A well-structured business case is the blueprint for understanding the 'why' behind our initiatives. It's the compass guiding us toward the envisioned outcomes and solutions. To create a robust business case, you need to understand the strategic imperatives of your business, aligning your efforts with the right departments and priorities. This alignment ensures a nuanced and comprehensive approach, making your strategic recommendations understandable across various functions.
Identifying what 'good' looks like is crucial in constructing a compelling business case. It involves setting the end goal in mind, precisely understanding the problems we aim to solve and outlining the pathway to reach those solutions. Additionally, showcasing how we intend to track and measure success becomes essential, providing a clear roadmap for evaluating the impact of our work and a tool for alignment on deliverables and expectations.
The cadence of implementation, improvements and learning forms a critical part of the business case. Articulating how we plan to adapt and evolve as we progress helps in ensuring agility and continuous enhancement of your strategies. This iterative approach allows for refinement and optimisation, ultimately contributing to the achievement of desired outcomes.
Here are 6 things you need to include in your business case for employee engagement to effectively engage your stakeholders:
Executive summary
Provide a concise overview of your business case, emphasising key points and highlighting the need to launch an employee engagement programme. Showcase its critical role in achieving organisational strategic objectives and meeting stakeholder expectations.
Problem statement
Outline the current issues with employee engagement and their direct impact on the state of your organisation. Use empirical evidence to substantiate your claims and demonstrate the tangible effects on business operations.
Recommended solution
Describe your proposed solution in detail, for example conducting regular surveys to gauge employee sentiment and organisational dynamics. Explain the tactics and discuss how they will address the problems you’ve identified in your problem statement.
Benefits and advantages
Outline the benefits you expect to see such as improved productivity, reduced churn, enhanced morale and closer alignment to strategic goals. Provide quantitative and qualitative evidence wherever possible.
ROI analysis
Conduct a financial analysis to demonstrate the potential ROI. WorkBuzz has its own to help you with rudimentary figures. Calculate costs and compare them to expected benefits and savings / profit boost over time.
Stakeholder analysis
Discuss the programme’s benefits for senior stakeholders across various departments and their level of involvement in decision-making. Take into consideration a comprehensive view of diverse stakeholders’ perspectives, highlighting the programme’s holistic impact on organisational success.
For the full comprehensive list of what you should include in your business case for employee engagement, download our eBook, The Business Case for Employee Engagement. This eBook explores essential strategies for HR leaders to secure internal buy-in for investing in employee engagement initiatives for deskless organisations with proven methods to showcase ROI and learn how to effectively influence your stakeholders to drive organisational change.