205: multi-generational and millennial communications · 2014. 9. 3. · 9/20/2012 1 205:...

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205: Multi-Generational and Millennial CommunicationsLyn ScrineEthics Director

Justin WozniskiEthics Communication Consultant

Enterprise Business Conduct, Allstate Insurance Company

SCCE 11th Annual Compliance and Ethics Institute

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Lyn Scrine

Lyn reports to the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer and is responsible for governance, evaluation of processes and procedures, reporting systems related to business conduct and effective ethics training and communications. She has worked for Allstate for 28 years in a number of departments including Operations, Claims and Marketing.

About today’s speakers


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Justin Wozniski

Justin holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Maine and is primarily responsible for ethics communications at Allstate. He has prior communication experience in corporate relations at Allstate, as a newspaper reporter, and he authored a published guidebook to the University of Maine. The target audience of the publication were prospective students entering UMaine from 2006-2011.

About today’s speakers


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Agenda

• Introduction

• Generational differences

• Communication preferences and methods

• Technology and changes

• An example: The Allstate Code of Ethics

• Consistency and success in multiple communication mediums

• Engaging Millennials in communications

• Q&A

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Disclaimer:

Opinions, statements or viewpoints contained within or provided during this presentation are not to be construed as those of The

Allstate Corporation, Allstate Insurance Company, or any subsidiary or affiliate.


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Introduction

Today we’ll learn about…

Effectively communicating with multiple generations in today’s workplace. With a still-recovering economy, many from the Greatest and Baby Boomer generations have held off retirement, yet Gen Xers and Millennials continue to enter the workforce; increasing the span of generations with whom companies and organizations need to communicate


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Introduction

Today we’ll learn about…

• Achieving consistent ethics messaging while leveraging multiple communication mediums. How to differentiate messages but still provide the same valuable information in all of them

• How to engage the Millennial audience in corporate communications using appealing formats and methods


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Generations in the workforce

• “The Greatest Generation” (currently retiring)

• Familiar with the Great Depression and its lasting effects; World War II

• Single-income households; savings important


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•Long-term employment with one company; factory employment

• Higher education only an opportunity for the wealthy

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• “Baby Boomers” (retiring/retirement on the horizon)

• Population boom; Vietnam War

• Long-term employment with more opportunities; achievements important


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•More dual-income households; family and community importance

• Higher education starts becoming accessible to more people


“Generation X”


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•Willingness to move around for career flexibility and work-life balance

• Higher education accessible, but often requires debt

•Baby Boom ends; Vietnam continues; intermittent oil and energy crises

• Divorce becomes more prevalent; more single-income households

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“Millennials” (Generation Y)

• Oil and energy costs rise steeply; Gulf War; World Trade Center attacks

• Divorce commonplace; family and friends focus; social media to keep in touch


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•Strong career focus; job changes more frequent; telecommuting; flexibility

• Higher education “the norm” for many, high student loan debt

Communication preferences and methods

The Greatest

Generation

Baby

Boomers

Generation

X

Millennials

Information Flow

Memos

Meetings

Memos

Email

PowerPoint

Email

PowerPoint

Text

Social Media

Video

Learning

Handbooks

Instructional

PowerPoint

Job Aid

Web-based learning

Video

“Gamification”

Meetings

Routine, formal staff

meeting

Routine, formal staff

meeting

As needed As needed; More

collaborative, less formal


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Technology and changes

• Technology has changed, and so have we:

• We’re more efficient

• We have greater flexibility, more mobility

• We now have a multitude of communications and training options


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Technology and changes

As a result:

We must deliver communications how and where employees want them. This means expanding presence online and retaining traditional communications channels for earlier generations to increase overall engagement


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An example: The Allstate Code of Ethics

• In 2012, the Allstate Code of Ethics was rewritten in a values- and principles-based format, not printed, and is housed online at www.allstatecodeofethics.com

• The move online appeals to the Gen X and Millennial employees, while an option to print an engaging PDF from the website allow those who want a paper copy to have one.


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An example: The Allstate Code of Ethics

• To increase engagement, actual Allstate customer, employee and agent photos replaced stock photography from the prior Code

• While remaining sensitive to our brand, a modern and unexpected site and PDF were created using new designs and a vibrant and bold color palette

• A cascade of communications in various formats were sent to all levels of employees


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The Allstate Code of Ethics: How it was communicated

Direct email and intranet memos to all Officers of the Company

• Provided pre-generated messaging to Officers to forward to their direct reports

Direct email memo to all managers with direct reports

• Provided pre-generated messaging to leaders to forward to their direct reports


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• Online employee newspaper feature article on the Code’s development

• Company, ambassador network and departmental intranet features

• Provided an online toolkit and pre-generated messaging for a network of departmental communicators


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• Campus digital signage notifications; intranet animation linked to the Code

• An awareness campaign consisting of a series of signs for a heavily-traveled walking bridge


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Consistency and success in multiple communication mediums

• Provide the same information in all mediums, allow format and writing style differentiate communications. This ensures that no employee is disadvantaged

• Ex. With social media, embed questions to encourage conversations. With a memo, attach FAQ’s, provide a contact for questions or encourage employees to seek assistance/clarity from their manager


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• Be accurate, brief and clear. Providing excess information or supporting documentation can defeat the purpose of the message: to inform the employee; as they may delay or delete communications that appear burdensome to absorb

• Don’t limit communications to only convey information of interest regarding the company. As often as possible, communicate how the information in the message is beneficial to the employee


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• Build support. Funneling communications from the top-down may seem hierarchical, but it’s often appropriate. Giving leaders enough time to familiarize themselves with content so that they can support change and answer questions is ideal


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• Use a mix of new and traditional communication methods to broaden the appeal of ethics and compliance messaging

• Ex. Humorous videos can convey a serious and important message, contests can help encourage employees to thoroughly examine communications through incentivizing them to do so, “Gamification” can provide an outlet for employees to learn through entertainment


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• Remember that you won’t dilute messaging by using multiple mediums as employees are unlikely to read multiple communications with the same information


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Engage Millennials in communications

• By combining communications with technology that is interactive and allows for feedback

• By providing more frequent communications and training in smaller packages that allow employees to absorb less information at one time


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• By using technology platforms that are mobile, or even off the company intranet (password accessible internet sites for personal computers and smart phones)

• This creates more opportunity for flexible work arrangements, a preference of the Millennial generation


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• By incentivizing Millennials for reading or interacting in communications. This isn’t exclusive to a prize. Incentivizing can occur by providing valuable career advice or information on additional learning opportunities that help them grow, enhance their perspective or acquire new leadership skills


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Key takeaways from today’s presentation

• For the most effective communications strategy, deliver communications how and where employees want them

• Always provide a consistent message, no matter what channel it is communicated through

• Use the generational differences identified to enhance your communication plans


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Key takeaways from today’s presentation

• Use technology to your advantage to provide more flexibility and work/life balance to employees

• Make communications interactive to increase engagement and encourage the development of new ideas

• Build support for communications by creating a network of departmental communicators and informing managers first, when necessary


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Q&A


Opinions, statements or viewpoints contained within or provided during this presentation are not to be construed as those of The

Allstate Corporation, Allstate Insurance Company, or any subsidiary or affiliate.

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205: multi-generational and millennial communications · 2014. 9. 3. · 9/20/2012 1 205:...

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