Employee Engagement: It’s the Little Things That Matter The Most

Patricia DiNucci, SPHRDirector, Human Resources & Risk Management

Morrison Child & Family Services

Employee Engagement

What is “Employee Engagement”? Let’s start with what it’s not…

Employee engagement does not mean employee happiness or satisfaction. Someone might be happy at work, satisfied with thier job and their pay, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are working productively on behalf of the organization

Definition of Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and it’s goals.

This emotional commitment means engaged employees actually care about their work and their company

They work on behalf of the organization’s goals

Being An Engaged Employee

When employees care—when they are engaged—they use discretionary effort

Give 110% Go the extra mile Take personal responsibility/accountability Hold themselves to a higher standard Take pride in the quality of their work Feel that what they contribute matters to the

success of the organization

Why Does It Matter?

“To win in the marketplace you must first win in the

workplace.”

~ Former Campbell’s Soup CEO, Doug Conant

What Do Employees Want? To know what is expected of them The tools and equipment to be successful in their job The opportunity to do what they do best Feedback, praise & recognition To know that they are cared about To know that they matter and make a difference The opportunity to progress, learn new things To be treated fairly And…

What Do Employees Want MOST?

THEY WANT TO TRUST YOU …AND TO BE TRUSTED!

Trust is a function of two things:

Character – which includes integrity, motive, and intent

Competence – which includes capabilities, skills, results, and track record

TrustThere is nothing that inspires a person more

than having trust extended to them

“He saw something in me that no one else saw”…

“She believed in me when no one else did”…

People are powerfully influenced by, respond to, and reflect on that trust

Trust

By extending trust, you empower people You leverage your leadership You create a high-trust culture that brings out

the best in people You create high-level synergy You maximize the potential of the

organization to accomplish its goals

Supervisors Employees MOST often leave their Supervisor, not

the company Train your Supervisors around the expectations of

how your employees should be treated. Just because you hire an experienced supervisor,

that does not mean that their previous employer had the same expectations as your company

No one is born knowing how to motivate or engage people, it’s a learned skill. And like most anything, some are going to have natural talents in that area and some are not.

Supervisors must model the behavior they hope to see in others

Simple Strategy: How to Get There

EACH PERSON – EVERY DAY

YOU approach them - don’t wait for them to approach you

Walk to where they are to say Good Morning to each person on your team everyday

Walk to where they are to say Good Night to each person on your team everyday

It’s The Little ThingsWORDS MATTER

Thank you for your hard work today I noticed that you stayed behind to get that project

finished – your dedication is not going unnoticed I’m impressed! I got some great feedback about you today I’m excited for you That’s the outfit you had on the day we interviewed you I trust you to do it take the lead on this It’s your idea, so why don’t you write up a proposal of

how you see it being implemented I am always in your corner

It’s The Little ThingsACTIONS MATTER

A sticky note at their desk saying “thanks” for going above & beyond

A miniature candy bar on a keyboard Empowering an employee in front of others A thank you or congratulatory email with clip art Spotlighting an employee’s specific contributions Thank you, congratulations card Call from the drive-thru at the coffee shop--- what can I bring

you? I brought you in some brownies – this half does not have

nuts, I know you’re allergic Why don’t you head out early – I know you’re sister is

coming into town tonight

It’s The Little ThingsCOURTESY MATTERS

Regardless of Hierarchy - Don’t Forget the Courtesy

I haven’t forgotten about you I’ll be just a couple minutes late I’m sorry I kept you waiting I know that you’re very busy (your time is valuable) Thank you for allowing me to interrupt I apologize for the delay in responding to this email Don’t forget vegetarian, vegan & gluten-free options at

celebrations

It’s The Little ThingsPUT ON YOUR THINKING CAP WHEN IT COMES TO

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT On an employee’s first day, have a “Welcome to

the Team” sign or card that your team has signed waiting for them

When an employee goes on vacation, have a “Welcome Back” sign waiting for them when they return

Remember birthdays and employment anniversaries

Wedding showers, baby showers Potlucks, contests, drawings, prizes Team meetings, appreciation days

It’s The Little ThingsSHOW THAT YOU CARE ABOUT THEM AS A

PERSON, NOT JUST AS AN EMPLOYEE Notice things & remember things Share a bit of yourself – open up so that you can be

relatable Use your spouses name, your pet’s name, talk about

common experiences Remember names of employee’s children, spouses,

partners, grandchildren, pets Ask about significant events (how did your brother’s wedding

go this weekend?) Know their favorite coffee drink or candy bar Are they a “dog person” or a “cat person” Encourage work-life balance… “It’s been a while since

you’ve take a day for yourself”

How Do You Measure Engagement?

Gut feeling (mood/vibe) Laughter, conversation, coaching, helpful to others Volume and/or accuracy of work Observation – Employees watching the clock or

taking pride in getting the job done on time The type of questions that are being asked:

Probing to learn more? How does what they are doing fit into the big picture? Asking about next steps? Showing proactive indicators?

Engagement Surveys

Gallup Q-12 ®

A group of 12 strategic questions that yield a variety of measurable outcomes

Use consistently to accurately measure increasing or decreasing engagement

Well liked by Supervisors, easy to interpret

“Gallup Q12” Survey Questions – Measure of Employee EngagementThe Meaning & Measure of the Questions

SUMMIT Camp 3 is where an employee feels loyal, productive and fully engaged. They are fully satisfied with their contributions to the team, may be ready to break out into Camp 3 a more fulfilling role, take on new challenges and/or responsibilities. Secure in Q. 11 & 12 their decision to stay, they are aligned with company goals and ready for success. Camp 2 Camp 2 is where employee’s perspective widens- do I belong here? Do my co- Questions workers share my ethics & values? Am I part of a contributing team? Am I 7, 8, 9 & 10 challenged, acknowledged, rewarded? Am I making a difference? Camp 1 Camp 1 is where employees start to feel settled- their basic needs are met. Questions 3, 4, 5 & 6 Do I fit in? What do people around me think of my work? Am I dong a good job or do I need help? Can I go to my supervisor for advice and coaching? Base Camp Base Camp can be described as the base of the mountain. Where you are when Questions 1 & 2 you start a new job or take on a new role within the same company. An Employee’s focus at this point focus is on basic needs; “What will I earn, when do I have insurance, will I have an office”… “What do I get”? Employee is at the Base of the Mountain Starting a New Job in a New Company - or- Starting a Different Job in the Same Company

Employee Evaluations Common Mistakes:

Procrastinating Not being direct about areas that need

improvement Avoiding conflict Not being specific enough Not paying attention to the whole message Don’t focus only on recent history Get feedback from internal & external

stakeholders

Wrapping Up

Q & A

Share Ideas What has worked? What has backfired?

THANK YOU