Employee Engagement Training Best Practices Blog

Are You Aimlessly Engaging Employees?

2011-06-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

By Russ Silva, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Solutions

Studies show that engaged workers are over 40% more productive and effective than their unengaged counterparts. At the same time a whopping 70% of the workforce is at best complacent and at worst actively disengaged.

While Employee Engagement has garnered considerable interest in the last few years, we believe that few companies have scratched the surface of the impact that Employee Engagement efforts can have on a company’s bottom line. There are two primary reasons for this:

1. The Pursuit of Aimless Engagement
2. A Contingent Action Strategy

Most companies approach Employee Engagement similarly to how they have approached employee satisfaction, pulse, or opinion surveys. They identify the lowest scoring areas and pursue corresponding actions to “improve” those areas. This approach is also fostered by most survey companies who are new to the Employee Engagement survey arena and provide little in the way of real engagement solutions.

LSA believes that an effective Employee Engagement initiative must be strategic, systemic, and focus on implementation from the beginning. Our consulting roots in employee retention and engagement have shown that there are proven approaches and fundamental practices that drive engagement.

Companies that have realized the most significant benefits from Employee Engagement have made it an organizational discipline. The following 4 Best Practices in Employee Engagement will help you do the same and ensure that your company’s investment in Employee Engagement produces a meaningful return:

1. Identify Employee Engagement’s Role in Your Business Strategy
Clearly identify what you want people to engage in and the role of Employee Engagement in the company’s business strategy. Connecting people with the organization’s business strategy is a key foundation for Employee Engagement. This role should be a central focus in the design, execution, and measurement of your Employee Engagement program.

2. Focus on Implementation First, Then the Survey
Look for a solution that provides a breadth of training and support around methods, practices, and tools that have a track record for increasing engagement. Too often companies jump into selecting “the right survey” without considering solutions that will support effective implementation and attainment of engagement results. The extent of implementation for most survey companies is a generic PowerPoint presentation on what to do with the results.

3. Select a Survey Tool that Enables Management Action
Customize your survey to answer important organizational questions and identify engagement drivers that are most important to your people. Standardized or abbreviated surveys will require additional information gathering before your organization’s leaders can consider action.

4. Make the Employee Engagement Index a Key Performance Indicator
Your engagement index is the equivalent of your company’s stock price and market capitalization for people. It is the cumulative result of leading and managing people in a way that produces higher performance and should be used as an annual litmus test to judge the effectiveness of HR programs, particularly your Employee Engagement initiative.

Engagement Strategies that Boost Bottom Line Profits

2011-03-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

In a recent engagement best practices quarterly poll, a large % of respondents stated that "ensuring the best call center engagement possible" was keeping them up at night.

A 5% increase in call center performance can boost profits by as much as upwards of 25% to 75%. Research has shown that high levels of call center care lead to greater business sales growth.

Read more about some of the best customer and employee engagement programs, practices and make the link between industry leading business sales revenue growth and service...

Quantifying Employee Engagement in the Enterprise?

2011-03-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

Are you aware that:

• Disengaged employees costs organizations nearly $275 billion dollars each year
• 70% of employees are lack a sense of engagement and as a result their performance suffers

If so, it is also likley that your organization is deploying effective employee engagement programs in order to gain or maintain a competitive advantage over the competition through your people.

Search for the Right Employee Engagement Resource. Right Now.

2010-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Introducing a powerful new Search Tool to help you track down the right Employee Engagement Training & Best Practice Resource right now. Search this blog and the vast collection of corporate training communities and related best practice blogs with a single click.

Step 1 - Locate the Search Tool to the right of this post

Step 2 - Type your keyword search phrase. eg. Performance Culture

Step 3 - Click Search

Step 4 - Review the results, sorted by:

This Blog | Sites Linked to this Blog | Recommended Blogs

See illustration below. Enjoy.

Employee Engagement Research Study Results

2010-09-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the past 12 months, we conducted an online research study where visitors to our website were anonymously surveyed across an area of topics related to driving employee engagement and performance through investments in human capital. In particular, one such survey asked respondents the following question:

How likely are you to recommend your organization as a place to work to your friends?

From a list of predefined responses, here are the results for your viewing pleasure.

Not at all likely--29%
Not likely--24%
Likely--5%
Very Likely--14%
Extremely Likely--29%

How would you answer the above question regarding employee engagement training and employee retention etc.?

Employee Engagement Best Practice Resources

2010-05-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

From time to time, we like to provide visitors and subscribers to this blog with a refresher on where they can find helpful resources devoted to best practices in the area of Employee Engagement and related leadership areas.

We hope you find these resources insightful and relevant:

Enjoy!

Are Your Most Important Employees Up to the Challenge?

2010-03-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

A whopping 70%.

Based upon a recent Talent Management study, that is the percent of the workforce that is complacent and actively disengaged. In the words of one client, "we have a looming crisis on our hands.

When you combine that startling statistic with the fact that an engaged workforce is over 40% more productive and effective than their unengaged counterparts, it is no surprise that leading companies are embracing employee retention best practices by taking action to change the game and create a high performance environment.

While Employee Engagement has garnered considerable interest in the last few years, we believe that few companies have scratched the surface of the positive impact that Employee Engagement efforts can have on a company's bottom line. Even though people are being asked to do more with less, we believe that the current "crisis" presents a wonderful opportunity to implement meaningful change that results in true competitive advantage through people.

Read more about how to deploy employee engagement best practices to drive results...

Leading for Employee Engagement - A Case Study

2009-10-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

Background

A large, highly respected global technology manufacturer changed its strategy to remain competitive in its market segment and financially viable as an ongoing entity. The new strategy fundamentally repositioned the company from commoditized offerings to value-added services and high margin products.

Challenge

After two years, major functional groups in the company had yet to adopt the new philosophy or implement enabling strategies. People were also highly skeptical about the new strategy succeeding. Finally, implementation would require substantial effort throughout the company with significant change in the following functions:

•Product development needed to completely revamp their R&D focus
•Manufacturing had to retool much of their production operations
•Sales needed to redefine the sales process and target audience

Approach

The company embarked on a comprehensive, structured process working with intact teams to create implementation plans and actions. The process, supported by training and consulting, was cascaded down through the organization with the following objectives:

• Align all efforts in the organization around the achievement of the new strategy
• ...

Results

As a result of this process the company achieved significantly improved and sustained business results as well as higher levels of employee engagement. Specific results include...

Learn about Approach taken and the resulting impact on the business ..

Leading for Employee Engagement - Igniting Accountability, Commitment and Change Readiness

2009-05-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Did you know that:

Over 70% of employees are NOT fully engaged
Many CEO's are questioning if their employees have what it takes
Lack of employee engagement costs US businesses over $270 billion dollars a year
Increased engagement can lead to 2-3% increase in operating margin

It's easy to believe that your employees are engaged when they work long hours, you have low turnover, and the job market is in shambles. However, don't be deceived. People often put in long hours begrudgingly and top performers are always in demand. You need your employees' full effort to reach your targets.

Is there a way to help your people avoid disengagement given the reality of the business challenges that you face?

The answer is, yes. Our research-based Leading for Employee Engagement Program shows leaders how to create an environment in which employees are engaged in spite of the challenging times.

Download the complimentary Employee Engagement Best Practices White Paper.

SOS - Survival Skills for Managers in Tough Times

2009-04-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

As you read this, 25-40% of your workforce does not trust their manager. This mistrust leads directly to a lack of engagement, decreased productivity, and increased attrition.

If you think that these tough economic times will keep your top talent engaged and employed, think again. Now is the time that you're "A" managers are worth their weight in gold. They know it. Your competition knows it. Are you doing anything to keep the good ones aboard?

In this turbulent economy, you need your managers to be able to do "more with less." To meet this challenge, managers must have the proper management skills, practices, systems, and structures to help them (and you) succeed. Done right, management development should tangibly reduce employee relations issues, drive productivity and engagement, increase revenue, enhance product quality, and improve retention.

Research shows that organizations that make training available in tough economic times fare better and realize higher profits than do organizations that offer little or no training. According to a study commissioned by the ASTD, organizations that invest in training realize 218% higher gross income per employee. Moreover, companies that make training a priority are estimated to grow at a rate three times faster than those without training.

Smart companies view a downturn in the economy as the perfect time to invest and build their management bench-strength. By 2010, we anticipate a mass exodus of baby boomers reaching retirement age and exiting the workforce-leaving companies with a key talent shortage. That's why proactive organizations continue to spend on developing their managers.

To reap the benefits however, management development must be done right. We define "right" as following a proven 6-step process to ensure that you create tangible business results for you, your managers, and your organization.

Identifying the desired results using a strategic link analysis, success metrics, and a business case blueprint
Assessing the current situation by aligning leadership and employees, obtaining buy-in, pinpointing skill gaps, and setting baseline
Designing the exact solution utilizing interviews, pilot workshops, customized case studies, predisposition letters, feedback systems, and individual development profiles
Delivering targeted action learning and performance coaching modules supported by a simple Learning Management and Implementation System to handle internal marketing, registration, reporting, and follow-through
Implementing coaching and following through with targeted job aids, customized mastery sessions, implementation focus groups, and individual skill implementation plans
Measuring impact and results of skill adoption on key business metrics including revenue, margin, productivity, engagement, and retention