In this case study we look at West Kent, a successful and dynamic housing association based in the south east of England.
There is a strong and consistent approach to employee engagement at West Kent. Engagement is integral to the organisation’s success. Employees at all levels understand the importance of engagement, and they recognise the benefits; for residents, for the organisation, and for staff themselves. The focus on engagement means that West Kent is customer-focused, innovative and able to adapt to change. Engagement is seen as a key part of their business model, something they’re willing to work on and invest in to get right.
West Kent have demonstrated how, through engaging with their staff, they have been able to cope with significant funding cuts without compromising service quality. By engaging with staff to harness their expertise and experience, West Kent have been able to deliver substantial business change – such as their Customer Access Strategy – for the benefit of residents and the organisation as a whole.
High levels of engagement at West Kent are by no means an accident. They have a considered approach which addresses each of the four enablers of engagement. There is a clear, coherent and well-understood strategic narrative which guides everything that West Kent does, with ‘residents at the centre.’ The organisation always acts with integrity, ensuring there is no gap between what it says and what it does. There is a culture of employee voice, with staff encouraged to contribute views and suggestions as to how the organisation should be run. Finally, West Kent has well-regarded engaging managers who involve and support their staff, building engagement across the organisation.
Employee engagement has underpinned the organisation’s success, ensuring it has weathered the recent challenges and is well placed to continue growing and succeeding in the future.