Walking the Talk:How to Make Employee Engagement a Reality,
not a Buzzword!2011 Iowa Bankers Association
Human Resources ConferenceApril 19, 2011
Define and identify the elements of engaged and high performance work organizations
Examine the performance metrics used to assess employee engagement
Discuss practical tips to ensure management is part of the solution, not part of the problem
Describe obstacles to creating and sustaining high levels of employee engagement
Recommend actions to overcome barriers and stay on track
Learning Objectives
Respond “agree” or “disagree” to the statements located on Page 1.
Compare your responses with your colleagues – who and where are the best practices?
Who’s Here?
An employee’s decision to apply his discretionary effort to the goals of the enterprise, to accept those goals as his own and wholeheartedly commit to achieving them. (Fineman and Carter, 2007)
Employee Engagement Defined
Engaged• Passionate• Positive Advocates• Strong Connection
Disengaged
• Putting in the time• Lacking energy and passion
• Not going the extra mile
Actively Disengage
d
• Acting out their unhappiness
• Undermine what engaged workers accomplish
• Scare away customers and colleagues
Why employee engagement matters?
Going Up◦Profitability◦Productivity◦Customer loyalty◦Innovation and
creativity◦Teamwork◦Employee
retention◦Quality
Going Down◦Absenteeism◦Workman’s
compensation claims
◦Turnover◦Employee theft◦Accidents◦Tardiness◦Conflicts between
employees
Trivia Question
What corporation in the United States had the highest return on investment to shareholders over the 30 year time span from 1976-2006?
Southwest Airlines!
What drives employee engagement?
Review the various research identified on Page 3. With your colleagues, identify what you believe to
be the top six drivers of engagement for employees in your organization.
Do the drivers change? If yes, how?
Senior Leadership◦ Renew the employee-
employer contract◦ Increased transparency
and communication◦ Act with integrity and build
trust◦ Provide for job growth ◦ More training and
development ◦ Involvement and autonomy◦ Create a culture of
accountability
Middle/Front Line Managers◦ Clear expectations◦ Resources and information◦ Meaningful recognition◦ Connect as people◦ Team facilitation◦ Make time◦ Build on strengths,
manage around weaknesses
◦ Coaching and mentoring
Manager’s Matter!
Practical Tips for Managers
Onboarding experience Clear lines of sight or alignment Feedback and communication Feeling of community Opportunities for job advancement Commitment to developing the employee
Treating professionals like professionals
Top 15 Ways to Engage Your Workforce (Workforce Management, 2011)
Compensation Genuine investment in people Shared purpose Relationship with peers Leadership! Career development Empowerment Company image
Top 15 Ways to Engage Your Workforce (Workforce Management, 2011)
Perform engagement surveys annually
Create an “index” Link results to business
outcomes Timely results and clear action
plans established Follow up on action plans –
pulse survey Ensure senior leadership is
held accountable for results
Critical Success Factors for Measuring Employee Engagement
Compensation Factors
Employee Satisfac-tionEmployee GrowthAttrition/RetentionInternal HiringTrainingDiversity
Which of the following people/HR metrics are built into the compensation plan for the leadership team at your business entity? (APQC-2009)
www.apqc.org/studies/engagingkeytalent09
Put people first Be diligent when hiring
managers Identify and eliminate
mixed signals Hold managers accountable
for engagement Offer training and education
– benchmark “best in class” Be willing to change
Overcoming Obstacles and Barriers
www.workforce.com www.apqc.org www.talentkeepers.com www.gettingtheedge.net
Websites to Check Out!
What will your next step be?
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step forward.
What will your next step be?