Walking the Talk: How to Make Employee Engagement a Reality, not a Buzzword!

1. Walking the Talk:How to Make Employee Engagement a Reality, not a Buzzword! 2011 Iowa Bankers Association Human Resources Conference April 19, 2011

2. Learning Objectives • 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

3. Who’s Here? • Respond “agree” or “disagree” to the statements located on Page 1. • Compare your responses with your colleagues – who and where are the best practices?

4. Employee Engagement Defined • 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)

6. 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

7. 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?

8. Southwest Airlines!

9. 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?

10. Manager’s Matter! • 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 • 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

11. Practical Tips for Managers

12. Top 15 Ways to Engage Your Workforce (Workforce Management, 2011) • 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

13. 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

14. Critical Success Factors for Measuring Employee Engagement • 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

15. 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

16. Overcoming Obstacles and Barriers • 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

17. Websites to Check Out! • www.workforce.com • www.apqc.org • www.talentkeepers.com • www.gettingtheedge.net

18. What will your next step be? • The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step forward. • What will your next step be?