Could employee engagement aid ''hard commercial skills'' development?

Employee engagement schemes could be a useful tool for focusing the minds of staff, who will need "hard commercial skills" if businesses are to survive choppy financial waters.

According to Dr John McGurk from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, organisations need to be prepared for the difficulties that economic downturns bring.

The advisor on learning and talent development underlined how the best way to move forward during these times is to innovate and identify new markets.

In order to achieve this, firms need to assess the skills which are missing within their staff base and set this right.

"The key skills that you need are the ability to manage commercial realities when they hit you," Dr McGurk remarked.

Employee engagement, which could be one way of driving innovation and creating a culture of learning within a company, is "vital" during times of economic instability, Trades Union Congress general secretary Brendan Barber said last year.
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