Transcript Storyboard Template 3.0 - 2007 - Info

Identify
& Select Employee
Practical IT Research that Drives Measurable Results
Engagement Initiatives
Move beyond measuring employee engagement – start improving it.
1
Introduction
Once your employee engagement survey data has been analyzed and shared, the next step is to
brainstorm solutions. Identify short-term fixes and long-term strategies that will positively impact
your department’s top engagement issues and get the biggest bang for your engagement buck.
Use this research to select, build and get initial buy-in for winning engagement initiatives.
Involve employees in all stages of the initiative identification and change process while
continuously and effectively communicating with the organization.
This research is designed for:
 HR leaders
 Senior managers
 Department managers
Remember this?
The Optimize Employee Engagement Surveys storyboard
walks you through the preparation, development,
assessment, and reporting of engagement surveys and their
results. This storyboard starts where the last one left off.
Info-Tech Research Group
This research will help you:
 Run effective brainstorming
sessions with your
department’s staff to conduct a
gap analysis between current
reality and ideal state.
 Identify, compare, and select
change initiatives with your
staff’s help.
 Learn about impactful change
initiatives implemented by
other organizations.
2
Executive Summary
• Only 64% of organizations identify change initiatives using employee engagement survey results,
and only 49% of organizations actually implement the changes. This results in poor outcomes for
key HR performance indicators such as employee productivity, retention, and attendance.
• A large majority of those organizations that do implement engagement initiatives tend to
erroneously implement initiatives that treat the symptoms of disengagement and not the real
causes.
• When selecting which improvement areas to focus on, organizations need to consider each
engagement driver’s impact, as well as its score.
• Some quick fixes signal to employees that “we heard you,” but that is just your starting point.
• Engagement initiatives are too often generated, selected, and implemented by the executive and
management team, resulting in initiatives that have limited impact and poor employee buy-in.
• Involving staff from the beginning and keeping them in the loop through effective communication
are integral to the success of your organization’s engagement program. McLean & Company’s five
steps to selecting winning engagement initiatives walks you through this process.
• Learn from others. Read about how your peers implemented initiatives to improve engagement
scores for job and organizational engagement drivers.
Info-Tech Research Group
3
Next Section in Brief
Create winning
engagement
initiatives
Generate and select job
engagement driver
initiatives
Generate and select
organizational
engagement driver
initiatives
1
• Only 49% of organizations implement
change as a result of their employee
engagement survey. Actual change is
the most important step in the
engagement program.
• Use McLean & Company’s five steps to
selecting winning engagement
initiatives. Our process treats the
causes of disengagement, not the
symptoms.
• Focus on your organization’s priority
drivers of engagement, i.e. those that
scored low on the survey, but are
important to employees.
• Employ a strong third-party facilitator
to run employee brainstorming sessions
and aid employees in gap analysis and
initiative identification.
• Communicate continuously. Keep
employees in the loop.
Read this storyboard once you have analyzed & reported
survey results
This storyboard starts where the previous one left off.
In McLean & Company’s Optimize Employee
Engagement Surveys, we walked you through:
Preparing the Survey
Developing & Disseminating
Analyzing & Reporting Results
Taking Action on Results
This solution set is going to drill down further on the
first three stages of taking action on results:
Taking Action on Results
• Identifying sources of low scores.
• Brainstorming and shortlisting
change initiatives.
• Choosing and reviewing initiatives.
• Launching and implementing change.
• Following up on change implementation.
Remember this? Key points from the previous storyboard.
What’s a driver?
• A driver is an area of need that influences a
person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
• In a survey, a driver is measured by asking a
series of questions.
• The responses to these questions determine the
state of an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors in relation to the driver.
McLean & Company
Priority Drivers?
Priority drivers are those drivers that score low
and have a high impact on engagement.
Refer to the appendix for McLean & Company’s
Engagement Program Methodology, outlining all ten
engagement drivers and three retention drivers.
5
The change initiatives, or lack thereof, that result from your
engagement survey can make or break the engagement program
The more an organization does to act on poor survey results, the more the key HR performance
indicators will improve. Key indicators include employee productivity, retention, and attendance.
On average, 31% of employees
worldwide are engaged.
Improved
Only 26% of employees who saw no
follow-up as a result of an engagement
survey are engaged.
Changes in
employee
metrics
since
engagement
survey
completion
Declined
And even less likely to be engaged are
those employees who saw “a lot of talk,
no action” after the engagement survey,
with 21% of them being engaged.
Source: BlessingWhite
Low
High
Success of the survey
Employee metrics surveyed were:
• Retention
• Attendance
• Productivity
McLean & Company
Source: McLean & Co.
N=120
We measure the success of an engagement survey
by determining the extent an organization:
• Gauges employee satisfaction as a barometer.
• Gains knowledge of what the organization is doing
well.
• Identifies change initiatives from survey
results.
• Executes on change initiatives.
• Informs employees on implemented changes
since the last survey.
Of those few initiatives that are implemented, most fail because
of a focus on treating symptoms instead of root causes
Making change is the key component in successful survey projects. However, as a result of an
employee engagement survey, only:
64% of organizations identify change initiatives.
49% of organizations implement changes.
And even those organizations that do implement engagement initiatives don’t necessarily
implement initiatives that have a long-term impact.
There are four common pitfalls that result in
engagement initiatives treating only symptoms.
Don’t just stop at making change. Make the right change:
implement initiatives that treat the root issues.
x Managers try to improve those drivers that scored
the lowest without considering their impact on
engagement.
 Consider each driver’s impact on engagement, as
well as its score. You can quantitatively measure
impact using your survey.
x Managers jump to quick fixes that end up treating
symptoms, not causes.
 Some quick fixes signal to employees that “we
heard you,” but that is just your starting point.
x Choosing and implementing change initiatives is
done solely by the executive and management
team.
x There is very little communication around the
selection and launching of initiatives.
 Don’t rely on managers and executives to
brainstorm and select change initiatives.
 Communication is just as important as action.
Effectively communicate with staff at every step of
the process.
McLean
& Company
Use
McLean
& Company’s five steps to selecting winning engagement initiatives on the following slides.
7
Select engagement initiatives that treat causes, not symptoms,
by involving staff from the beginning
Use McLean & Company’s five steps to selecting winning initiatives.
1
Management/HR
identify top three
priority drivers.
Focus your initiatives on what drives engagement the most to make
efficient use of resources. A few well chosen and well executed
initiatives often do more to improve engagement than multiple
initiatives.
2
Solicit staff input on
issues and idea
generation.
Solicit employee involvement from the very beginning of the process to
pick impactful initiatives and to gain buy-in for the change. Further,
this step commits you and the department to take action.
3
Senior managers or
Consider the employee input that you spent time collecting. Compare
managers review,
and assess the issues and initiatives identified using criteria such as
assess, and compare alignment with organizational goals, resources, and timelines.
initiatives.
4
Choose initiatives
and solicit staff
review.
Further solicit employee input to make any necessary alterations to
chosen initiatives and determine an action plan, which includes
assigning accountability.
5
Communicate from
start to finish.
Keep employees in the loop. In order for initiatives to be successfully
implemented and impactful, employees need to buy in to the change
from the beginning. Nothing should come as a surprise to them.
McLean & Company
8
1. Priority drivers are those drivers in the “improve” quadrant:
those that have a high impact on engagement, but score low
Guidelines for prioritizing drivers
• Start with the “improve“ quadrant.
These drivers scored low, but have a big
effect on engagement.
• Look next at the “leverage” quadrant.
Although these drivers are already
scoring high, they strongly impact
engagement in a positive way. Continue
working at these drivers to keep
employees happy.
• Look at scores of individual questions,
changes since last year’s survey, etc. For
more information on how to do this, refer
to Optimize Employee Engagement
Surveys.
McLean & Company
High
Improve
Leverage
Evaluate
Maintain
Driver Impact on
Engagement
Focus on three drivers when implementing
engagement initiatives. When identifying
which drivers to target:
The Driver Prioritization Grid
(Example)
Low
20%
100%
Driver Score
The above graph is taken from McLean & Company’s Engagement
Program Methodology.
9
2. Gain employee input through brainstorming sessions, but
don’t forget to leverage survey comments & follow-up surveys
Brainstorming sessions are the priority for soliciting input, but start with the
comments from the survey and a follow-up survey to narrow down issues.
Refer to the comments section of the survey.
Employees may express their opinions around root
problems as well as propose solutions. Additionally,
you should have a solid understanding of what has
already been proposed before leading a session.
Conduct follow-up surveys or focus groups
that investigate no more than one survey question
per priority driver. For example, “From the list of
potential causes below, please select the one that is
the largest contributor to lack of engagement in this
area.”
Hold brainstorming sessions with small
groups of people. These sessions are the most
effective medium to solicit staff input and are
integral to the engagement program. The
following slides outline how to effectively
conduct these sessions.
McLean & Company
“
The best way to know there is a
problem in ‘the ditch’ is to listen to
the ones ‘digging the ditch’.
- Director, Government
”
Organizations leveraging employee involvement:
A department manager in a government unit
began to involve everyone in generating change
initiatives. Workshops were conducted where
department members were given the chance to express
opinions about what and how improvements could be
made.
“This [decision] was premised on the principle that if staff
are given sufficient information and involvement to help
them understand and commit to an idea they will then be
willing to engage with it.” –The Case for Employee
Engagement
Westminster City Council launched a WorkSmart
program in 2006 with an Ideas Day, when hundreds of
employees attended a day-long conference to re-think
the way the council approached services. Out of 50
initiatives eventually selected, 20 came from the Ideas
Day.
Hold brainstorming sessions
10
2. Conduct extensive brainstorming with your department’s staff
that includes a gap analysis & initiative identification
Position the session appropriately
• Communicate that not all suggestions
will be implemented. Stay focused on
the positive: the objective is to talk
about improvement, not to host a
complaint session.
• Make it clear that although employee
input is valued, executives/managers
will make the ultimate decision.
McLean & Company
Break-out #3:
Brainstorm
initiatives that
address the key
issues identified.
Evaluate each
initiative’s effort
and impact.
• Conduct a thorough gap analysis to get
employees to drill down to the causes.
• Skipping right to brainstorming initiatives
will result in most ideas treating
symptoms instead of root causes.
45 min
When should the sessions take place?
• The sessions can be all done in one day,
or split over multiple days.
Break-out #2:
Outline the current
reality regarding
each priority
driver. What’s the
gap/issue?
• Leverage information from your greatest
source: your employees.
• Get employees to define what they
actually want.
30 min
Who facilitates?
• A third party: either an external
individual or human resources.
Break-out #1:
Identify the ideal
state for each
priority driver.
Objectives
30 min
Who’s invited?
• The entire department. Divide groups
based on the survey data if you have the
critical mass to do so. For instance, if
certain groups had very different results,
separate accordingly. Consider
separating juniors and seniors so seniors
don’t dominate the conversation.
We recommend three short
break-out sessions:
• Identify creative initiatives.
• Gain employee buy-in from the get-go.
• Help employees recognize the restrictions
management faces when prioritizing and
ranking initiatives.
• Give managers insight into what is and isn’t
important to employees.
These are just guidelines. Depending on your
department’s circumstances, alter this
process to make it fit for you and your staff. 11
2. The first two break-outs involve identifying the gap between
ideal and reality: the issues
A
Before break-out
sessions.
• Post survey questions and
respective scores for
each priority driver.
• Divide staff into 5–10
employees per break-out
group. Ensure group is
big enough to generate
energy and build ideas
from one another, but
small enough that
everyone has a voice.
Clearly communicate:
• The agenda and end goal
of the session.
• Objective of each breakout session.
• The rules of engagement.
• How the information
from these sessions will
be used.
For a sample agenda and
the rules of engagement,
refer to the appendix.
McLean & Company
B
Break-out #1:
Identify ideal state.
• Task groups with
outlining the ideal state
for each driver.
Ask:
“If this driver was doing
well, what would it look
like?”
• Bring groups together
and ask one person per
group to present group’s
ideal state.
• Consolidate all the group
findings and post them
on a whiteboard.
McLean & Company’s Issue
and Initiative Team
Brainstorming Template
can be passed around to
break-out groups. Senior
C
Break-out #2:
Do a gap analysis.
• Task groups to first
identify what the current
state is.
Ask:
“What is the reality of
this driver today?”
• After 15–20 minutes, give
groups the next task:
comparison.
Ask:
“Compare components
of ideal and reality.
What are the gaps?”
• These gaps are the issues
that initiatives need to
address.
D
Rank the issues.
• Bring groups together
and ask one person per
group to present the
group’s gap analysis.
• Consolidate findings and
record all issues on the
board.
• Ask employees, while
sitting in the large group,
to rank the top three
issues.
• There are a variety of
ways to do this (ballot
system, employees walk
up and place post-its
with 1, 2 or 3 on the
board, etc).
manager and manager involvement:
Where and when management gets involved is dependent on the department and
organization. However, if their attendance maintains a safe environment where
employees can be honest, their attendance for the gap analysis presentation may help
them make initiative decisions later. Front-line managers should be invited to separate
12
break-out sessions for organization-wide initiatives.
2. The third and final break-out session is the fun one:
brainstorm & shortlist change initiatives to close the gaps
• Brainstorm initiatives
that address the top
issues identified in the
previous two break-outs.
Ask:
“How do we get from
point A (the reality) to
point B (the ideal) to
close the gap?”
B
Present initiatives.
• Bring groups together
and ask one person per
group to present group’s
initiatives.
• Consolidate the
initiatives from all groups
and post them on a
whiteboard for everyone
to see.
• Post guidelines:
Break-out #3: THE GROUND RULES
Unusual ideas welcome
Answer what, not how
No need for justification of idea
Keep it constructive, not judgmental
Combine and improve on each other’s ideas
Talk briefly, one sentence per idea
Focus on quantity: Attempt to get 20+ ideas
No restrictions: Ignore cost and time frames
C
Conduct a feasibility
Assessment.
• With all staff, conduct a
high-level feasibility
assessment on each
initiative that considers
both effort and impact of
implementation.
Ask:
“Is this initiative
something you feel will
make an impact?
• If the majority think not,
ditch it. Place the
remaining initiatives on a
matrix, such as:
High
Impact
A
Break-out #3:
Identify initiatives.
Rank initiatives.
• Have the group rank
their top five initiatives
following a similar
process as the one used
after break-out #2.
• Pass rankings on to
management to consider
when assessing and
selecting which
initiatives to implement.
Note on timing:
If time is tight, give
groups an hour to
complete all 3 breakout sessions and then
rank them all at once.
Low
Low
McLean & Company
D
Effort
High
For a printable copy of these ground rules to display, refer to the appendix.
13
The success of the brainstorming session relies heavily on the
strength of the facilitator
Good facilitation in this context will result in a
list of initiatives that will make a significant
impact on engagement and will have employee
buy-in from the get-go.
The facilitator’s objective is to:
• Provide structure, process, and guidance
to ensure effective discussions.
• Help the group stay focused on the
objective.
• Help unearth assumptions and point out
unspoken problems.
• Assist the group in making decisions.
• Manage conflict and help maintain a
positive environment.
If there are multiple departments running
brainstorming sessions, hire the facilitator for a
full day to get as many done as possible.
Poor facilitation in this context will result in feelings
that the sessions are a waste of time, a poor list of
initiatives generated, and employee disengagement
in the entire process going forward.
The facilitator’s role is to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Establish clear ground rules.
Remain neutral and objective.
Ask open-ended questions.
Avoid playing the expert – let the group
answer any questions that come up.
Summarize ideas.
Check for clarity.
Provide feedback.
Not allow him/herself to lead the group
to a preconceived outcome.
Ensure that everyone has a voice.
Ideally, an external, third-party individual or an HR representative should be the facilitator. If this isn’t
possible, there are some scenarios in which a manager or individual from a different department can
successfully facilitate these sessions. However, there are caveats to doing so. The individual must be far
removed from the department that is brainstorming, trained in proper facilitation techniques, and be a
trustworthy
McLean &individual
Company in the eyes of those employees involved.
14
3. It’s now time to get managers involved; hold a management
meeting to review, assess, and compare initiatives
Once employee brainstorming is completed, senior managers and managers must meet. Distribute the list of
initiatives generated from the employee brainstorming to all attending. Review and assess each initiative based on
the criteria specified below. A chart outlining key criteria to consider will be helpful.
Criteria
Descriptions
Fill in the chart:
Shortlisted initiatives that address the priority
issues (take from employee brainstorming).
List initiatives as headings of each column.
How did employees rank this initiative after
their brainstorming sessions?
High (top third of initiative list), medium,
or low (bottom third of list)?
Does this initiative impact more than one
driver?
Use a point system: two points for each
priority driver impacted, one for other
non-priority drivers impacted.
Impact on employees
How many employee groups are impacted? Is
this one time/rare or ongoing/frequent?
High: Many groups impacted, long-term.
Low: Few groups impacted, short-term.
Organization's
readiness for change
Is the organization’s resources, budget, and
culture ready for this initiative?
Ready: Everything is in place.
Medium readiness: Some prep is needed.
Low readiness: Many changes required.
Effort
How much time and coordination, and how
many resources will this initiative take?
Low: A quick-fix initiative.
High: Much time and coordination of
people and resources required.
How much or how little does this initiative
align with the organization’s goals and vision?
High: Initiative aligned well with
company’s goals beyond engagement.
How much will this initiative cost?
Use a $ - $$ - $$$ system to keep it
simple.
Initiative
Employee weighting
Number of drivers
impacted
Alignment with
organization strategy
Cost
McLean & Company
Refer to the appendix for a sample chart to use while comparing initiatives.
15
4. Rank your initiatives, then provide opportunities for staff to
provide feedback & agreement on the chosen initiatives
Before returning to staff to get their
review and agreement, consider:
Get staff back together to review initiatives,
make revisions, and get employee agreement.
Priority criterion: Employee ranking
There are multiple reasons to do this.
• Consider employees’ rankings first and foremost.
Employees have the greatest insight into what
will impact their engagement.
• The objectives are to ensure employees feel involved
from start to finish, to solicit feedback that will refine
initiatives, and to get agreement from employees to
help with the implementation.
Be courageous.
• Be sure not to whittle the list down to easy, less
impactful initiatives.
But don’t avoid quick fixes altogether.
• Consider the “low hanging fruit” changes
concurrently and communicate them
immediately.
• Push forward visible changes without delay to
increase the perception that action is being taken.
Don’t forget about existing initiatives.
• List those initiatives that are already implemented,
but of which employees aren’t aware.
• Communicate existing solutions more effectively.
This gives the perception of a new initiative with
little immediate work on your part.
McLean & Company
It doesn’t have to be complicated.
• Discussing this at a department meeting is suitable.
• Announce top-ranked initiatives and open it up for
discussion.
• Confront those initiatives that were identified and
prioritized by employees, but not addressed or
chosen by management. Explain the “why not.”
Implementation starts here.
• Encourage and assign employees (who volunteer)
with aspects of the implementation. This
involvement gives them a sense of ownership over
the initiative and staff will feel less like management
is imposing something on them.
• Assign accountability and expectations for staff
involvement.
Refer to the appendix for a list of potential initiatives for each driver. This is to be
used as a supplement to employee-generated initiatives, not as a starting point.
16
Every organization will add its own flavor
to the five steps outlined
A township library successfully followed the five step process to winning initiatives, with some
tweaks and adjustments to adapt it to the organization.
The Scenario
A township library conducted an engagement survey for the sixth year in a row, but made a drastic
change that had a lasting impact: the executives made the decision to start focusing on the core
problems instead of jumping immediately to the solutions.
Results
The Story
Identified
priority
areas.
Town hall
preparation.
The executive team used the survey results to identify the
top three areas to improve by considering:
• Low scores.
• Importance to employees (using survey results).
• If there could be anything done about the issues.
• How many other areas, if any, would be impacted.
• Employees were invited to town halls. Three different
town halls were held to accommodate employee
schedules.
• Survey asked employees to identify the largest
contributor to the poor score of each priority area.
Priority areas identified:
• Job control
• Employee involvement
in decision-making
• Recognition and reward
• Survey results were used
later when managers
were ranking issues.
“In the past, the administration would skip right to getting our input on
solutions. They identified the core problems on their own, and they normally got
McLean & Company
17
them wrong. It felt like executives were completely running the show.”
Leadership shouldn’t stick around for the brainstorming, but
they should show up briefly to signify, “this is important”
The Story Continued…
Town hall:
Break-out.
• All executives and managers attended to
show face and demonstrate the importance
of engagement, but left the room before any
discussion started.
• Groups of ten broke out to “brain dump,”
listing everything that came to mind
regarding the three priority areas. For 30
minutes, they had to:
“Focus on issues, problems, and gaps between
what you want and what you have.”
To start off the town halls, the CEO
made two things very clear:
“Staff engagement is extremely
important to me right now. I am stepping
back from a lot of my current initiatives
to make this my number one priority.”
“Staff input will be used and
appreciated, but the executive team will
make final decisions.”
Results
Town hall:
Consolidate.
• One individual per team presented and listed the team’s
conclusions to the group.
• The facilitator opened the floor for discussion to rank the
listed issues.
• Managers meet individually with employees who were not
able to attend the Town Hall to get input.
• Everyone’s input was solicited and valued.
McLean & Company
• All issues identified
during the Town Halls
were consolidated,
ranked, and passed on to
the executive team.
18
Involving employees in brainstorming initiatives is imperative – it
just has to come after the root problems are identified
The Story Continued…
Follow-up
session (on a
later date).
•
•
•
•
• Groups of six (divided up based on departments and levels)
were given top issues ranked by the executive team.
• Each group was led by an employee-elected peer.
• Employees were tasked with brainstorming solutions to the
issues presented.
• Within each group, individuals would take turns giving a
statement regarding a solution.
• Each group decided on one solution that was addressed or
highlighted in multiple statements, and then presented to
all groups.
• Solutions were ranked through open votes and the rankings
were passed on to executives to make final decisions.
Lessons Learned
Demonstrate to employees the importance you place on engagement.
Stay away from the solutions until you have a clear idea what issues need
to be fixed. You must read into the past (and get employees to help you do
so) before you can fix the present and future.
Be honest with your employees: let them know how you will use their
feedback.
The process isn’t cut and dry. The sessions can be relaxed and run in a way
that suits employees.
McLean & Company
Results
• Staff are still awaiting
final decisions, but are
more hopeful than ever
that the changes are
going to make a
significant impact.
“This is the first time
that I feel that the
administration is taking
this seriously. I don’t feel
like the clowns are
running the circus, like I
have in the past. It is no
longer them and us – we
are all working towards
this together, and I am
extremely excited about
it.”
-Library employee
19
5. Communicating what’s going on is an ongoing activity:
communication is part of taking action
When
Before
survey
During
survey
After
survey
Use the sample
communications
deliverables in
the project and
communications
plan to create
your own.
McLean & Company
What
Refer to Storyboard: Optimize
Employee Engagement Surveys
for the when, what, and how of
communications before and
during the engagement survey.
Share survey results with
executives first, managers
second, and then staff.
“
How
To significantly improve the employment experience,
we understand we cannot do that within a year. It’s
important to communicate that to the employees to
set expectations.
- Director, Manufacturing
”
Data should always be presented first to the executives, who
should present it to the managers, who then should present it to
their staff. When asked about communicating survey results,
those organizations that used at least two mediums to
communicate results rated survey usefulness the highest in all
cases. In particular, the combination of communicating results
in group meetings and one-on-one conversations with staff
members had the greatest effect.
Post-survey actions: Further
interaction with employees
through focus groups and
brainstorming sessions.
E-mail invitations must position these forums appropriately
and clearly state why they are being conducted. For example,
“We are looking for ideas that will be used for future
consideration.” State your appreciation for their participation.
Post-survey initiatives:
Intentions and
implementations.
Once initiatives are chosen, communicate:
• Intended initiatives that will be implemented in the near
future, as well as timelines.
• Status updates once initiatives have taken shape and changes
have been made.
• What was agreed upon and who is accountable.
• Successful initiatives.
20
To get started, use the next two sections to better understand
what makes for a solid engagement initiative
“The accepted wisdom is that if we can identify the best solutions and practices out
there, we can learn more quickly than if we had invented them ourselves.”
-The CEO, Chief Engagement Officer
We agree. Use the rest of this slide deck to give you some ideas and guidelines.
The following sections walk you through two types of engagement drivers:
Section 2: Job Engagement Drivers
Employee Empowerment
Development
Rewards & Recognition
Co-worker Relationships
Manager Relationship
Section 3: Organizational Engagement Drivers
Culture
Customer Focus
Company Potential
Department Relationships
Senior Management Relationship
For each driver, the following is provided:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Potential gaps between the ideal state and the current reality.
An explanation of how the gap impacts employee engagement.
A proposed initiative that would help to close the gap between the ideal state and the current reality **
An explanation of how each of the gaps are remedied by the proposed initiative.
A mini-case study providing an example of how a similar initiative worked for an organization.
** IMPORTANT NOTE: The suggested initiatives are not meant to be prescriptions to solve engagement issues
for your organization. The following sections demonstrate how the specific gaps identified could be used to
create an initiative that will result in increased employee engagement.
McLean & Company
21
Next Section in Brief
Create winning
engagement
initiatives
Generate and select
job engagement
driver initiatives
Generate and select
organizational
engagement driver
initiatives
• The gaps identified by employees
are going to vary, but they can be
boiled down and ranked as areas to
target.
2
• There are a variety of
considerations when selecting
initiatives. A winning initiative
attempts to close all gaps ranked as
priorities for each driver.
• To get started, learn about some
common gaps and read sample
initiatives used by peer
organizations to close these gaps.
• The job engagement drivers are:
• Employee Empowerment
• Development
• Rewards & Recognition
• Co-worker Relationships
• Manager Relationships
Employee Empowerment Driver: Empower & encourage
employees to get involved where they can offer value
Potential gaps:
1
2
3
How does this impact engagement?
Employees want more decisionmaking opportunities and
responsibilities.
Engaged employees stay at the organization for what they
give, whereas disengaged employees stay for what they get
from the organization. Thus, you must provide an
environment whereby employees are able to give as much
as they can rather than create barriers to involvement.
Employees don’t feel that they
are recognized for their efforts
when they get involved.
Even if an employee doesn’t achieve strong results,
encourage the effort because it is the precursor to
accomplishment. Reward leadership and innovation where
empowerment manifests. Ensure visibility so that employees
see successes in action and can emulate them.
Employees aren’t involved in
projects and decisions where they
could offer value by leveraging their
skills and experience.
McLean & Company
Employees feel proud when they contribute valuable ideas.
Valuable ideas will come if they are participating in projects
and activities that they enjoy and for which they are
qualified. It builds professional self-esteem.
23
Employee empowerment highlighted initiative:
Innodaytion: Test your ideas for a day
Description
of a suitable
initiative.
Empower your employees and provide the autonomy to develop and test an idea for a day.
Set a day aside for employees to work on ideas to make a change in their department or
organization. The idea must be creative and unconventional for the organization. The employees
research, propose, and present their idea by the end of the day.
Gap 1.
Employees want more decisionmaking opportunities and
responsibilities.
An innodaytion runs off a “my day, my way” mentality:
there are no restrictions or constraints. It empowers the
employee to be creative, but to also take full responsibility
for the project’s success.
Gap 2.
Employees don’t feel that they
are recognized for their efforts
when they get involved.
An innodaytion is essentially recognizing the employee for
their hard work and passion, and then awarding them in two
ways: by granting the opportunity, and then by celebrating
the day’s success.
Gap 3.
Employees aren’t involved in
projects where they could offer
value by leveraging their skills and
experience.
An innodaytion is a chance for the employee to use and
leverage their skills and their creativity. At the same time,
they are experimenting with ideas that may create a
valuable change for the company.
Empowering employees to get involved has benefits for the organization as well.
first direct, a UK telephone and Internet-based retail bank (a division of HSBC), launched a
“Tell Colin” program (Colin being the firm’s CFO). This resulted in employees identifying hundreds
of cost-saving ideas during a substantial downturn.
McLean & Company
24
Highlighted initiative: Innodaytion - Test your ideas for a day
Roles
Tricks to
Implement
HR: The administrator of the
program.
• Set the quota: How many
days per year and how many
employees can participate?
• Set the ground rules around
who qualifies and how the
day is run.
Managers: The leader of the
program.
• Spot the passion, grant the
day, and celebrate what is
accomplished.
• Stay out of it on the actual
day: it has to be completely
employee-driven.
Staff member: The participant.
• Employees must communicate
when they are passionate
about an idea to make the
organization better.
• They must take advantage of
the opportunity and use the
day to show their strengths.
Is one day and one person enough? A deadline of a day is best. The idea doesn’t need to be
ready to implement, just ready to present and pass on to the next stage if it’s approved. If the
idea is posed from more than one person, and you can handle the resourcing, don’t be afraid to
put a team on the idea – it will improve development and co-worker relationships.
Involve those who deserve and want to participate: Ensure the employee is passionate about the
idea – this should be perceived as an opportunity, not an additional task. Make sure everything else
is taken off the employee’s plate (resource elsewhere) during the innodaytion.
This is very similar to Google’s widely publicized 20% playtime for all engineers, who spend 80% on
their core-projects and have the rest of their time to “run wild.” The hope is that this running
wild may lead to insightful and exciting new ideas.
It works.
“
Atlassian, an Australian software company, holds one day quarterly where software developers
have to deliver something overnight and present what they’ve developed to the entire company
in 24 hours. They have the autonomy to work on whatever they want, with whomever they want.
A variety of software fixes, new products, and upgrades have been developed as a result.
Ideas are traded, tested and put into practice with an enthusiasm that can make you dizzy…The ethos
at Google is, give the proper tools to a group of people who like to make a difference, and they will.
25
Source: Engaging for success: Enhancing performance through employee engagement
”
Development Driver: Communicate what’s available to
employees & make training frequent, tailored, and memorable
Potential Gaps:
How does this impact engagement?
1
There is limited awareness of
training options.
Many forms of training are not obvious to staff, such as job
shadowing, buddy programs, and weekly 1-on-1’s with
managers. All training must be communicated to reduce the
perception of a lack of training initiatives.
2
Training sessions are
infrequent.
Training that is ad-hoc or only a couple of times per year
does not leave a lasting impression. Infrequent or untimely
training is often irrelevant or not applied, since too much
time passes between instruction and actual application.
Employees aren’t empowered to
take ownership of their own
development.
When staff are involved in tailoring their development
program to their needs, the training will typically be more
relevant and they will gain more value from it. Staff can
draw a clear line between the training and its purpose and
value within the context of their job.
Training isn’t memorable.
You are looking to make a big impression so that staff recall
the training easily. A good place to start is training run by an
external individual, which is much more memorable than
training run by an internal manager. Some training should
be unique events that involve a little novelty.
3
4
McLean & Company
26
Development highlighted initiative:
A buddy program for new hires
Description
of a
suitable
initiative.
A buddy program trains and develops new employees, while exercising an existing
employee’s leadership skills. A new hire is assigned a buddy who is a peer within the same
department. The buddy serves to answer any questions – in particular, those questions that
the new employee feels uncomfortable asking her manager. The buddy shares his own
experiences and provides the new hire with an instant friend within the company. This
relationship could continue informally indefinitely, and formally through weekly meetings
until the employee feels she doesn’t need it anymore. Meetings will mostly involve the
buddy walking the employee through how-to sessions, at the request of the new employee.
As the employee understands her job better, more questions will arise.
Gap 1.
There is limited awareness
of training options.
Often employees don’t recognize when they are being trained.
Position the buddy program as not just a person to answer new
employees’ questions, but a constant trainer who provides one-onone support.
Gap 2.
Training sessions are
infrequent.
The new employee should meet with the buddy once a week for a
minimum of three months. Ad-hoc questions and concerns are also
strongly encouraged as the intention is for the training to be of an
informal nature.
Gap 3.
Employees aren’t
empowered to take
ownership of their own
development.
The buddy program is the epitome of new employees taking
ownership of their own development – it is tailored to whatever
specific problems/questions they have.
Training isn’t memorable.
The way the buddy program is structured lends itself to the
buddy and new hire getting to know each other on a personal
level. This type of interaction, combined with formal training,
will make the overall training more memorable.
Gap 4.
27
Highlighted initiative: A buddy program for new hires
Roles
Department Manager: The
developer of the program.
• Choose the right buddy.
• Put together six weeks worth
of topics to cover in weekly
meetings to get the buddy
started (employee should
request topics after this).
The buddy: The leader of
the program.
• Make the new hire feel
welcome and comfortable.
• Answer any questions they
have without judgment.
• Provide personal
experiences and advice.
New employee: The
participant.
• Ask any questions they have to
gain a better understanding of
the company, culture, etc.
• Learn from buddy and tailor
get-togethers to provide the
most benefit to themselves.
Choose the right buddy: The buddy should be an established employee (i.e. employed for at least
one year), a high performer, and have the maturity to mentor a new employee.
Tricks to
Implement
Provide some structure: While the intention of the training is to be informal, new employees will
not be aware of what they don’t know when first hired. Each department should have training
topics allocated to each weekly meeting to provide the buddy with initial material.
Other applications of the rotational program? This initiative could easily be adapted to an
employee/senior manager buddy program. The principles of informality and acting as a forum for
all questions should still apply.
Mini Case
Study
A marketing communication firm was building a new employee orientation program. The firm
didn’t have enough new hires to have formal orientation training, so it needed to find a way to
bring new employees up to speed and share company culture at the same time.
A buddy program was implemented for two reasons: 1) employees wanted to be involved in
helping new employees get up to speed, and 2) new employees felt more comfortable discussing
their “silly” questions with peers rather than interrupt their new manager. Feedback from new
employees and buddies highlighted that this was a positive experience. New employees felt
integrated more quickly, and buddies felt valued, increasing their own engagement as a result.
McLean & Company
28
Rewards & Recognition Driver: Initiatives should be spontaneous
and tailored to the accomplishment
Potential gaps:
1
2
3
“
How does this impact engagement?
Employees don’t feel that they
are being recognized for their
efforts.
Praising success can discourage those that put in the effort,
but fail due to impossible circumstances. You can’t succeed
unless you try, so encouraging staff to try is imperative.
Recognize effort and personal bests and reward the
accomplishment.
Rewards and recognition are not
meaningful and tailored to the
employee. Too much “good job”
without the why.
Uninformed praise and rewards can be perceived as
insincere. Ensure the employee knows you understand the
impact of their effort and accomplishment. The reward
should be something the employee actually wants, not just
what the company wants to give them.
Praise is not timely.
The surprise element is key, otherwise people don’t actually
feel valued and will start to question the validity of the
reward. Well-timed praise/rewards have a larger emotional
impact and will inspire staff to continue in their efforts.
Why recognition? I think it is that people want to be validated in their own perceptions of
their performance.
– Director, Professional Services Firm
McLean & Company
”
29
Rewards & Recognition highlighted initiative:
Peer recognition
Description
of a
suitable
initiative.
Providing meaningful, detailed, and immediate recognition that comes from peers has a big
impact. Employees nominate an individual when they go the extra mile or go out of their way to
help someone. The manager receives the nomination and forwards it onto the employee,
highlighting the reason why the employee was nominated. This can take the form of a shout-out
or applause. It is important that the manager lets the employee know that what they’ve done is
appreciated. If possible, the manager should share the shout-out immediately or at the next
team meeting.
Gap 1.
Employees don’t feel that
they are being recognized for
their efforts.
Managers should consider whether or not each nomination
deserves a shout-out before giving one. However, the idea is that
the criteria for nominations is general (as long as the nominator
proves that a peer went above and beyond), and recognize effort
as much as success.
Gap 2.
Rewards and recognition are
not meaningful and tailored
to the employee. Too much
“good job” without the why.
By allowing the nominations to be employee-led for the most
part, managers are gaining insight into what their employees are
actually doing. The nominations require detail, allowing the
managers to tailor the recognition and demonstrate they are
informed about the employee’s effort.
Praise is not timely.
The premise of the shout-outs is that they are on-the-spot and
recognize the employee immediately after the noteworthy
performance.
Gap 3.
McLean & Company
30
Highlighted initiative: Peer recognition
Roles
Human Resources: The
facilitator of the program.
• Provide the selection criteria.
• Inform the managers of the
importance and impact of
the initiative.
• Provide any prizes.
The Manager: The shouterouter.
• Encourage employees to
nominate peers.
• Take the time: Prepare what
to say, be excited about it,
place precedence on timing.
The Peer
• Nominate when it’s deserved.
• Make the nomination
memorable and detailed.
Get it started: It may take a while before employees start to nominate one another. As a manager
or an HR representative, take the initiative to start nominating people to lead the way.
Tricks to
Implement
Don’t let shout-outs become over used: If it gets to the point where there are multiple shout-outs
a day, the shout-outs are no longer going to be desirable. Require that some work is put into
nominations so that employees really have to appreciate someone to put a nomination together.
Small gifts may get old: As an organization, add an exciting prize for those that get a certain
number of nominations. For example, three nominations a year places your name in a draw for a
trip.
Mini Case
Study
A financial services company surveyed employees and identified that they felt they weren’t
thanked enough. Focus groups were held to get feedback and it became clear that big recognition
wasn’t needed (i.e. big awards given in front of the company). Instead, employees wanted to be
recognized often and peers wanted to be able to recognize each other. A “Cause for Applause”
program was implemented. Peers would nominate each other, with three levels of prizes, all small
(i.e. gift card at a coffee shop.) Managers would “applaud” employees if they were nominated,
highlighting what they had done. The result was employees feeling appreciated, and empowered
to say thank you. Engagement results for reward and recognition got a big boost. It created a
culture within each department of saying thank you.
Co-worker Relationships Driver: Ensure employees have a chance
to interact as a team outside of a work context
Potential Gaps:
1
2
3
How does this impact engagement?
Employees don’t feel they know
each other in a non-work-related
context.
Bonding occurs on a more emotional/personal level, which
is easier to achieve outside of a work context. People who
form such personal bonds will naturally form better work
relationships.
Collaboration and teamwork isn’t
encouraged enough.
Stronger relationships are formed when people help each
other in meaningful ways. Succeeding together in a stressful
situation, with a common purpose, creates team bonding.
Also, employees have a shared experience to talk about.
Co-workers don’t trust each other.
When people trust those they work with, they are more
likely to open up and take risks. The support and safety net
created also takes some pressure off the manager to fulfill
that role all the time. Teams become more self-sufficient.
McLean & Company
32
Co-worker relationships highlighted initiative:
Semi-annual day out of the office
Description
of a
suitable
initiative.
Give employees the opportunity to get to know their co-workers in a non-work setting, while
having a bit of fun. Twice a year, all employees in the department are invited to a day outside of
the office. Whether it is a friendly competition or giving back to the community, the important
thing is that everyone does it together - same location, same activity. Tailor the day to the
department and organization. Spending time together outside encourages bonds to form in a
more relaxed atmosphere, and shared experiences are developed.
Gap 1.
Employees don’t feel they
know each other in a nonwork-related context.
The idea for this out-of-office “fun day” stems from this gap. The
goal is for employees to form bonds while interacting in a nonwork-related environment. They work in teams or compete against
other teams on something very different than their daily tasks.
Gap 2.
Collaboration and teamwork
isn’t encouraged enough.
The most important aspect of this out-of-office day is that
everyone is still working together (a mere day off for everyone
would not have the same effect). Friendly (and fun) competition is
a great way to improve team spirit.
Gap 3.
Co-workers don’t trust each
other.
Trust is a tough thing to accomplish. Getting to know individuals
on a more personal basis through out-of-office activities is a start.
McLean & Company
33
Highlighted initiative: Semi-annual day out of the office
Roles
Tricks to
Implement
Mini Case
Study
“
Senior management : The
sponsors.
• Support: a fun day (which
costs money and a day of
work) won’t be successful
without senior management
buy-in and support.
Manager: The organizer and
participant.
• Organizer: plan the day or
delegate to a few employees.
• Attend the event.
• Resource effectively: ensure
employees have the time.
Employees: The participants
and enthusiasts.
• Take advantage of the day and
show excitement.
• Mix and mingle: Socialize and
get to know co-workers.
Involve employees in organizing: Empower employees to take part in the organization of the
event. Chances are, managers are going to run out of ideas quickly, and employees are much
more likely to enjoy the day if they have ownership in the planning.
Consider limitations of all employees to ensure everyone can participate in some way: If it isn’t
possible to get some employees out of the office, host in-office activities where they have the
opportunity to interact. Making small changes to the environment, such as a pool table in the
common room or lunch time yoga, gives employees the chance to interact outside of work.
A department of 40 people in a medium-sized professional services firm holds “fun days” once
every three months. The entire department (from two different locations) meets for one full day
somewhere in between the two offices. Each fun day involves two activities, one in the morning
and one in the afternoon. Activities include skiing, dodge ball, paintball, wall climbing, and laser
tag. Normally at least one of the activities is a team event where the department is divided up
into two teams that compete against one another.
These fun days work particularly well given that the department is dispersed over two locations.
Co-workers, who otherwise would never see each other in person, are able to interact and get to
know each other on a more personal level.
Fun day gives me a chance to laugh and talk about topics other than work with my peers, and reminds me
that they are great people. The relationships advance from civility to genuine friendship, and this makes
34
McLean & Company
working with them ten times easier.
Manager Relationship Driver: Managers and employees need to
get to know each other on a professional and personal level
Potential Gaps:
How does this impact engagement?
1
Managers need to work with employees: understand what
they do on a day-to-day basis and their competencies to
gain the material and insight required to add value to
employees and their work.
2
3
Opportunities are limited for
managers and employees to get to
know each other on a professional
level.
Staff feel that they don’t know
what’s happening with their
department and division.
Staff want to be informed, understand the bigger picture, and
have insight into why things are changing. Managers have
much greater access to this information than employees.
Information is power – it is all about having insight into things
that affect their jobs.
Employees feel their managers
don’t really understand who they
are.
Employees want to build a rapport with their manager and
trust that their best interests are in mind. Personal knowledge
helps the manager assist the employee with career
development and anticipate any distractions or absences,
giving the benefit of the doubt when it’s needed.
People don’t leave organizations – they leave managers.
“An engaging manager is at the heart of success in engaging the workforce. Accenture’s
internal research shows that 80% of the variation in engagement levels was down to the
line manager.”
Source: Engaging for Success: Enhancing Performance
McLean & Company
Through Employee Engagement.
Manager relationship highlighted initiative:
Case competition
Description
of a
suitable
initiative.
Flip the hierarchy upside down: Empower employees to lead their managers through an annual
case competition. These competitions can be run on a department or organization-wide basis.
Employees join teams of 4–6 individuals (inter-departmental teams encouraged) and they are
presented with a case outlining a strategic decision the department (or organization) is currently
facing. They are given two or three days to analyze the information and present a
recommendation. Employees conduct interviews with senior managers to collect information. Each
manager should be put on a team, as a member – not a leader. Each team should have a leader
and/or project manager, and the manager should take direction from him/her. The managers must
be given clear direction to take the back seat during the competition, but play an active role as a
team member.
Gap 1.
Opportunities are limited for
managers and employees to
get to know each other on a
professional level.
Although the case competition is not a typical project, it is still
within a work context, and it allows managers to see first hand
how their employees work (and vice versa).
Gap 2.
Staff feel that they don’t
know what’s happening with
their department and
division.
The case should be regarding a significant strategic decision, and
reading the case itself gives staff details around the future of the
company. Managers will provide their own teams with any
information or insight that they might not otherwise have the
chance to give.
Gap 3.
Employees feel managers
don’t really understand who
they are.
McLean & Company
Case competitions involve working with one team continuously
for two to three days. Personal relationships are formed
naturally when spending such a great length of time together,
working towards a common purpose.
36
Highlighted initiative: Case competition
Roles
Senior management: The
facilitator.
• Organize and promote the
competition.
• Write the case.
• Give interviews during the
competition.
Managers: Team members.
• Actively participate, but do
not lead the team.
• Use and share expertise and
experience.
• Get to know team
members.
Employees: Team members.
• Take advantage of the
opportunity to make an
impact.
• Take advantage of the
manager’s expertise and
experience.
Some workplaces do not have the ability to stop shop for three days: Refer to innodaytions
(highlighted under employee empowerment). A mini-case competition can be held involving part
of a department and last only one day.
Tricks to
Implement
Writing the case: If no one in senior management is comfortable writing a case, present the
details of the decision to be made in a slide deck, brief note, or presentation. As long as the
employees get all the information, it doesn’t matter how they get it.
Too many teams, not enough managers: Most likely the numbers aren’t going to work out. However,
this is one of many initiatives that can be implemented to improve manager relationships. Even if a
manager improves the relationship only with those individuals on his/her team, the case
competition was a success. Ensure managers are placed on teams with some of their direct reports.
A medium-sized organization hosts an annual case competition that lasts three days, run by senior
management. Employees receive a case outlining a strategic issue that the organization is currently
facing. The competition is not mandatory, but highly encouraged and prizes are monetary.
Mini Case
Employees are required to form teams of 4 to 5 employees from at least two different departments
Study
and with one manager. On the final day, each team presents their decisions and action plans to a
group of senior managers. The top four teams are asked to present to the entire company.
Employees have the opportunity to work closely with managers on a project other than their daily
tasks, forming personal and professional relationships. The case competition also impacts coworkers, departmental and senior manager relationships, as well employee empowerment and37
McLean & Company
company potential.
Next Section in Brief
Create winning
engagement
initiatives
• The gaps identified by employees
are going to vary, but they can be
boiled down and ranked as areas to
target.
• There are a variety of
considerations when selecting
initiatives. A winning initiative
attempts to close all gaps ranked as
priorities for each driver.
Generate and select job
engagement driver
initiatives
Generate and select
organizational
engagement driver
initiatives
• To get started, learn about some
common gaps and read sample
initiatives used by peer
organizations to close these gaps.
3
• The job engagement drivers are:
• Culture
• Customer Focus
• Company Potential
• Department Relationships
• Senior Manager Relationships
Culture Driver: Put organizational values in place and
communicate them
Potential Gaps:
How does this impact engagement?
1
Employees are very focused on the
large volumes of work that must be
accomplished every day and social
interaction is not promoted.
Employees aren’t connected to the organization through
personal relationships they have there, which results in
lower loyalty and higher turnover.
2
Employees feel that the company is
not really committed to its stated
values.
If employees don’t identify with the organization’s values,
they won’t be onboard with them. Values must make sense
for the organization and they should be positioned as the
backbone of the organization’s culture.
3
Employee roles don’t overlap, so
they feel like they are isolated and
there is no spirit of collaboration.
Employees want to know that they aren’t going it alone,
that they can ask for help, and will receive it if they ask.
4
Employees aren’t aware of the
organization’s contributions to the
community.
Company pride, and therefore engagement and loyalty, could
be enhanced if employees knew that their employer was
contributing to their community.
McLean & Company
39
Customer focus highlighted initiative:
Community Involvement Day
Description
of a
suitable
initiative.
Once a quarter, each department spends a half-day on business-related topics (the morning) and
a half-day on community involvement (the afternoon). A different employee plans the
community involvement each quarter and all employees participate.
Gap 1.
Employees are very focused on the
large volumes of work that must
be accomplished every day and
social interaction is not promoted.
The community involvement portion of the day is inherently
socially friendly as employees are helping the community,
and they are doing this together in a non-work setting (they
are given the time away from work activities).
Gap 2.
Employees feel that the company
is not really committed to its
stated values.
The organizational values are clear and reinforced to
employees when they are taking time out of their work to
participate. Furthermore, no one can argue with the validity
of community involvement as an important value.
Gap 3.
Employee roles don’t overlap, so
they feel like they are isolated and
there is no spirit of collaboration.
This activity is collaborative by nature. The department is
working together towards a greater good.
Gap 4.
Employees aren’t aware of the
organization’s contributions to the
community.
This initiative raises awareness significantly. Employees
can share what they did with other departments to raise
broader awareness and promote the idea.
McLean & Company
40
Highlighted initiative: Community Involvement Day
Roles
Senior management: The
Managers: The facilitators.
advocate.
• Assist employees with
• Promote the importance of
choosing an appropriate
community involvement day
community involvement
through managers.
activity.
• Provide time away from work. • Actively participate with
the team.
Employees: The
participants/organizers.
• Participate in community
involvement day.
• Organize a community
involvement day based on a
rotation with colleagues.
Ensure it’s inclusive: There should be few limits to the type of community involvement you
participate in. It should fit with your organization’s values, be easy for your employees to travel
there, and cost nothing (or very little) for the employee.
Tricks to
Implement
Management participation: To promote this as a company value, managers should participate
alongside the team. Role modeling the behavior reinforces that the company is fully committed to
the value.
Manage time effectively: It’s better do a shorter volunteer activity than have employees working
overtime to compensate for time out of the office. Employees should not be penalized for
participating in a company-supported activity.
Mini Case
Study
A large financial firm includes “Make a positive contribution to our communities” as part of its
guiding principles. While many organizations make this type of statement, this organization
actively promotes employee participation in community activities by providing time off for
volunteering, and in some areas volunteering has become part of quarterly departmental update
meetings. The company goes as far as to include Community Involvement on all employees’ annual
performance appraisals. As a result, employees understand the commitment to community
involvement as a deep rooted organizational value, and not just a statement that makes the
organization seem socially responsible.
McLean & Company
41
Customer Focus Driver: Ask for feedback from customers and
then communicate to employees how it’s being used
Potential Gaps:
1
2
3
Lack of effective channels for
feedback from customers.
How does this impact engagement?
Not having channels for feedback can cause frustration for
staff who then get hit by disgruntled customers.
Furthermore, customer feedback can improve the
product/service and address problems, offsetting conflicts.
Staff do not know how to
appropriately react to
feedback from customers.
If you don’t enable staff to react to feedback, negative
comments could have a serious effect on their morale. This
may directly affect only the customer-facing staff, but they
may talk about their frustrations to others.
Lack of awareness of customer
service action that the
organization is taking.
Customer focus initiatives will not improve employee
engagement unless employees know they exist and see that
they're working. Celebrating effective customer service helps
the whole organization align itself with the customer service
value.
Since 1994, Microsoft has been carrying out employee surveys, which have
demonstrated that a correlation exists between strong customer service scores and
higher employee engagement results.
McLean & Company
42
Customer focus highlighted initiative:
Customer Service Panel
Description
of a
suitable
initiative.
Improve customer focus and build awareness that it’s a priority by creating an employee-led
panel that fixes customer issues. A team of employees is assigned to be part of a customer
service panel, with the mandate to do two things: 1) Identify common customer
problems/complaints and brainstorm solutions, and 2) Hold the authority to quickly and
effectively solve customer problems where possible (for example, authorize refunds with no
questions asked). The latter is difficult, but has a big impact.
Gap 1.
Lack of effective channels for
feedback from customers.
To successfully carry out the panel’s first responsibility –
recommend how to improve common and systematic customer
issues – the panel must collect and address customer feedback.
Gap 2.
Staff do not know how to
appropriately react to
feedback from customers.
Some of the panel’s recommendations will cover how to react to
customer complaints and feedback.
Gap 3.
Lack of awareness of customer
service action that the
organization is taking.
The panel needs to be known as “who to call” when others
have an issue that needs a quick solution. This high visibility is
imperative in order for employees to know that the company
is taking action to improve customer service.
A lot of customer service is about how well you fix problems.
McLean & Company
43
Highlighted initiative: Customer service panel
Roles
Senior management: The
sponsor.
• Sanction the authority that is
required.
• Take a turn on the panel.
Managers: The panel
selectors.
• Choose who is on the panel.
• Take a turn on the panel.
• Position participation as a
chance to make a
difference.
Employees: The information
providers.
• Ask for frequent employee
feedback and pass it along to
the panel.
• Call the panel – don’t try to
deal with issues alone.
Who is on the panel? The management team should decide who sits on the panel. Ideally, rotate
one or two people in and out of the panel every 3–4 months. At all times, at least one manager
and one senior manager should sit on the panel as members, not leaders. One individual should
always hold the role of ombudsman – the ultimate decision maker.
Tricks to
Implement
Authority is scary: Providing the authority to make customer decisions can be risky. The only rule:
the priority is to fix the customer problem, but keep the company’s best interests in mind. There
needs to be acceptance of the fact that this could cost the company money in the short-term, but
the long-term benefits are happy customers and improved engagement.
The logistics: The priority is that decisions are made quickly. Meetings are not held every time a
customer is dissatisfied. The panel should become efficient enough that any issue is briefly
discussed (in person, through e-mail, etc.), and then the ombudsman makes the decision.
Mini Case
Study
In 2000, a British construction firm, EBC, was running at a loss of 2 million € a year. The company
had run on a “command and control” basis, particularly between the managerial staff and the
front line trades people. With a new CEO joining in 2000, the company underwent a
transformation to become a customer centered organization and was renamed Rok. The CEO
began asking client-facing employees to provide input and insight into how things could be done
better to service their customers. This change, along with others, resulted in Rok seeing
exceptional growth and a committed and loyal staff.
McLean & Company
“I knew that without getting the workforce fully engaged and committed the
company would die. Instead of which, it was reborn.” – Garvis Snook, CEO
44
Company Potential Driver: Keep employees informed about the
company’s past and future
Potential Gaps:
How does this impact engagement?
1
Employees don’t have a sense of
how well the company is doing
relative to competitors.
It is important for employees to understand the
organization’s placement amongst competitors. It builds an
awareness of how their employer is viewed in the
marketplace, and a sense of pride and loyalty when the
organization is performing well.
2
Employees are not clear on how
their contribution fits with overall
organizational success.
People like to feel like they are making a difference and that
their contributions are known. Reminding employees how
each role is integral to the organization’s success is key to
employee engagement.
Senior managers rarely
communicate organizational
successes, and when they do it
lacks excitement.
Employees are much more likely to be excited and
passionate about the company’s future and potential if those
that are setting the strategy (and have the inside scoop) are
excited and passionate too.
3
“
It is vital that you are open and honest with staff about the organization and how it fits into the
bigger market picture. If you want your people to work with you and really buy in to what you are
trying to achieve, you need to treat them like adults – give them the information and trust them to
help you develop and implement the solutions.
- Chris Pilling, Head of Direct Banking, HSBC
McLean & Company
”
45
Company potential highlighted initiative:
Company-wide meeting
Description
of a
suitable
initiative.
An in-person, company-wide meeting may not seem like a groundbreaking initiative, but due to
the changing nature of organizations (remote workers, wide-spread geographical locations), they
are happening less frequently. Hold company-wide meetings quarterly that last for no longer
than an hour. Use this opportunity to update employees on the organization’s financial
performance, upcoming initiatives, and success of executed projects. Answer employee
questions that are e-mailed in advance, allow time for employees to ask questions at the
meeting, and set up a twitter feed for remote employees to send their questions in real time.
Gap 1.
Employees don’t have a sense
of how well the company is
doing relative to competitors.
Use the company meeting to communicate the organization’s
position in the marketplace. Show graphs to provide a visual of
where the company stands compared to competitors in areas
such as market share, revenue growth, satisfaction ratings, etc.
Gap 2.
Employees are not clear on
how their contribution fits
with overall organizational
success.
Highlight department-specific initiatives/successes in each
meeting and provide details about how this positively affects
the organization as a whole.
Gap 3.
Senior managers rarely
communicate organizational
successes, and when they do it
lacks excitement.
A company-wide meeting provides an opportunity for senior
managers to display their excitement about the organization.
Employees like to see this enthusiasm because it solidifies their
own passion and reminds them they are an important part of
the success of the organization.
Other mediums to inform: An engineering firm with a staff of over 1,000 employees needed to increase engagement
levels. To do so, a narrative graphic outlining the company’s journey, vision, mission, and future goals was developed.
It not only informed the workforce, but it also helped staff to feel ownership over the company’s strategy and future.
A business plan was created that allowed each employee to understand exactly where they contributed value.
McLean & Company
46
Highlighted initiative: Company-wide meeting
Roles
Tricks to
Implement
It works!
Executives: The presenters at
the meeting.
• Be transparent. Communicate
the highs and the lows with
opportunities to improve.
• Thank and recognize staff.
Managers: The encouragers.
• Encourage employees to
attend.
• Present on department’s
behalf or delegate to an
employee.
Staff member: The
participant.
• Attend the meeting and ask
questions.
• Volunteer to present the
department update.
Make it accessible: If you have remote workers or employees at different locations, encourage
everyone to attend in person. If this is not possible, provide both telephone access and
videoconferencing, if possible.
Make it fun!: Have some trivia questions at the beginning, including organization-specific trivia.
Don’t be scared to joke around and keep it informal. Have snacks and drinks, introduce new
employees and celebrate successes.
To increase employee engagement, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, a law firm, launched a
program called The London Festival, which included a number of different engagement
initiatives. One of then was to invite all employees to a series of presentations from across the
organization on all different parts of the business. The point was to convey the latest
developments in each department’s area. The firm’s profitability reached a new high in the years
following the implementation of the festival despite the uncertain market. They attributed these
results, in part, to their new engagement strategy.
Microsoft holds a company meeting at the beginning of each year, which is available by webcast
for those who cannot attend, to outline recent successes, potential opportunities, and challenges
to come. Also available to download is the CFO’s “street talk” on the company’s financial
situation, and quarterly “wireside chats” on performance from the COO.
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47
Departmental Relationships Driver: Create opportunities for
employees from different departments to interact
Potential Gaps:
1
How does this impact engagement?
Employees aren’t provided
opportunities to appreciate other
departments’ processes and how
they work.
When employees don’t know how other departments work,
they may put unrealistic expectations on them (deadlines
for example), which strains the relationship.
2
Departments blame each other
when things don’t go as planned.
A rift between departments hurts team morale at the
organization. Departments get into an “us versus them”
mentality and no longer work towards a common goal.
3
Employees don’t get the chance to
work with other departments, and
don’t understand what they do.
When employees don’t understand what others do, they
aren’t able to leverage the other group for assistance.
Employees from different departments have different skill
sets, and working together can add value to each other’s
work.
All in all, improved interdepartmental relationships make the entire organization run
more smoothly – less waste, less reinvention of the wheel, less frustration.
McLean & Company
48
Department relationships highlighted initiative:
Rotational program
Description
of a
suitable
initiative.
Employees rotate through other departments for 1–2 weeks. They are assigned a buddy within
the new department and they work in the other department as if they are a new employee. They
spend their time learning as much as they can about the organization from the perspective of the
new department. For example, a salesperson would work in the marketing department to get an
even better understanding of the product. Each employee should be rotated into a different
department once per year.
Gap 1.
Employees aren’t provided
opportunities to appreciate
other departments’ processes
and how they work.
Working directly in the new department, the employee is learning
first hand what it is like to work there, including any processes
that may cause delays. This might change their perspective on
previous issues that they have had with that team.
Gap 2.
Departments blame each
other when things don’t go as
planned.
Similar to the above, when employees understand what the
other department does, and how it works, they’ll be less likely
to complain, and more likely to help to find a solution.
Gap 3.
Employees don’t get the chance
to work with other departments,
and don’t understand what they
do.
A salesperson working with the marketing department may gain
a better understanding of what marketing needs from sales and
vice versa. This will improve communication between
departments and may even help to improve efficiencies.
McLean & Company
For those departments that require a certain amount of training before
putting someone on the job, job shadowing instead of a complete
rotation will offer some of the same benefits.
49
Highlighted initiative: Rotational program
Roles
Tricks to
Implement
Mini Case
Study
HR: The Facilitators.
• Keep track of which
employees have been
rotated, and when.
• Coordinate with department
managers as to when
employees are coming and
going, where they’ll sit, who
their buddy is, etc.
Department Managers: The
Overseers.
• Choose the buddy and
determine where they’ll sit.
• Welcome the rotated
employee and introduce
them to his/her buddy.
Staff member: The participant.
• Staff should soak in as much
information as they can about
the new department.
• They should ask questions and
think about ways that this new
knowledge can help them to be
better at their jobs, or help
others to be better at theirs.
Skills gap limits productivity: It may not make sense for a HR employee to work in Finance as they
would not be equipped with the basic knowledge to be productive. Pick rotations accordingly. For
example, creative and energetic sales people would be an asset to marketing.
Hold the employee accountable: Set an expectation for employees as they embark on their
rotation. For example, during the rotation they should be taking note of the other department’s
processes. Upon their return, they will revise their own department’s processes so that they align.
If you are losing an employee for 1–2 weeks, it had better be worthwhile.
lululemon athletica, an athletic clothing company located in Vancouver, implements a rotational
program for all employees hired into their head office. As an example, employees hired to work in
Marketing will spend their first 4 weeks working in a store. This hands-on experience allows the
employee to learn the product, understand the customer, and appreciate how their role will
affect the sales associates. Later, once new employees are more settled into their role, they will
do a stint in Strategic Sales. These rotations provide employees with a more well-rounded
understanding of the organization; such knowledge will be very helpful as the employee begins to
make decisions that affect the organization as a whole.
McLean & Company
50
Senior Manager Relationships Driver: Provide opportunities for
employees and senior managers to get to know each other
Potential Gaps
1
How does this affect engagement?
Employees don’t understand how
senior managers work and think.
Good relationships are formed when people can identify
with each other on many different levels. When staff know
how a senior manager thinks, they are much more likely to
trust their decisions.
2
Employees aren’t given enough
opportunities for 1-on-1
interaction with senior
management.
When senior managers interact with a large group, they are
much more polished. One-on-one interactions allow this
formality to fall away and provide opportunities for the staff
member to really get to know the senior manager.
3
Senior managers are unreachable
and employees aren’t able to
provide their input on decisions
that impact them.
Employees want to have the ability to influence their own
future and feel that their opinions are valued. Employees
want to know that decision-making is fair, balanced, and
informed; this is key to getting buy-in for change.
It is also beneficial for the senior managers to walk in their staff’s shoes.
A large government department, with a majority of employees being front-line staff, implemented a “Back to the Floor”
initiative. This program involved senior managers taking on a client-facing role for up to one week. They had the
opportunity to work with the front-line employees to see first-hand the problems they faced when serving customers.
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51
Senior manager relationships highlighted initiative:
Secondment to an executive project
Description
of a
suitable
initiative.
A brief stint as part of an executive project will give employees understanding of, and 1-on-1
interaction with, a senior manager. A staff member (e.g. an analyst) will participate in an
executive project (e.g. developing a marketing strategy for a new product launch) for a specified
period of time (e.g. one month). The position is advertised internally and staff are invited to
apply. Alternatively, managers discuss amongst themselves which employee would be a good fit
for each project. The staff member’s responsibilities are outlined and agreed upon prior to
him/her joining the project team.
Gap 1.
Employees lack an
understanding of how senior
managers think.
The employee gets first-hand knowledge of the logic behind
each decision made by the senior managers involved. They get
to know the senior managers on a personal and professional
basis.
Gap 2.
Employees aren’t given enough
opportunities for 1-on-1
interaction with senior
management.
The employee will have the chance to work with senior
managers, gaining insight into how they make decisions. The
senior manager is on a level playing field with the team.
Gap 3.
Senior managers are
unreachable and employees
aren’t able to provide their
input on decisions that impact
them.
The employee’s opinions and ideas are not only heard, but
also requested and used to improve the quality of the project.
McLean & Company
52
Highlighted initiative: Secondment to an executive project
Roles
Tricks to
Implement
Mini Case
Study
HR: The administrator of the
program.
• Control the application
process.
• Ensure employee
responsibilities are clear and
agreed upon.
Senior managers: The
leader of the program.
• Must involve the employee,
and leverage their talents.
• Use the opportunity to get
to know the employee.
• Value employee
contributions.
Staff member: The
participant.
• Staff should their talents and
interests apparent so they are
leveraged.
• They must learn from the
senior managers: ask
questions, ask for feedback.
Be fair: Ensure that the employees that take part in this program are fairly rotated. Match
employee skills, experiences, and current role to each position on the executive team.
Resource effectively. This should not be a “side project” where employees have other
responsibilities to worry about. Make sure employees’ daily activities are covered so that they can
focus 100% on the executive project.
Two executives at a mid-sized professional services company were presenting to managers in
order to train them on effectively onboarding employees. A newly hired employee was invited to
be part of the team for two weeks to give input on what content should be covered, as well as
helping to put the slide deck together.
Results: Engagement of the particular employee was increased because he developed a new
respect for, and a more personal rapport with, the two executives. Other engagement drivers
were also impacted: this project empowered the employee to involve himself in projects outside
of his daily role and resulted in the employee being recognized and appreciated by executives.
“
In addition to getting the chance to learn from a group of highly experienced individuals,
I also received recognition from people who otherwise didn’t know my name. I felt that I
McLean & Company
53
was making an impact that I normally didn’t have a chance to make.
Summary
• The objective of an engagement survey is to assess employee engagement in order to identify and
implement necessary change to better the organization.
• However, only 49% of organizations implement change as a result of engagement surveys. This
results in serious consequences for key HR performance indicators such as employee productivity,
retention, and attendance.
• A large majority of those organizations that do implement engagement initiatives implement
initiatives that treat symptoms and not causes.
• Initiatives are typically generated, selected, and implemented by the executive and management
team, resulting in chosen initiatives making limited impact and having poor employee buy-in.
• Involving staff from the beginning and keeping them in the loop through effective communication
are integral to the success of your organization’s engagement program. McLean & Company’s five
steps to selecting winning engagement initiatives walks you through the process.
• Involve your employees in identifying the current reality versus the ideal state for each of your
organization’s priority engagement drivers.
• Learn from others. Read about how your peers implemented initiatives to close the gaps to improve
engagement scores for job and organizational engagement drivers.
Info-Tech Research Group
54
Appendix
McLean & Company’s Engagement Program Methodology
Job engagement and organizational
engagement make up an employee’s
total engagement and are built once
the basic needs have been met.
Each of them have
distinct levers that drive
the engagement score.
Overall
Engagement
Job
Engagement
Organizational
Engagement
Next in the engagement model are the
Employment Needs. A company cannot
get to engagement without satisfying a
minimum requirement with these 3 areas
of Compensation, Benefits, and Working
Conditions.
Engagement Drivers
Employee Empowerment
Development
Rewards & Recognition
Co-worker Relationships
Manager Relationship
Culture
Customer Focus
Company Potential
Department Relationships
Senior Mgmt Relationship
Retention Drivers
Compensation
Benefits
Working Conditions
Personal Disposition
Emotional Outlook
State of Mind
Natural Tendencies
Personal disposition is at the base of the model because it impacts overall engagement.
McLean & Company defines personal disposition as the lens by which a person views his or her
surroundings. What it means is that all things being equal, an employee may generally have a
more positive outlook and therefore be more likely to become an engaged employee.
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56
Note: this is just a sample agenda. Some organizations may need to
break these brainstorming sessions up over multiple days.
Today’s Agenda
9:00am – 9:15 am:
Introduction and ground rules
9:15am – 9:45am
Break-out session #1
9:45am – 10:15am
Group discussion and consolidation
10:15am – 10:45am
Break-out session #2
10:45am – 11:15am
Group discussion and consolidation
11:15am – 12:00pm
Break/Lunch
12:00pm – 12:45pm
Break-out session #3
12:45pm – 1:45pm
Group discussion: Consolidate initiatives and rank effort
and impact
Wrap up
1:45pm – 2:00pm
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57
Brainstorming Session Rules of Engagement
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Confidentiality will be maintained – only consolidated views will be
shared (no names attached).
Do not personalize disagreements. Criticizing the ideas of others is
not permitted.
Be respectful. While shouting out ideas is acceptable, drowning out
the ideas of others is not. If too many participants are speaking at
once or an individual is not being effectively heard, then the
Facilitator will intervene to re-focus the discussion.
One member of the session will act as scribe for each sub-topic
discussion. This duty should rotate through different individuals to
allow fair participation in the discussions taking place.
Once all ideas have been tabled, a voting process will take place to
determine which ideas require deeper discussion.
The Facilitator will summarize and distribute all documented ideas to
the management team after the session.
Break-out #3: THE GROUND RULES
Unusual ideas are welcome
Answer what, not how
No need for justification of idea
Keep it constructive, not judgmental
Combine and improve on each other’s ideas
Talk briefly, one sentence per idea
Focus on quantity: Attempt to get 20+ ideas
No restrictions: Ignore cost and time frames
Initiative Criteria Comparison Chart
Initiative
Employee
weighting
# of drivers
impacted
Impact on
employees
Organization’s
readiness to
change
Effort
Alignment
with
organization’s
strategy
Cost
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60
The following slides include lists of potential initiatives aimed to
impact each engagement driver.
CAUTION: Use these lists very carefully.
These are meant to be used as idea generators only. In order for an
initiative to be successful, you must involve employees in the
brainstorming. Picking initiatives off a list such as the ones that follow will
lead to treating the symptoms: a very short-term fix.
Click on the driver to see the list of initiatives:
Employee Empowerment
Development
Rewards & Recognition
Co-worker Relationships
Manager Relationship
McLean & Company
Culture
Customer Focus
Company Potential
Department Relationships
Senior Management Relationship
61
Employee Empowerment: List of initiatives
Employee Empowerment Initiatives:
 Set expectations and clearly define objectives for the upcoming year so that employees
understand against what they are being measured: review progress regularly.
 Ensure job descriptions are up to date.
 Invite high-potential employees to have breakfast/coffee with executives to talk about
decisions and ask questions.
 Create venue for feedback/ideas with a clear, transparent, and formal follow-up process.
 No consequences Q&A forum for each department, led by a senior manager.
 Daily/weekly 15 minute team scrums/huddles.
 Set aside one day twice a year where employees get into small groups to deliver a self-guided
project in one day. Present it to senior management by the end of the day.
 Senior managers book office hours at least once a quarter to encourage staff to present an
idea in 15 minutes; manager’s offer advice and encouragement to polish ideas.
 Provide a formal and transparent selection process where top five ideas are selected as pilot
projects.
 Develop an employees-training-employees program: job enrichment, ownership, etc.
 Managers invite a direct report to attend an external meeting with them.
 Post employee bios on the website.
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62
Development: List of initiatives
Development Initiatives:
 Build and commit to development plans for every employee.
 Implement a job shadowing program/rotational program for employees to experience what
it is like to work in another department, and work with another manager.
 Identify and implement mentors for high potential and new employees.
 Post training opportunities on the intranet, including access to books online, online training
programs, and formal training opportunities.
 Second level managers have annual discussions with employees to discuss career aspirations.
 Train managers on coaching techniques to support the development of staff.
 Implement Tuition Reimbursement Policy and/or provide employees time off to study, for
courses that are required for their continued progression within the organization.
 Offer a variety of development options, including online training, formal classroom training,
informal training, etc.
 Use third person teaching principles.
 Informal buddy program for new employees.
 Invite guest speakers to departmental meetings.
 Department Lunch & Learns
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Rewards and Recognition: List of initiatives
Rewards & Recognition Initiatives:
 Give appreciation cards or e-mails when an employee goes above and beyond. Be specific in
your praise.
 Understand how your employee wants to be recognized and acknowledge them in a way that
is meaningful to them.
 Formal recognition program with different levels of recognition and point awards;
employees can redeem points through an online catalog.
 On-the-spot awards: Awarded by managers; nominations can come from peers,
management, or customers.
 Employee appreciation day: day off, group lunch, or shortened day.
 Tenure of service recognition (extra week off in 5th year, 10th year, etc.). Announce at
company meetings.
 Accomplishments (with projects, clients, etc.) announced at company/department meetings.
 Share positive feedback from others in regular 1-on-1 meetings.
 Invite team to a celebratory lunch or dinner for a job well done or for achieving a major
milestone.
 Invite staff to attend a meeting with your manager.
 Implement a “Champions Club.” Qualifying top performing employees are sent on an annual
celebratory trip with Executives and other winners.
 Provide important introductions – introduce your top performing staff to other executives,
key suppliers, or customers to help them connect.
 Post employee bios on the website or intranet.
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64
Co-worker and Manager Relationships: List of initiatives
Co-worker Initiatives:








Schedule in-office get-togethers.
Physical layout of desks/offices should advocate for interaction.
Solicit peer feedback for projects and initiatives.
Implement a formal recognition program which includes peer nominations.
Offer job switching/shadowing to help employees understand what co-workers do.
Create team project structures to involve different levels of employees.
Encourage co-workers to take part in the hiring/interview process for new employees.
Implement an informal buddy program for new employees.
Manager Initiatives:
 Develop manager training which is appropriate for different stages of management
development.
 Develop a staff and management charter stating expectations of both.
 Train managers on coaching techniques to support the development of staff.
 Create employee-led teams where managers are team members.
 Solicit employee feedback before making decision.
 Host bi-annual half-day team building session focused on improving team dynamics.
 Host organization-wide case competition involving interdepartmental teams.
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65
Culture: List of initiatives
Culture Initiatives:
 Communicate company values in different ways throughout the organization.
 Ensure your value statements are aligned with the culture of your organization.
 Value statements that are short, simple, and give a memorable, distinctive, and embraceable
message that invites discussion.
 Assess new hires for cultural fit during interviews and throughout recruiting process.
 Send introduction e-mails for new employees.
 Host offsite team building activities.
 Initiate Community Involvement Day where teams volunteer together in the community.
 Prove quarterly updates on organizational accomplishments and initiatives through enewsletter.
 Implement organization-wide green initiatives with employee involvement.
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Customer Focus: List of initiatives
Customer Focus Initiatives:
 Invite a customer to offsite meetings to have them explain what you’re doing well, what you could be doing
better, etc.
 Ensure that all employees understand the customer’s perspective (spending time at customer site, job
shadow opportunities for non-customer-facing roles to shadow customer-facing roles), i.e. calling
customers that cancelled their account to find out why.
 Educate employees on a different competitor’s product/service at department meetings so that they are
informed of the pros/cons in comparison.
 Share client testimonials at company meetings.
 Don’t just present good news at company meetings. Communicate bad news regarding customers while
outlining opportunities for improvement.
 Share third-party reports highlighting your organization at meetings.
 Implement a Customer Advisory Group: A group of representative customers who are consulted on major
product decisions through focus groups, interviews, etc.
 Implement a Customer Engagement Metric. A published index of the extent to which customers are
satisfied, engaged, using your product, recommending your product, complaining about your product, etc.
 Recognize employees through a monthly Customer Award for the employee who goes above & beyond the
call of duty to fulfill a customer need.
 Introduce a Customer Satisfaction Budget which provides a small discretionary budget to each Customer
Service Rep to allow them to address a client need without requiring special authorization.
 Measure/report on customer metrics: compliment to complaint ratio, time to respond, etc. to help
employees understand the impact they can have on customer interactions.
 Introduce a Customer Service Panel made up of staff to make recommendations on how to improve
systemic customer service issues.
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Company Potential and Department Relationships: List of
initiatives
Company Potential Initiatives:
Be transparent about company financials.
Update/success stories from departments at company meetings.
Implement a profit-sharing program or bonus program based on company performance.
Publicly present new products/services and indicators of innovation.
Highlight media engagements via links on intranet site or in company e-mails.
Provide a quarterly update on organizational accomplishments and initiatives through enewsletter.
 Publicize internal job postings.
 Celebrate internal promotions via a congratulatory department-wide e-mail.
 Apply to workplace competitions (i.e. Best Workplaces).
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Department Relationships Initiatives:
 Provide interdepartmental secondment opportunities for employees to learn about other
departments.
 Quarterly informal interdepartmental mixers (drinks, or dodge ball, scavenger hunt)
 Host organization-wide case competition involving interdepartmental teams.
 Invite a representative from another department to present its strategy and priorities, and
discuss how your department can help.
 Request to do a presentation for their department.
 Develop a database with employee profiles and photos. Have employees buddy up with
individuals from other departments and write each other’s bios.
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Senior Manager Relationships: List of initiatives
Senior Management initiatives:
 Host monthly/quarterly town halls so staff and Senior Managers can talk about issues.
 Provide employees with the opportunity to win a lunch with a Senior Manager for a job well
done.
 Invite Senior Managers to hold an informal career path discussion with employees where
they talk about their own career path and employees can ask questions.
 Provide secondments for employees to participate on an executive sponsored project.
 Host organization-wide case competitions with senior management participation.
 Encourage participation of Senior Managers in all “off the clock” activities.
 Encourage senior management participation in social media, including a blog which is held
on the intranet.
 Once a quarter, a panel of Senior Managers book office hours where any staff member can
come and present an idea in 15 minutes; managers offer advice and encouragement to polish
ideas.
 Provide a formal and transparent selection process where top five ideas are selected as pilot
projects.
 Increase informal chats with staff about non-work related topics.
 Host “Meet and Greets” with Senior Managers for new hires.
 Develop a group mentoring initiative where Senior Managers mentor a group of high
potential employees.
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List of Resources
The following resources were used to compile the information contained in this
research report. Many sources were used for information gathering purposes only.
Buckingham, Marcus, and Curt Coffman. First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers
Do Differently. Simon & Schuster, 1999.
Clarke, Nita, and David MacLeod. Engaging for Success: Enhancing performance through employee
engagement. UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 2009.
Endres, M. Grace, and Mancheno-Smoak, Lolita. The Human Resource Craze: Human Performance
Improvement and Employee Engagement. Organization Development Journal; Spring 2008; 26, 1;
pg. 69; ABI/INFORM Global.
Gable, A. Shelley, Seung Youn Chyung, Anthony Marker, and Donald Winiecki. How Should
Organizational Leaders Use Employee Engagement Survey Data? Performance Improvement, vol.
49, International Society for Performance Improvement; 2010; pg. 17 - pg. 24; www.ispi.org.
Lockwood, R. Nancy. Leveraging Employee Engagement for Competitive Advantage: HR’s Strategic
Role. SHRM® Research Quarterly, 2007.
Macy, H. William, and Schneider, Benjamin. The Meaning of Employee Engagement. Industrial and
Organizational Psychology; 1 (2008), 3–30; Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Smyth, John. The CEO Chief Engagement Officer. Gower Publishing Limited, 2007.
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Primary Sources Methodology
In 2010, McLean & Company engaged in three primary research activities
to discover the successes and challenges of the employee engagement
survey process as well as to solicit experiences on engagement initiatives
implemented as a result of the survey.
1.
In June, July, November, and December we conducted in-depth interviews
with HR professionals, business leaders in chief executive roles, managers,
and employees to learn about employee engagement surveys and initiatives.
2. In June and July, we fielded surveys to better understand the factors that
influenced the successful outcome of an employee engagement survey in
various organizations. The survey attracted over 140 respondents.
3. In November and December, we conducted 10 brainstorming sessions with
staff from three organizations to test brainstorming processes and solicit
initiative ideas. Over 100 employees took part in these brainstorming
sessions.
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