Engagement as a Retention
Tool
In Your Role as Manager and Employee
Mimi Darmstadter
My Life’s Work Coaching and Consulting LLC.
www.mylifesworkcoaching.com
mimi@mylifesworkcoaching.com
Every truth has four corners: as a
“teacher” I give you one corner,
and it is for you to find the other
three.
— Confucius
Today’s Objectives• Develop stronger appreciation and understanding
for the important relationship between workforce
engagement and individual/organizational
success
• Critically assess your organization’s engagement
effectiveness and identify “taking action”
opportunities
• Identify your own criteria for professional
engagement and prioritize “taking action”
opportunities
About Mimi Darmstadter
• Owner - My Life's Work - Coaching &
Consulting
• Executive and career transition coaching
• Human Resources consulting
• 20+ years in Human Resources
• Education
• BA University of Michigan
• MA University of Chicago
• PCC Coaching Certification - Georgetown
University
• Fitness instructor (fun fact!)
SETTING CONTEXT
Helpful Terminology
•
Engagement = extent to which an employee expends
discretionary effort in alignment with company goals, willingness
to go the “extra mile”
•
Engaged employees = passion for/personal meaning in work,
profound connection to their company, drive “forward” (energy,
innovation)
•
Not engaged employees = checked out, sleep walking through
days, limited energy and passion
•
Activity disengaged employees = unhappy AND acting out,
undermining other’s efforts
Did You Know?
The Research In 5+ Minutes
• Engagement among US workers holding steady at 30%
• 2/3rds of working Americans have been disengaged for
past 12 years
• Significant negative impact on key performance
measures across different organization types (e.g. customer
loyalty, profitability, productivity, turnover, safety incidents, shrinkage,
absenteeism, patience, quality)
• Actively disengaged more likely to jump ship
Sources:
Gallup 2012 Report: State of the American Workplace
Gallup 2012 Q12®Meta-Analysis: Relationship Between
Engagement At Work and Organizational Outcomes
Did You Know?
The Research – In 5+ Minutes
• Organizational trends
•
•
•
•
Executives/managers more engaged
Only 41% of employees know their company’s mission
Disengagement highest among service (lowest/declining),
transportation, and manufacturing industries
Marginal differences among generations though
engagement at career beginning/end trumps middle
• Employees of supervisors who focus on employee
strengths more engaged (61% vs. 2%)
Source:
Gallup 2012 Report: State of the American Workplace
Happy Employees versus
Engaged Ones
• Indulging employees is not substitute for engaging
them
• Workplace engagement levels eclipse the effect of
policies (e.g. hours, flextime, vacation)
• Working remotely has some advantage when it comes
to employee engagement (< 20%)
Important Facts…Because• Employee engagement is a business imperative
• Organizations with high employee motivation scores are about
60% more likely to be in top quartile for business health
• De-motivated, actively disengaged employees cost the
economy up to $355 billion annually in lost productivity
• Managers from purgatory (e.g. those who inspire active
disengagement) cost companies $450 and $500 billion annually
Sources:
Gallup 2012 Report: State of the American Workplace
McKinsey & Company 2012 Report: State of Human Capital
An exercise in role swapping- organization
&/or employee
First, your organizational hat…
Employee Engagement: The
Organizational Lens
Do your employees:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Know what is expected of them?
Have the materials and equipment to do their work right?
Have opportunities to do what they do best everyday?
Receive recognition and praise (in last 7 days)?
Experience “care” as a person from supervisor or
someone else?
6. Experience encouragement to grow and develop?
Employee Engagement: The
Organizational Lens
Do your employees:
7. Experience that opinions matter/count?
8. Understand the connection between the company’s
mission their jobs?
9. Work with people who are committed to quality?
10. Have a “best” friend at work?
11. Have “progress” conversations at least every six months?
12. Have opportunities to learn and grow?
Source:
Gallup 2012 Report: State of the American Workplace
Organizational Retention Assessment
• How are job expectations and performance objectives clarified
and conveyed to employees?
• What is the “resource” health of your organization?
• How are employee strengths known and leveraged?
• What selection criteria support managerial hires who
reward/recognize, support employee growth and development,
provide regular feedback, convey caring?
• What signals a developmental and participatory culture within
your organization?
• How is quality embedded within your organization’s culture and
instilled in employees?
• How do team and social events contribute to employee
“connection” and “friendship?”
“Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day”
Questions
• Organizational priorities/your priorities?
• Organizational gaps/your gaps?
• Organizational opportunities/your opportunities?–
consider competency, community, contribution.
Now your employee/recruit hat
Employee Engagement: My Lens (as an
employee)
My [present and future] relationship to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Knowing what is expected of me
Having the materials and equipment to do my work right
Having opportunities to do what I do best everyday
Receiving recognition and praise regularly
Experiencing “care” as a person from supervisor or
someone else
6. Experiencing encouragement to grow and develop
Employee Engagement: My Lens (as an
employee)
My [present and future] relationship to:
7. Experiencing that my opinions matter/count
8. Understanding the connection between the company’s
mission and my job
9. Working with people who are committed to quality
10. Having a “best” friend at work
11. Having “progress” conversations at least every six months
12. Having opportunities to learn and grow
Source:
Gallup 2012 Report: State of the American Workplace
My “Rome” Questions
• My distinctions between “attraction/seduction” and
engagement (e.g. happy versus connected)
• My unique “engagement” values, priorities, needs
• My opportunities?– consider competency,
community, contribution – today and tomorrow
To Learn More…
•
•
•
•
Gallup 2012 Report: State of the American Workplace
McKinsey & Company 2012 Report: State of Human Capital
2012 Towers-Watson Global Workforce Study
12: The Elements of Great Managing by Rodd Wagner
Ph.D. and James K. Harter
• Love ‘em or Lose ‘em: Getting Good People to Stay by
Beverly Kaye
THANK YOU!
For additional questions &
consulting-coaching inquiries:
Mimi Darmstadter
mimi@mylifesworkcoaching.com
301-728-6487