how to attract, engage and retain your employees during ... - lesley brown.pdf · your employees...

How to attract, engage and retain your employees during times of

change

Hosted by Lesley Brown

March 2012

How can one spot an engaged employee?

• See problems…and offer solutions

• Take ownership for change…and make it happen

• Seek new challenges…and get frustrated without them

• Help colleagues and customers…selflessly

• Get involved and contribute…across the company

• Speak with pride…about the company and all of its stakeholders

• Positive energy…that is contagious

“Engaged employees understand what to do to help their company succeed, they feel emotionally connected to the organisation and its leaders, and are motivated to put that knowledge and emotion into

action to improve performance, their own and the organisation’s.”

Source: Closing the Engagement Gap, pg 10.

© 2011 Towers Watson. All rights reserved. Proprietary and Confidential.

Why does employee engagement matter? Engaged employees are more likely to believe they can contribute

directly to results


Hypothetical Stock Performance of companies in the GHP versus the Dow Jones and S&P Indexes


What impacts employee engagement most?


The organisation and senior leaders

The immediate manager

Personal traits

It depends… there’s not one answer

Some good work – the organisation has the most powerful influence on workforce engagement, especially leadership


Major obstacles to successful mergers and acquisitions are dominated by people and cultural factors


• Respondents recently reported that major obstacles to M&A success include:

• Inability to sustain financial performance (64 percent)

• Loss of productivity (62 percent)

• Incompatible cultures (56 percent)

• Loss of key talent (53 percent)

• Clash of management styles (53 percent)

Many organisations underestimate the disengagement that occurs as a result of uncertainty – for example, during mergers

RATIONAL ENGAGEMENT EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT MOTIVATIONAL ENGAGEMENT

71%66%

59%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

62% 59%52%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

75% 74%67%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

No M&A Activity Company made an acquisition — Substantial impact on employees Company was acquired — Substantial impact on employees

Source: 2007-2008 Towers Watson Global Workforce Study – U.S. data.


What drives engagement in times of transition? Drivers of employee engagement in 10 transitional organisations


Engagement drivers during change: What is typical?


• The three most common engagement drivers in organisational surveys are:

– Learning & Development, especially providing career paths and learning opportunities

– Leadership, especially concern for employee well-being

– Empowerment, especially sufficient authority and involvement

• Difference in companies undergoing change:

– Primacy of leadership – a driver for every company examined

– Presence of compensation and benefits as a frequent top driver, suggesting that changes to pay scales and benefit programs are a key issue for employees – this topic is rarely a top engagement driver in other organisations

– Job security with some frequency, symptomatic of companies in which employment certainty is in question

– Drivers specific to strategy and direction, implying employees seek clear messaging regarding the company’s next steps

– Organisational change as a driver, suggesting employees are evaluating their own future against the company’s ability to adapt to change

What have you experienced as some of the greatest people challenges during a time of change?


Struggling through change Across a range of topic areas, companies in transition struggle


Image matters… inside and out


Employees are worried about the organisation’s reputation, or image, inside and outside of the company

Keep goals in view… communicate progress and challenges


• Flow of information allows employees to understand, accept and engage in the challenges brought on by changing times

• Effective communication includes: – Rationale for change – reiterate it often; once is never enough

– Leaders who explain and accept the slips in the process when they occur

– Full disclosure about the extent of change anticipated, not a piecemeal approach

Get the basics right… every time


• Employees have basic concerns for long-term financial and health security that underlie their motivation for work, making competitive pay and benefits essentials

Capture the development opportunities inherent in change


• Personal ROI is a key motivator of employee engagement

• It is critical to capture, articulate and deliver on developmental and career growth opportunities during times of change

• This is particularly important for the high potential employees of your organisation – Ensure high potential talent is identified and monitored

Credible leaders manage & master change rather than minimise it


Lack of visible and credible leaders derails organisations trying to navigate change

Leaders in transitional organisation do a poor job empowering, encouraging and communicating


How employees view Leadership in high performance environments


• Leadership plays a critical role in maximising contribution from people

• In high-performance environments with high levels of sustainable engagement, leaders are viewed as:

Work experiences in high performance environments


• Employees in high-performing environments with higher sustainable engagement experience greater:

We see four “must-do’s” for an effective transition

1. Engagement and the work experience: Define and articulate the “new” work environment and experience and how they support the organization’s goals, mission, vision and values

2. Career development: Communicate how roles and positions will change and what criteria will drive decision-making over what time frame — especially for high-performing employees and those with critical skills

3. Managerial relationship: Enable front-line managers and supervisors to become effective “go-to” resources for employees on an ongoing basis

3. Rewards: Understand what employees want, need and value and the impact probable changes to pay and benefit programs will have on their level of engagement and performance

– Use optimization tools to identify trade-offs and design a total rewards package that meets both cost constraints and employee needs

Keys in your hands as leaders…


Five Keys for leaders to unlocking employee potential…

Source: Closing the Engagement Gap

Lesley Brown – Towers Watson, 03 9820 9388


Questions?

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