Employee Engagement:

Its the Little Things That Matter The Most

Patricia DiNucci, SPHR Director, Human Resources & Risk Management Morrison Child & Family Services

Employee Engagement
What is Employee Engagement?

Lets start with what its 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 doesnt 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 its goals.

This emotional commitment means engaged employees actually care about their work and their company They work on behalf of the organizations goals

Being An Engaged Employee

When employees carewhen they are engagedthey 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 Campbells 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

Trust
There 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, its 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 - dont 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

Its The Little Things

WORDS 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 Im impressed! I got some great feedback about you today Im excited for you Thats the outfit you had on the day we interviewed you I trust you to do it take the lead on this Its your idea, so why dont you write up a proposal of how you see it being implemented I am always in your corner

Its The Little Things

ACTIONS 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 employees 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 youre allergic Why dont you head out early I know youre sister is coming into town tonight

Its The Little Things

COURTESY MATTERS Regardless of Hierarchy - Dont Forget the Courtesy

I havent forgotten about you Ill be just a couple minutes late Im sorry I kept you waiting I know that youre very busy (your time is valuable) Thank you for allowing me to interrupt I apologize for the delay in responding to this email Dont forget vegetarian, vegan & gluten-free options at celebrations

Its The Little Things

PUT ON YOUR THINKING CAP WHEN IT COMES TO EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT On an employees 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

Its The Little Things

SHOW 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 pets name, talk about common experiences Remember names of employees children, spouses, partners, grandchildren, pets Ask about significant events (how did your brothers 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 Its been a while since youve 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 Engagement The 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 Q. 11 & 12 Camp 2 Questions 7, 8, 9 & 10 Camp 1 Questions 3, 4, 5 & 6 a more fulfilling role, take on new challenges and/or responsibilities. Secure in their decision to stay, they are aligned with company goals and ready for success. Camp 2 is where employees perspective widens- do I belong here? Do my co-

workers share my ethics & values? Am I part of a contributing team? Am I

challenged, acknowledged, rewarded? Am I making a difference? Camp 1 is where employees start to feel settled- their basic needs are met. 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 can be described as the base of the mountain. Where you are when you start a new job or take on a new role within the same company. An Employees 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?

Base Camp Questions 1 & 2

Employee is at the Base of the Mountain

Starting a New Job in a New Company - orStarting 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 Dont 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