It’s a controversial title for a blog, especially considering I spent several years managing a brilliant engagement team. We engaged with thousands of individual customers each year and our work was considered ‘industry leading’ by the National Equality Standard. They were a talented bunch who achieved a lot, and I loved my time with them.
So, what’s wrong with engagement teams?
In my view, the problem is not the engagement team. The problem is the culture of the rest of the organisation.
Tenant engagement needs to be everyone’s responsibility. The Tenant Satisfaction Measures, Consumer Standards, Social Housing White Paper and Housing Ombudsman reports don’t say this explicitly enough, but it is a theme running through each one.
Every interaction is an opportunity
Every time we speak to a tenant, every time we visit a neighbourhood, every complaint, every website visit. Each interaction is a unique opportunity to hear what tenants think. It’s a chance to take on ideas, and when appropriate, develop them with the tenant. It’s a chance to take action and resolve any problems quickly and empathetically.
The problem is that we have a culture of working in silos. Each team in an organisation has their own set of responsibilities and the majority of colleagues find it difficult to step outside their given roles. There are many reasons for this; some people prefer to stay in their comfort zone, but many fear ‘treading on the toes’ of another department or colleague. Others fear getting it wrong and the ensuing consequences.
Engagement teams are another silo.
Engagement teams are often an opportunity for other departments to avoid engagement. They can pass on tenant engagement (or on many occasions the engagement team will instruct departments to engage tenants). They can avoid the uncomfortable conversations and the upset and frustrations of tenants. They get a report that ticks a box at the end of the task, and everyone is happy.
Except they’re not. Tenant satisfaction is not where the sector wants it to be. The Social Housing Regulator has warned that there is ‘a long way to go’ to meet the new consumer standards. Something needs to change.
What is the solution for great tenant engagement?
Tenant engagement needs to be a clear part of every colleague’s job description (even the ‘back-office staff). It needs to be a cultural expectation for every organisational decision, every change, every new initiative. It needs to be more than a tick box. We need to treat tenant engagement like health and safety; everyone has a responsibility to ensure that good practice is observed.
Tenants should be involved from the point of recruiting a colleague (see how Tentacles can help you set this up here) or building a new neighbourhood. They should be involved from the frontline to the Board. And EVERY colleague should be seeking ways of doing this.
Engagement teams definitely have a role to play. Like a health and safety team, they should be supporting the business to meet regulatory requirements. They can keep abreast of new ideas, support the development of skills, policies and procedures. In my experience, people who choose to work in engagement are creative, fun and keep everyone on their toes. They are crucial to ensuring an innovative environment for tenants to thrive in.
But they are not the solution for great tenant engagement. We all are.
If you’d like to discuss changing the way you engage with tenants or changing the culture of your organisation, get in touch at info@tentaclesconsultancy.co.uk or have a look on the website. I aim for short term interventions with long term benefits.
