantha Arnold, a business psychologist for ETS praised LV= as an employer brand and said the consultancy firm was "excited" to be working with them.
She also said the survey "will give actionable data, allowing identification of trends with a view to creating a happier and even more productive working environment".

A recent survey by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professions (CIPP) found that flexible benefits are key to employee engagement and staff retention, with 85 per cent of those asked pointing towards a solid pension scheme as a huge plus.

ETS is a major provider of bespoke HR technology and consultancy solutions, working with blue-chip companies. They provide employee surveys, performance management, and talent management services. The consultancy started in 1988 and previous clients include ITV, Tesco, Thomas Cook and HMV