employee engagement toolkit 2014.pdf

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© ETHOS 2007. All Rights Reserved.

2© ETHOS 2007. All Rights Reserved.

TACTICS FOR ENGAGEMENT

Tactics for Engagement provides background knowledge and practical tools for organizational leaders and managers to use in engaging their employees.

CONTENTS PAGE #

PART 1

WHY BE CONCERNED WITH EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT?

Introduction: Tactics for Engagement 4

The Top Ten Reasons to Foster Employee Engagement 5

Engagement That Matters 6

Employee Engagement – The Business Case 8

The Picture of an Engaged Employee 10

PART 2 RECOGNIZED FACTORS FOR ENGAGING EMPLOYEES

The 10 C’s of Employee Engagement1 14

The Herzberg Motivation Theory (two factor theory) 20

PART 3 INCREASING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN YOUR ORGANIZATION

The Recruitment Process 24

Employee Orientation 28

Performance Supports 33

Career Planning 39

Cultural Initiatives 46

Workforce Development 52

Succession Planning 57

Exit Management 62

References and Resources 68

Acknowledgements 72

1 “What Engages Employees The Most or, The Ten C’s Of Employee Engagement.”

By Gerard H. Seijts and Dan Crim, (The Ivey Business Journal, March/April 2006) This section expands on the concepts introduced in this article.


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Tactics for Engagement – An Introduction

“People are our greatest asset” is perhaps one of the most overused phrases in business - to the point of becoming a meaningless cliché. However, conditions in today’s labour market give pressing reasons for wise leaders to begin believing and responding to this statement in tangible ways. Labour market analysts tell us that our current skills shortages will continue. As our economy continues in its transition towards knowledge and service based industries, good people will become even more valuable. Canada’s Top Employers have discovered that one of the most effective ways to deal with skills shortages is to pay more attention to their current staff, investing in them and taking proactive steps to foster a deeper engagement level between their staff and their organizations. Employee Engagement is more than the “flavour of the month”; it’s an essential ingredient of organizational effectiveness. The engaged employee:

• Increases customer loyalty • Produces higher quality work • Enhances the organization’s reputation as an “employer of choice” • Improves the organization’s culture, • Increases the financial bottom line.

As a starting point, by “Employee Engagement” we mean: Employee Engagement occurs when a person is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about his or her work, coupled with his/her strong allegiance to the organization. “Engaged employees care about the future of the

company and are willing to invest the discretionary effort – sometimes exceeding duty’s call – to see that it succeeds.” (The Ten C’s of Employee Engagement, Seijts & Crim, Ivey Business Journal, Mar/Apr 2006)

Tactics for Engagement will provide you with a greater understanding of Employee Engagement and how to increase the engagement levels of your staff. This toolkit looks at Employee Engagement from a research perspective and proposes practical solutions to the reader. The final section of this resource includes hands-on tools you can use to foster Employee Engagement in eight essential aspects of organizational life. The Tactics for Engagement Employers’ Toolkit resources was written in conjunction with ETHOS Career Management Group's Career Management Connection project. During this six-month project we gathered research from Top Employers across Canada, finding out from them what they are doing to address the issues of skills shortages, workforce retention, employee engagement and succession planning. (See www.cmc.ethoscmg.com for more information regarding this project.)


Top Ten Reasons to Foster Employee Engagement

While most employers have long understood the need for having an engaged workforce, recent research shows startling numbers that emphasize the importance of paying more attention to this issue. Consider this:

� Only 26% of Canadian workers report being “highly engaged” in their jobs, and 66% report being “moderately engaged”. 24% report being “actively disengaged”!

On the other hand, � 84% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively impact the quality of their organization’s products, compared with only 31% of the disengaged.

� 72% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively affect customer service, versus 27% of the disengaged.

� 68% highly engaged employees believe they can positively impact costs in their job or unit, compared with just 19% of the disengaged.

(Source: The Ten C’s of Employee Engagement, Seijts & Crim, Ivey Business Journal, Mar/Apr 2006)

Improving the level of Employee Engagement in your organization will pay ten tangible dividends:

To the company: 1. Boosted productivity and business growth through employees

effectiveness

2. Instilled sense of employee loyalty and increased attendance 3. Improved employee retention 4. Enhanced appeal to job seekers

To the employee: 5. Renewed commitment to company’s purpose 6. A motivating work setting 7. Greater sense of community at the workplace 8. Enhanced trust towards employer and/or leadership

To the customers: 9. Enhanced experience 10. Improved customer loyalty


Engagement That Matters

All engagement is not equal.

Individuals engage in their work in different ways and at different levels. The Corporate Leadership Council in the UK conducted an Employee Engagement survey in 2004 with more than 50,000 employees from 59 organizations in 30 countries throughout 14 industries. Two types of engagement were identified – “Rational Engagement”, and “Emotional Engagement.” While both types of engagement are important, their research demonstrated that employees’ emotional engagement is the most important factor for increasing an individual’s discretionary efforts at work. Rational Engagement refers to the employee’s logical reasoning for working for the employer. Rational reasons include: rate of pay, extended benefits, job stability, how the job serves the individual’s career plans/goals, etc. Rational Commitment affects recruiting and retention; it has little affect on discretionary effort. Emotional Engagement refers to the employee’s values-based connectedness to the organization and/or job. Emotionally engaged individuals will see their occupation as being fulfilling and genuinely contributing to the purpose of the organization. “Meaning” is the term that best defines emotional commitment and is the essence behind long-term retention and discretionary effort. The diagram below outlines the dynamics of rational and emotional commitment:

A Dichotomous Perspective on Engagement (Source: Corporate Leadership Council 2004 Employee Engagement Survey)


While rational commitment is important for retention, emotional commitment makes the greatest difference for “discretionary effort” – that is, the effort people exert above and beyond fulfilling the basic requirements of their job descriptions. Discretionary effort results in higher levels of work volume, quality and customer service. The Corporate Leadership Council study also examined the types of commitment people have at work. The CLC study showed that a worker’s commitment to his manager, team, company and job produced different levels of discretionary effort. The big winner in terms of generating discretionary effort? Emotional Engagement to One’s Job. The following graph reports how the different commitments affect discretionary effort. As a group, regardless of position within the organization, employees emotionally ‘connected’ to their job will simply exercise more effort and discipline. From an Employee Engagement perspective, the best return on investment (ROI) comes through the effort the organization exerts into fostering engagement between individuals and their jobs.

Measuring the Impact of Emotional vs. Rational Engagement at the Workplace

(Source: Corporate Leadership Council 2004 Employee Engagement Survey)

See ETHOS Career Management Group’s “Organizational Career

Management Model” (www.cmc.ethoscmg.com) for information on how to develop individuals’ emotional commitment to their jobs and careers.


Employee Engagement – The Business Case More Than Ever, People Are Your Greatest Asset In a labour market that is driven increasingly by knowledge and service skills, Employee Engagement becomes even more critical to business success. In previous times when productivity was built around mechanical systems, individuals’ engagement levels were almost a secondary issue. However, in today’s economy (and even more so in the future), in order to be successful, most organizations require talented and engaged people. While many of us can understand the importance of Employee Engagement for productivity at an intuitive level, research also supports our “common sense”. In 2003, the Brookings Institute examined the source of market value and how it has changed over a twenty year period. Their findings reinforce the shift towards the importance of people. 1982

• 62% of an organization’s market value came from tangible assets (machinery, products, facilities, etc.)

• 38% of market value came from intangible assets (factors such as brand, intellectual property, and the quality of the workforce)

2002

• 20% of market value is from tangible assets 80% of market value comes from intangible assets

(pie graph for above info) In twenty years, the source of market value has almost completely reversed. The reason for this: tangible assets can be copied and reproduced. Technological advantages frequently produce only short-term advantages. However, the quality of an organization’s intangible assets – the talent,

2002 - Typical

Organization's

Market Value

Tangible

Assets 20%

Intangible

Assets 80%

1982 - Typical

Organization's

Market Value

Tangible

Assets 62%

Intangible

Assets 38%


passion and commitment of its workforce – is largely controlled by the organization itself. (Source: “Employee Engagement: The Key to Realizing Competitive Advantage”, Development Dimensions International, Inc.)

Engaged employees create the competitive edge in today’s economy.

Employee Engagement Improves Work Habits & Productivity Organizations with high levels of Employee Engagement reap other financial benefits in terms of human resources savings and organizational efficiencies. Consider the following data collected from an American Fortune 100 company

On low-engagement teams: • Turnover averaged 14.5% • Absenteeism was approximately 8%

On highly engaged teams: • Turnover averaged only 4.1% • Absenteeism was only 4.8%

The Gallup Organization found Employee Engagement to have a profound impact on a number of similar company-related issues:

• 50% higher levels of Employee Retention • 56% higher than average Customer Loyalty • 38% above the average Productivity ratings • 27% more Profitability

Bottom Line Results Besides reducing human resources and operations costs, numerous studies have shown that an engaged workforce also significantly improves financial profits. In 2006, ISR - one of the world’s leading research companies – conducted a one-year study of over 664,000 employees worldwide. They discovered that companies with a highly engaged workforce improved their operating income by about 19%, while those with low commitment lost about 33%. The study also discovered that highly engaged workforces produced a 13% increase in net income, while low commitment workforces saw a decline of nearly 4%. This study is only one example from our extensive research that demonstrates overwhelming “hard evidence” that highly engaged workplaces significantly improve a company’s bottom-line.

"If you have an engaged workforce, you have a loyal customer and if you have a loyal customer base, you're going to increase share value."

– Bill Pallet, Delta Hotels

“It’s a fact: The higher the level of engagement, the higher the performance of the business. The research is not inconclusive, not limited to one country or industry, and not contained to a few hundred people – it’s overwhelming.”

– DDI Inc.


The Picture of an Engaged Employee Engaged employees care about the future of the organization and are willing to invest the discretionary effort to see that it succeeds. The following information can help you gauge engagement levels of your staff (and yourself!). Here is a snapshot of what engaged individuals look like and how they add value throughout the organization:

The typical ENGAGED employee:

� Is competent � Is dependable � Is devoted and committed � Is focused and secure � Supports the organization’s efforts � Is prepared to ‘go the extra mile’ to complete a task � Integrates the firm’s mission into his/her own � Shares common values

According to Hewitt Associates (2006) an engaged employee will consistently exhibit three general behaviors. He/she will: • Say - Frequently refer to the employer in positive terms in his/her personal environment.

• Stay – Be strongly motivated to remain a member of the organization regardless of external employment opportunities.

• Strive – Show initiative and provide discretionary effort to assist in ensuring the business succeeds.

For a more detailed picture, consider the following descriptors:


The Excellent Performer • Has exceptional job skills • Shows proper initiative within bounds • Is accurate in carrying out work • Is punctual • Has the ability to deliver at a high level

• Shows regular attendance

• Is very dependable • Is adaptable to changing circumstances and demands

• Shows a consistent cooperation • Is well organized • Will comfortably receive appropriate criticism

The Good Performer

• Is job proficient • Shows satisfactory attendance • Is reasonably accurate in carrying out job duties

• More often than not, will handle changes to circumstances and demands

• Delivers acceptable work • Is reasonably well organized, but may sometimes overlook details

• Generally shows dependability and cooperation

• Is usually at ease receiving constructive criticism

• Will sometimes take initiative, but occasionally oversteps bounds

The Poor Performer

• Has passably competent skills; may demonstrate incompetence in some areas

• Shows little initiative, or lacks the skills to make sound judgment

• Lacks work precision • Has poor attendance • Delivers substandard results • Is not very adaptable • Is poorly dependable • Is not well organized • Is not always cooperative • Is defensive, suspicious and does not

generally handle criticism well

Measuring Employee Engagement For a more accurate picture of Employee Engagement, consider utilizing one or more of the following tools.

"Current thought is that Employee Engagement is a greater indicator of productivity than employee satisfaction. When employees really care about the business, they're more likely to go the extra mile." CUNA, 2005


Employee Engagement Assessment The Gallup Organization created a feedback system for employers that would identify and measure elements of worker engagement most tied to the bottom line – things such as sales growth, productivity and customer loyalty. After hundreds of focus groups and thousands of interviews with employees in a variety of industries, Gallup created the Q12, a 12-question survey that identifies strong feelings of Employee Engagement. Survey results show a strong correlation between high scores and superior job performance.

This free tool provides a short summary of the results. The Training Source, the company that produces this assessment tool, will also provide a free follow-up consultation for those interested in a more in-depth review. To access the Employee Engagement Assessment, go to: www.leadingforloyalty.com/support-files/employee_engagement_assessment.pdf

Leadership Support Assessment The Leadership Support Assessment is designed to assess how your management and leadership style enhances employee motivation and retention. This free tool provides a short summary of your results. The Training Source will also provide a free follow-up consultation. To access the Leadership Support Assessment, go to: www.leadingforloyalty.com/support-files/leadingforloyalty_leaders_assessment.pdf

(Source: LGPerformance Tasmania, 2006)


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The 10 C’s of Employee Engagement Great leaders continually learn how to lead. They assess their needs and take the required steps to improve themselves. Consider the following comments from leaders: Ralph Stayer, CEO of Johnsonville Sausage, in the book, Flight of the

Buffalo: Soaring to Excellence, Learning to Let Employees Lead, writes: “I learned what I had to in order to succeed, but I never thought that learning was all that important. My willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed is what fueled Johnsonville’s growth. In 1980 I hit the wall. I realized that if I kept doing what I had always done, I was going to keep getting what I was getting. And I didn’t like what I was getting. I would never achieve my dream. I could see the rest of my business life being a never-ending stream of crises, problems, and dropped balls. We could keep growing and have decent profits, but it wasn’t the success I was looking for.”

Ralph Stayer observed that employees did what they were told to do, but were careless and appeared uninterested in their work. Stayer recognized there is a difference between compliance and commitment. Lee Thayer a communication professor hired by Stayer explained that a critical task for a leader is to create a climate that enables employees to unleash their potential:

“It is not the job of an employer to make the employees listen to what you have to say; it is about creating an environment/ atmosphere/system so that people want to listen.”

Committed employees are engaged employees and engaged employees will improve organizational performance. As a leader, you can build your organization’s Employee Engagement level by consciously modeling the behavior that serve as a catalyst for increasing employee’s engagement. The following ten factors are essential aspects of an engaged workplace. The Engaging Manager intentionally shapes their “Modus Operandi”, designing it to bring out the best in people. The concepts in this section are from: “What Engages Employees The Most or, The Ten C’s Of Employee Engagement.” By Gerard H. Seijts and Dan Crim, (The Ivey Business Journal, March/April 2006) We have captured the essence of these concepts and added tools for employing them.


The Ten C’s of Employee Engagement

“How can leaders engage employees’

heads, hearts and hands?”

1. Connect • Leaders must show in tangible ways that they value employees. • Employee Engagement is, in part, a direct reflection of how an employee feels about her relationship with the boss.

Mini-Tool � Be available to your employees. � Take time to do something with your staff during work-time. Thomas Mayerhofer (Coast Bastion Inn, Nanaimo, BC) says that many of his employees get far more out of him buying them lunch than they get out of a training course.

� Practice “Management by Walking Around” – a hands-on style based on regularly walking around to speak with, question, listen to employees, and to learn more about their work processes.

2. Career • Leaders need to provide employees with challenging and meaningful work with opportunities for learning and growth.

• Good leaders challenge employees and at the same time instill confidence that the challenge can be met.

• People must be given the knowledge and tools to be successful. Not providing these elements can lead to lack of engagement.

• Most people want to do new things in their work. • Do you provide job rotation/shadowing for top talent?

Mini-Tool � Be sure to know the career aspirations of each staff member who reports to you. Look for opportunities to send them meaningful tasks/assignments that relate to these goals.

� Enable people to take on new tasks they haven’t handled before. � Assign individuals specialized tasks that allow them to become experts. The payoff will be employees with an enhanced sense of responsibility and achievement (For more information, see “Increasing Employee Engagement in Your

Workplace”, Item 4 – Career Planning Process)

3. Clarity

• Leaders must communicate a clear vision to all levels in an organization. Success can be measured by how clear individuals are about their goals and what they want to achieve.


• Employees need to understand what the organizational goals are, why they are important and how the goals can be attained. “The most crippling problem in American business is sheer ignorance about how business works.” – Jack Stack, CEO of SRC Holdings Corp.

Mini-Tool � Make information available directly to employees rather than sending it through their managers first.

� Assign tasks in such a manner that staff can carry them out to completion without any further instruction. (See Ken Blanchard’s “One Minute Manager” for clarity with this concept.)

4. Convey • Good leaders clarify their expectations about employees and provide feedback on their expectations about employees, and provide feedback on their functioning in the organization.

• Employees need processes and procedures that help them master important tasks and facilitate goal achievement.

Mini-Tool � Change how you “check-in” with individuals who report to you. Ask questions in such a way that the answers will clarify in your mind whether or not staff members understand their assignments and completion timelines. (For more information see “Increasing Employee Engagement in

Your Workplace”, Item 3 – Performance Supports)

5. Congratulate • Surveys consistently demonstrate that employees feel they receive immediate feedback when their performance is poor or below expectations. The same employees report that praise and recognition is much less common.

• Exceptional leaders give recognition consistently. They create opportunities for people to see themselves and their work as having high value.

Mini-Tool � Find unique ways to recognize and congratulate your staff. Employees appreciate tactics that reflect your organization.

“A lot of problems in business are not because the CEO doesn’t have the right values. It’s because the CEO isn’t effective at communicating them throughout the entire organization.” – Timothy Rowe


o Delta Airport has a formal recognition program in place, offering “Delta Dollars” which can be traded for gift cards and prizes.

o The City of Vancouver has developed a “Trainers Recognition

Program” to recognize the impact and role internal trainers have.

6. Contribute • People want to know that their input matters and that they are contributing to the organization’s success in a meaningful way.

• Good leaders help people see and feel how they are contributing to the organization’s success and future.

Mini-Tool � Breakdown individual and team goals and explain how they connect to organizational goals. (For more information see “Increasing Employee Engagement in Your Workplace”, Item 3 – Performance Supports)

7. Control

• Employees value control over the flow and pace of their jobs. • Leaders should be flexible and attuned to the needs of the employees as well as the organization.

• When people describe their flow experiences, they mention a strong sense of being in control of a situation. The feeling is more with the ability to control one’s own performance than the environment itself.

• Being in control in the workplace, an employee has the necessary skills to set new strategies to reach a goal.

Mini-Tool

� Avoid micro-management at all costs! Give people responsibility, accountability, and authority. Increase individual’s accountability for their work by removing some controls. Note how this is practiced at Delta Hotels:

What does engagement look like at a Delta Hotel? Senior Vice President, Bill Pallett says it is giving the employees the ability to respond - "response-ability." Too often, he says, companies give their employees more responsibility and accountability, but no authority to act. Delta prides itself on giving their staff that authority. Without that authority, stress rises as do mental health issues and physical symptoms. Authority enables staff to "get rid of the stress of having to ask for permission." What Pallett sees as key is "people gaining a little more control over their work area and having a say in their work area and being included in the decision-making. People feel they have an impact on the outcome of the business."

(Source: “Response-Ability and the Power to Please”, www.worklifebc.ca)


8. Collaborate • Studies indicate that employees working in a team environment of trust and cooperation outperform individuals and teams that lack good relationships.

• Great leaders are team builders they create an environment that fosters trust and collaboration. Trust is created and stress is reduced by creating a climate where employees are involved in decision making.

• Steven Covey describes the effectiveness of collaboration in Habit #6 Synergize, “The highest forms of synergy focus the four unique human endowments, the motive of Win/Win, and the skills of empathic communication on the toughest challenges we face in life. What results is almost miraculous. We create new alternatives - something that wasn’t there before.”

Mini-Tool � Schedule regular meetings with each employee you supervise. Resist the temptation to tackle challenges independently, and then delegating duties to staff. Treat challenges as “team challenges” and call on your staff’s creativity to find solutions.

� Trust your employees to come up with the answers. A manager at Kraft Foods yielded to his assembly-line workers. They developed a schedule and a new team system that boosted production reduced overhead costs and downtime, and improved recruitment and retention.

� Delta Airport Hotel in Richmond works to consistently involve employees in decision making. One employee from each department sits with the General Manager and HR Director each month to talk about, hotel improvements, “hot issues,” and general information in their department.

9. Credibility • Leaders should strive to maintain the company’s reputation and demonstrate high ethical standards.

• WestJet Airlines is among the most admired organizations in Canada. In 2005 it earned the number one spot for best corporate culture in Canada. 2005 was the year WestJet launched the “Because We’re

Owners!” campaign. Employees believe in what the company is trying to do and are so excited about the strong performance record that 85% of them own shares in the company.

Mini-Tool � Take the time to assess how closely your leadership habits and practices match what you expect from yourself. Take the Empowerment Motivation For Employees - Walking the Talk


Questionnaire as a starting point. Access the free questionnaire at www.businessballs.com/freematerialsinword/empowermentmotivationquestionnairebpalmer.doc

10. Confidence • Good leaders help to create confidence in an organization by being examples of high ethical and performance standards.

• You can promote confidence in individuals and teams by incorporating self-management and interpersonal skills.

• Outstanding performers exhibit behaviors associated with Initiative or Achievement, Orientation or Self-Confidence.

Mini-Tool � Be aware of and help regulate the emotions of individual team members by handling confrontation productively.

� Manage with a human touch – enable people to move forward in their work and treat them decently as human beings (reference: Inner Work Life – Study HBR)

� Create structures that let the individual or group express its emotions and cultivate a positive environment. Example:

o Wickaninnish Inn, Vancouver Island – Recommends participation of all staff in various committees (e.g. Green Committee, Best Place to Work, Staff Committee). They encourage and foster “own it” attitudes with all levels of staff.

“The key to a healthy workplace is an engaged workforce that is empowered to make decisions within their sphere of influence.”

– Bill Pallet, Delta Hotels


The Herzberg “Two-Factor” Motivation Theory Often managers and leaders are taken aback when their employees don’t respond enthusiastically to new initiatives that management considered highly motivating. Understanding the factors that elicit motivation is powerful knowledge for creating a work environment that engages employees. This section dealing with motivation theory can help managers:

• Evaluate the motivating factors that exist in their organizations now • Understand if a new initiative is likely to increase engagement • Evaluate their management style and its effect on employees.

The most widely recognized and respected theory of motivation was developed by the American psychologist, Frederick Herzberg. His 1968 article, “One More Time, How Do You Motivate Employees?” is still the most requested article from the Harvard Business Review. Frederick Herzberg established that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are mutually exclusive and act rather separately from each other. Herzberg’s “Two Factor Theory” states that there are certain factors in the workplace that cause job satisfaction, while a separate set of factors cause dissatisfaction. (Herzberg, Mausner and Snyderman, 1959) Motivators produce positive Employee Engagement, while Hygiene Factors prevent dissatisfaction. (Herzberg borrowed the term “Hygiene” from the medical setting. Hygiene factors in a hospital aren’t the reason why people recuperate, but their presence prevents people from getting sick. In the same way, “Workplace Hygiene Factors” don’t motivate people, but their presence does prevent people from becoming dissatisfied.)

Motivators Hygiene Factors Job-Related Workplace-Related

Achievement Work Policies

Recognition Leadership Quality

Work Challenges Workplace Relationships

Responsibility Work Environment

Development Opportunity Compensation, Security, Status

• Satisfaction is primarily the result of the Motivator Factors, which help increase satisfaction, but have little effect on dissatisfaction.

• Dissatisfaction is primarily the result of Hygiene Factors, which, if absent or inadequate, cause dissatisfaction.

Herzberg’s Workplace Motivators and Hygiene Factors (Source: Management of Organizational Behavior, 2001)


Herzberg states workplace-related factors seldom are motivators. Employees tend to ignore certain benefits and good working conditions, but when those are removed from the work scene, their absence becomes discouraging. Conversely, a salary increase will have a positive short-term effect on employee motivation, but will be a significant mood repressor if not fair. A sense of achievement may go a long way towards empowering the employee, but it will have a limited impact on performance if not supported by maintenance factors. Both motivators and hygiene factors are necessary for creating an environment conducive to cultivating engagement.

The Impact of Motivators and Hygiene Factors on Attitude (Source: Harvard Business Review, Build a Motivated Workforce, 2007)


Practical Applications: 1. In order to create an engaged workforce, it’s important to ensure people’s external needs are satisfied. (See diagram on page 21.) Once these factors are satisfied, little is achieved by further emphasis on them.

2. People are motivated by intrinsic factors. The key to an engaging workplace is to create an environment where people are internally motivated by achievement and the nature of the work itself.

Jobs can be enriched by applying these principles:

• Increase individual’s accountability for the work by removing some controls.

• Give people complete responsibility for a complete process or unit of work.

• Make information available directly to employees rather than sending it through their managers first.

• Enable people to take on new, more difficult tasks they haven’t handled before.

• Assign individuals specialized tasks that allow them to become experts.

(Source: Harvard Business Review, Build a Motivated Workforce, p.30, 2007)


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The Recruitment Process Recruitment is the process of attracting individuals in a timely basis, in sufficient numbers, with appropriate qualifications, and encouraging them to apply for jobs with an organization. What separates great companies from merely good ones? Exceptional firms attract and retain the right people – employees who are excited by the organization’s culture and who reward the organization with loyalty and stellar performance. The Recruiting Process includes more than the familiar steps of advertising to fill positions, interviewing candidates, short-listing and hiring the successful recruits. The savviest employers realize that they need to keep their eyes open for new talent at all times. Many organizations, for example, have added steps to their Exit Management processes in order to create “ambassadors” of staff when they leave, as well as creating an open invitation for them to return in the future. Why Top Employers Consider Recruitment a High Priority

The tone and atmosphere for Employee Engagement should start during the Recruiting Process. Leaders from the 50 best employers (The Globe and Mail Report on Business Magazine 2006) believe they are attracting the people they need for business success (86%), versus 68% of leaders at other organizations who say they are attracting the people they need. Top Employers understand that the energy and resources they spend in the Recruitment Process pay dividends through attracting the right people - people who will be engaged in their jobs early in their tenure and will continue to add value throughout their employment. Top Employers understand that continual hiring and training is costly to the organization both in terms of time wasted, low morale and quality of work. Smart employers are willing to expend extra resources in recruiting in order to save money and reap greater rewards in the long-term. Why “Tactics for Engagement” in the Recruitment Process?

This question can be answered with another, more easily answered question, “Why waste time and energy recruiting and training people who aren’t

interested in your organization and will leave when a better opportunity arises?” If you want engaged employees, only hire those who have a realistic probability of becoming engaged in your organization. People have different interests, skills, qualities and values. Like any other relationship, their needs to be a suitable rapport between both parties involved. Tactics for


Engagement in recruiting is a process whereby you market your available positions in a manner that will attract the individuals who not only have the qualities and skills you’re looking for, but will like working at your organization and believe they’re making an important contributions through their work. Tactics for Engagement while recruiting will enable you to find the individuals who are internally motivated to perform the tasks and activities you’re for which you’re advertising. Companies that select new employees from the candidates who walk in their door or who answer newspaper and online ads are missing the best candidates. By utilizing Tactics for Engagement in the Recruiting process you will be able to be better equipped to find top performers that fit your company culture as well as build your candidate pool before you need it. Types of Employee Engagement Tactics that Improve Recruiting The tactics that actually get you the people that you want to be part of your organization are the ones that you want to implement. The following is a summary of tactics Top Employers are using to attract the right people to their organizations: • Top Employer Deloitte has long been a leader in both recruiting and retention, and has now broken new ground by building a global careers website designed from the ground up to focus on the candidate experience. o Best Practice: Deloitte conducts target audience research using two external candidate groups, students and experienced professionals, to help create the original design specifications for the website. Ongoing surveys and focus groups with candidates sourced inside and outside the organization guide refinements and changes.

• Top Employer PacifiCare realizes the tremendous impact that a great brand can have on recruiting in a healthcare industry. o Best Practice: PacifiCare has developed a brand that is integrated with the core business strategy. The tag line is “Caring is good. Doing something is better”. This is supported by an employment brand tagline of “Envision, Innovate, and Accomplish”.

• Tactics that elevate the image of a company: o Honesty – never sugarcoat the job to entice an applicant o Challenge – today’s youth are wanting to be challenged to the extreme limits of their potential

o Leadership – employees will not resent the structure a company has in place if they are given an explanation for the difficult tasks they are required to do

o Recognition – let them know how they will be recognized for their accomplishments


• You can be sure you are fostering engagement while recruiting if you:

o Increase your attraction level with top recruits (see Page 10 – “Picture of an Engaged Employee”)

o Receive applications that exhibit an extraordinary level of preparation o Receive fewer applications from unqualified candidates o Receive applications speaking to your organization’s values

• Develop relationships with Schools, Recruiting Agencies and Trade Associations. Pay for employees to participate in and network with industry groups.

• Bring in people for interviews before you have an available position. Some employers are willing to hire good people before a specific position is available using the rationale that talent this extraordinary will be scooped by someone else if they wait.

• A company newsletter will keep your potential employees, customers and other interested individuals up-to-date. People who read your newsletter on their own time are the people engaged with your organization.

• Define Your Target Employee – Identify your target potential employees as methodically as you do customers. o Top US company JetBlue, unable to pay reservation agents standard industry salaries, targets people who value flexible schedules. Agents work out of their homes and trade shifts using an online community board. This has created a 30% boost in productivity and a 38% jump in customer-service levels compared to industry averages.

• Share Your Stories – Encourage employees to relate positive corporate experiences to potential hires. Model this practice by building your own habit of “sharing your stories” with staff.

• Job Advertisements – Postings can reflect the heritage, current challenges and dreams of an organization. The goals of a job ad is to generate responses from qualified applicants and to prevent candidates who are clearly unqualified from applying for the position. o Job advertisements provide an opportunity to clearly communicate your organization’s direction. It should tell potential candidates whether they fit the company vision.

o Convey a sense of your organizational culture with a few phrases: (E.g. “fast-paced and client-centered”).

o Use active voice and action words throughout the ad o Create a buzz, a sense of enthusiasm; arouse interest

ENGAGEMENT TOOLS FOR THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS


• Referrals – Top Employer Quicken Loans, has an aggressive recruiting team. Their employee referral program turns every employee into a “talent scout.” Sixty-one percent of hires come from internal recruiting. Top Employers, Delta Airport Hotel, Urban Barn and Tourism BC all responded to our study stating: employee referral is a strong component to their success in hiring a successful candidate. o Contact the referred candidate within 48 hours o Keep referral team members in the loop o Use contests to encourage employees to refer o Conduct surveys to measure:

� Employee satisfaction with the program � Ease of process � Referral “experience” � Employee motivation and their willingness to refer

• Resumé Screening – Initial scanning will provide you with a general impression of a candidate. o Cover letter – Does it sound “enthusiastic?” o Resumé - Has the candidate taken the time to customize their resumé for your job?

o Screen the application for ‘fit’: Does the applicant demonstrate alignment with your corporate vision, mission and values?

• Interviewing Candidates o Deliver an introduction to the organization at the start of the interview. Talk about of the organization’s past and current activities, and speak enthusiastically about the organization’s mission, culture and future. Candidates who “fit” will resonate with this introduction.

o Try to form a sense of candidates’ lives, personalities, what matters to them, and how the organization fits into that picture.

o Encourage them to talk about things they are interested in and what they love to do. (How does the job they are seeking fit them?)

o Ask behaviour-based questions. These types of questions provide an opportunity for a candidate to demonstrate leadership or other desirable types of performance.

o Questions asked should be the same for all candidates. This will make it easier to see the best ‘fit’.

• Interview Summary Tool o Create a form that enables the interviewing team to not only review the candidate’s qualifications, but also their perceived fit with the organization. Laurie Sagle, Human Resources Manager of Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa & Resort (Parksville, BC) uses the following form for this purpose:


Interview Summary Name of Applicant: ___________________________________________________ Position applied for: __________________________________________________

Human Resources Department Manager Displays Tigh-na-Mara Core Values

a) Passion for service excellence

b) Positive and professional attitude

c) Honest & open communicator

d) Developing & Advancing in the team

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Personality a) Friendly b) Smiles c) Good communicator d) Makes eye contact e) Enthusiastic

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Work Experience a) In a similar position b) In customer service

orientated position

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Grooming & Presentation (Clothes, earrings, makeup, hair…)

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Job & Hours Availability 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Language Skills a) Uses professional

language b) Speaks clearly c) Uses proper grammar

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Department Compatibility 1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Human Resources Comments & Notes

Interviewed by: ________________________ _ Date: ________________ Department Manager Comments & Notes

Interviewed by: ________________________ _ Date: ________________

(Source: Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa & Resort, Parksville, British Columbia)


Employee Orientation

Employee Orientation is the process you use for welcoming a new employee into your organization. Employee Orientation generally contains information about safety, the work environment, the new job description, benefits and eligibility, company culture, company history, the organization chart and anything else relevant to working in the new company. Employee Orientation often includes an introduction to each department in the organization and training on-the-job. New Employee Orientation frequently involves spending time doing the jobs in each department to understand the flow of the product or service through the organization. (Susan M. Heathfield, “New Employee Orientation” – www.humanresources.about.com) A well planned Employee Orientation strategy will help new hires begin their employment in an engaged manner and create an expectation of ongoing engagement in their work. Steps that make new employees comfortable, confident and capable before they begin actual training will help ensure that employees start with a good attitude towards the organization and their job. Employee Orientation is an important component to Employee Engagement. By spending time during the orientation process, you will establish the personal relationship necessary to coach them. You will also have an opportunity to identify the attitudes and values that need to be reinforced as well as the skills that need to be trained. Why Top Employers Consider Employee Orientation a High Priority Orientation (or lack of it) makes a significant difference in how quickly an employee can become productive, and has long term effects for the organization. Top Employers realize that a comprehensive orientation process is worth the time and effort. Effective orientation saves time and potential frustration for both the organization and the employee. Organizations that place a high value on their culture utilize orientations as key opportunity to expose employees to tangible aspects of that culture. Effective orientation allows employees to learn early on what is expected of them, what is expected from others, in addition to learning about the organization’s vision, values and culture. Why “Tactics for Engagement” in the Orientation Process Few challenges are more difficult than motivating disengaged (and sometimes cynical) employees. Breaking bad habits and cultivating internal motivation is a tall order for even the best of leaders. The easiest, most effective means of engaging employees is to do so at the beginning of their tenure. When people start their positions fully engaged, and with the


expectation of ongoing challenging and engaging work, the manager’s job becomes one of maintaining the engaging atmosphere.

Employee Engagement is easier to maintain than recreate.

Effective Employee Orientation sets the stage for things to come. It provides an opportunity to share and discuss how individuals can pursue their personal career goals in the context of the organization. By discovering new employees’ individual career goals, you have an opportunity to integrate those goals with corporate goals. When employees’ goals are in line with the corporate vision there will be a reduction in turnover. An atmosphere of trust, cooperation and motivation will be created. Employee Engagement is the key to effective Employee Orientation. Without it, orientation becomes a mundane exercise of accumulating basic knowledge for getting on with the job. Without engagement, employees respond to their orientation with words such as:

“It was good; I learned everything I needed.”

After an engaging orientation, employees will make statements like:

“Wow, what a great place to work!” “No wonder XYZ is so well known for its customer service!”

“This company is going places!” “I never realized there would be so many opportunities here!”

Types of Engagement Tactics that Improve Employee Orientation The test of Employee Engagement in Employee Orientation is evidenced in both the short and long-terms. Short-Term Indicator:

• Do employees start their new

jobs with confidence, assurance and enthusiasm?

Long-Term Indicators: • Do employees stay with the

organization? • Do employees improve their

skills and advance in the organization

• Do employees refer others to apply with the organization?

Purpose of Orientation

• To Reduce Startup Costs: Proper Orientation can help the employee get “up to speed” much more quickly, thereby reducing the costs associated with learning the job.


• To Reduce Anxiety: Any employee, when put into a new, strange situation, will experience anxiety that can impede his or her ability to learn the job. Proper orientation helps to reduce anxiety resulting from entering into an unknown situation, and helps provide guidelines for behavior and conduct, so the employee does not have to experience the stress of guessing.

• To Reduce Employee Turnover: Employee turnover increases as employees feel they are not valued, or are put in positions where they can’t possibly do their jobs. Orientation shows that the organization values the employee, and helps provide the tools necessary for succeeding in the job.

• To Save Time for the Supervisor: Simply put, the better the initial orientation, the less likely supervisors and co-workers will have spending time teaching the employee while on the job.

• To Develop Realistic Job Expectations: It is important that employees learn what is expected of them as soon as possible, what to expect from others, in addition to learning about the values and attitudes of the organization. While people can learn from experience, it’s important to avoid those mistakes that are unnecessary and potentially damaging.

The main reasons orientation programs fail: The program was not planned; the employee was unaware of the job requirements; the employee did not feel welcomed.

• Best Practice: Enhanced Employee Orientation Program. The City of Vancouver (2007 Top Employer) increased new Employee Orientation length from a ½ day to a full day. The City now offers orientations regularly for both new and long term employees.

• Make them feel at ease. The orientation should make the new employees feel comfortable, welcome and secure. (E.g. Set-up in an open circle, if orientating a group.)

• Share stories from your own experience. People who capture the hearts of others and leave them feeling uplifted often do so by sharing stories about their own struggles, mistakes, and life lessons.

• Spend time with introductions and open questions. • Alleviate their fears and doubts. Let them know that you are available to them for confidential advice.

• Encourage friendships among new employees. Try to create a team spirit among the existing group of newcomers.

ENGAGEMENT TOOLS FOR EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION


• Assure them how the organization welcomes their observations, comments and critiques.

• Assign a mentor, or buddy, to show the new person around. The mentoring relationship should continue for 90 days.

• Help them feel valued. The experience should be something to make the person feel highly regarded by the organization.

• Ask for feedback. Find out from former new hires how they perceived the orientation process. You can send an evaluation 2-4 weeks after the employee has started, and ask: Now that you have been with the company awhile, did the orientation meet your needs?

A Tool for Engagement – The “Psychological Contract” While the name might sound intimidating, psychological contracts are normal. In fact, every working relationship is based on a psychological contract. A psychological contract is comprised of implied or explicit promises, made verbally or in written form during the course of employment between the employer and employee. It is simply the answer to two questions: “What do I expect from the employee?” and “What does the

employee expect from myself and the organization?” When recognized formally and clearly articulated, a psychological contract is an engagement tool that can be carried from the orientation process and throughout the employee’s tenure with the organization. The example below represents a template for employee and employer agreement. The language and format should be adjusted to fit your organizational culture and tailored for a specific position.

A Model Of The Psychological Contract

Employees promise to : Employers promise to provide: Work hard Pay commensurate with performance Develop themselves Opportunities for training and

development Maintain high levels of attendance and punctuality

Opportunities of promotion, career ladder

Be innovative Recognition for innovation or new ideas Work extra hours if required Feedback on performance Develop new skills and update old ones Interesting tasks Be flexible A fair benefit package Be courteous to clients and colleague Respectful treatment Be honest Reasonable job security Show loyalty to the organization A pleasant and safe working

environment Excel Rewards for good work Uphold company reputation Status


Important – Psychological contracts are not negotiated. They are formed by the organization and must have complete alignment with the corporate culture. Tool for Engagement – Clearly Worded & Relevant Job Descriptions Too many job descriptions are written in generic HR language and are either too general to be relevant, or have little connection with the actual job that’s being described. Clear expectations are an important engagement driver. Look at your job descriptions to see if they adequately provide clear directions for your staff.

• A good strategy when writing a job description or an orientation guide is to use specific details that describe the task or skill required.

• Clear language is a tactic that can induce high performance.

Example:

Unclear Language (Too General)

Clear Language (Specific)

Handles administrative chores Receives, sorts, and files monthly personnel action reports

Good communication skills Communicates technical information to nontechnical audiences to assist understanding

Computer literate Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and QuickBooks

Tool for Engagement – Comprehensive Training Plan & Schedule

• A training guide describing “the day in the life” of a position can be a useful orientation tool. It adds clarity to requirements of new roles.

• Send the training guide/agenda to the new associate with the offer letter so the employee knows what to expect.

• Start with the basics. Focus on the why, when, where and how of the position before expecting them to handle assignments or large projects.


Performance Supports

Performance Supports are the ways and means through which a company measures and improves the job skills of their employees in alignment with the company’s strategies, goals and expectations. Commonly called “Performance Management”, we chose to use the term “Performance

Supports” because of the negative connotation many employees have of performance management, and to utilize a label with a more engaging sense to it. The primary purpose of performance management is to coach employees towards their potential. This toolkit recognizes the close connection that “Performance Supports” has with employees’ Career Planning and the organization’s Workforce Development system. We recommend that whatever Performance Supports process your organization decides to use, that you include within it a means to recognize and support your employees’ career aspirations. Why Top Employers Consider Performance Supports a High Priority Top Employers invest considerable energy into their “Performance Supports” systems because they recognize that there is a direct correlation between their employees’ performance levels and organizational productivity. As well, Top Employers understand how important a high functioning staff is for creating a culture of high expectations. Top Employers also recognize that “how” they go about the task of performance management is as important as the outcomes they’re aiming for. Becoming an “employer of choice” requires paying considerable attention to developing a Performance Supports system that establishes a reputation for effectively equipping staff with the skills and tools they need to perform at a high level. Why “Tactics for Engagement” in the Performance Supports System Think about your staff. How many would you expect to answer “Yes” to the question “Do you look forward to performance appraisals?” No matter how positive your work environment is, you’re unlikely to find many staff members who look forward to their performance reviews. The reason – many people have had negative performance review experiences and most people view performance management as a process that’s designed to serve the organization, paying little attention to employee interests. Measures that result in high Employee Engagement in the Performance Supports activities will have a profound impact on your organization’s culture. Think about this: people search for a meaningful evaluation of virtually every interest they pursue outside of work. Whether it’s playing an instrument, participating in a sport, or pursuing a hobby, people want to


know how they’re doing and what they can do to get better. In fact, people are willing to spend a great deal of money to find the expert who can help them break bad habits (e.g. poor golf swing) and “improve their game.” Why is this seldom the case at work? Maybe it has something to do with how we design the Performance Supports system. If properly designed and implemented, performance appraisals can be valuable engagement tools for managers and employees. Types of Engagement Tactics that Improve Performance Supports

• Employee Engagement Tactics (Align/Set/Modify) o Include employee needs, concerns, dreams, and goals o Motivate employees to engage in the right behaviors to perform o Foster communications between the manager and employee

• Coaching o Address all performance issues in the context of the employee’s career goals

o Identify & address areas to develop o Provide development opportunities to perform better next time

• Assessment o Provide feedback on results — what worked and what did not o Set expectations for the job o Encourage employee with progress s/he’s made

(Strategy-focused Organization, The, by Thomas H Davenport and David P Norton, McGraw-Hill Ryerson Agency, Sep 2000)

PERFORMANCE

SUPPORTS

Workforce (Executes

Business Plan)

LEADERSHIP (Develops

Business Plan)

Organization

strategic goals

(Dynamic)

Job-related

performance goals

& career

development plans

Skills, knowledge,

abilities, experience, &

career planning

Visibility into business

Plan execution and

capabilities of people

inside the organization

ENGAGEMENT

Track performance

& assess

Competencies

Identify &

address areas to

be developed

Align/Set/Modify

Workforce

Performance Goals


Our tools for fostering engagement will be explained in the context of three standard appraisal processes; Self-appraisals, 360-degree feedback and Management by Objectives. William James of Harvard found that motivated employees work at

80 - 90 % of their ability while unmotivated employees work at about 20 - 30 % of their ability. (Hershey, Paul, and Kenneth H. Blanchard, Dewey E. Johnson. Management of Organizational Behavior Leading Human Resources. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001)

Employee Performance Management Survey This survey assesses the current state of Performance Supports. The questions should be reframed to suit your workforce and organization. 1. What would help you and your manager communicate more effectively about your performance goals? About your career plans?

2. Do you feel that people in your position are held accountable using the same standards for performance?

3. Do you clearly understand what is expected by your manager in his/her role?

4. Do you know the organization’s mission statement? 5. Do you have a clear sense of what management thinks of your work? 6. Do you feel the organization does an effective job in rewarding your efforts? What do you think can be done to improve this?

7. Do performance reviews help shape your efforts? 8. What can be done to improve the review process? 9. How could the organization help better develop you in your current role? For future roles in your career path?

10.Do you clearly understand the effects of your work on your manager? Your peers? Our customers?

Tool for Engagement –Self-Appraisals Self Appraisals are a method in which an employee evaluates his/her own performance and discusses it with his/her manager. Employees feel engaged because they have a voice in the process and it provides the ability to report progress toward goals.

ENGAGEMENT TOOLS FOR PERFORMANCE SUPPORTS


To Add Greater Employee Engagement: • Collaboratively develop a clear understanding prior to writing the Self Appraisal.

o The employee’s responsibilities, performance objectives, and priorities

o The company and manager's expectations o How the employees results will be measured and rated

• Provide time for the employee o To write information when it is fresh in his/her mind o Demonstrate support for his/her taking this recording time

• Encourage the importance of the employee’s achievements and accomplishments by keeping an ongoing Self Appraisal file and other performance related documentation

• Develop System Supports o Encourage open discussion of documentation o Review regularly at agreed intervals or when requested

Tool for Engagement – Management By Objectives (MBO) Appraisals Management By Objectives (MBO) is a process whereby managers regularly and systematically set goals for themselves and their employees, measure progress towards those goals, take corrective action where necessary and (typically) reward successful achievement of those goals. Increase Engagement Allow employees the opportunity to voice his/her opinions on a Management by Objective (MB0) appraisal 1. Engage employees to voices their opinions of concerns, needs, fears, desires, dreams, and feelings in an atmosphere of trust.

2. Listen carefully and intently to the employee’s opinions 3. Acknowledge alignment of Common Goals of the Company and Employees

4. Acknowledge non alignment of Company Goals with Employee Goals 5. Incorporate Company and Employee Common Goals 6. Rethink non-aligned goals needs: Timing and Training

COMPANY

GOALS

EMPLOYEE

GOALS COMMON

GOALS

Develop Management By Objectives through Common Goals


Factors for Engaging Employees using an Performance Appraisal Consider the following when selecting an appraisal method:

1. Is it valid? Is it reliable? 2. Did employees have input into its development? 3. Are its standards acceptable to employees? 4. Are its goals acceptable to employees? 5. Are its standards under the control of employees? 6. How frequent is the feedback? 7. Have raters been trained? Have the employees been trained? 8. Do employees have input into the appraisal interview? 9. Does the appraisal have consequences? 10. Are different sources (raters) utilized?

(Source: Hermann F. Schwind, “Performance Appraisal: the state of the Art,” in Shimon L Dolan and Randall S. Schuler, eds., Personnel and Human Resources management in Canada, West Publishing, 1987)

Tool for Engagement – “How To’s” for Conducting Performance Appraisal Meetings 1. Before getting together, ask the employee to complete a self-

evaluation. This doesn’t have to be long or overly formal, but should require the employee to highlight what she feels are her accomplishments, strengths and areas that need improvement.

2. State the objective of the feedback session right up front. Approach the appraisal along the lines of “helping you (the employee) to reach your full potential.” You don’t need a long-winded speech on your good intentions, just a brief reminder that the point is to let the employee know how he is doing and what he can do even better.

3. Review the employee’s performance for the entire period covered by the appraisal. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of applying a “halo” – or “tail and horns” – effect if only a part of the employee’s overall performance is in your mind. Review notes, projects completed and objectives established at the beginning of the period to develop an good overview of how the employee performed.

4. Avoid taking the “litany of negatives” approach. It’s surprisingly easy to fall into the mistake of listing all the things you dislike about the employee’s performance, while giving short shrift to the things she has done well. Needless to say, that can be discouraging to the employee and lead to something less than optimum results.


5. Let the employee take the lead. This ensures that the employee is engaged in the appraisal process, not just a passive observer. Questions can help keep things moving along and/or emphasize a point. For example, “What did you learn from that situation?”

6. Make it a “work together” experience. Don’t just render a verdict on how, in your opinion, the employee did. Make it clear you’re on the same side by asking what you can do to help the employee get better, add skills or move ahead on his career goals.

7. Avoid attributing motives to the employee’s actions. If, for example, the employee is often late in handing in a particular type of work, don’t say, “You’re still hoping I’ll assign someone else to get that quarterly report done and putting it off to the last minute.” Just stick to the facts – “You turned the quarterly report in late during three of the last four reporting periods.”

8. Come prepared to cite specific examples to illustrate key points. To use the situation described in point 7 above, don’t just say “You’re slow in getting your assignments done.” Rather, be ready to provide a specific example of what you mean, such as, “You turned the quarterly report in late during three of the four reporting periods.”

9. Ask the employee to develop or recommend specific action steps. Have the employee tell you what she needs to do to capitalize on identified strengths and improve weak areas e.g. what training she’d like and what specific improvements she needs to make.

10. Ask the employee to identify intermediate and long-term career goals. This can help put the appraisal meeting in perspective as well as help the employee to build and pursue an effective career strategy.


Career Planning Career Planning is the goal-oriented aspect of an individual’s Career Management. Career Management is a lifelong process in which individuals take proactive steps to determine their career paths. Good Career Management recognizes that while long and short-term goals are important, life situations and opportunities arise that influence these goals. Rather than having defined start and end-points, Career Management recognizes that individuals are dynamic and continually developing. With that in mind, goals are created to provide the means for navigating a career path. Career Management is an empowering endeavour that assists people to take charge of their careers. Involvement in employee’s Career Management makes sense for organizations of all types and sizes. Enabling individuals’ career development is a win-win proposition. As employees develop, the organization’s human capital grows, building its capacity to deliver and expand its services and/or products. An effective career planning process in an organization is an opportunity to link goals from the individual with those of the organization. When this occurs, both the individual and organization benefit from its employees’ Career Planning. Why Top Employers Consider Career Planning a High Priority As expanded on in “Employee Engagement – The Business Case”, engaged employees create the competitive edge in today’s economy. Top Employers understand that when employees attain greater knowledge and skills, they add value to the company. Involvement in employees’ career planning also helps the organization retain its best people. By facilitating employees’ career development the organization helps create a greater attachment to the organization. If employees believe that their employer is interested in their growth and wants to assist them with this growth, a sense of belonging if fostered. An emotional bond will be created, the employees’ will feel connected to the organization, and more likely to display behaviors linked with engagement. In Tactics for Engagement, “Engagement That Matters”, we cited research gathered by the Corporate Leadership Council (UK) that identified “emotional engagement to one’s job” as the single largest factor for increasing an employee’s engagement level. Since Career Planning fosters individuals’ involvement with their jobs, it stands to reason that energy and resources committed to this process will generate a positive return on investment.


Career Planning is directly linked to Workforce Development and Succession Planning. Top companies agree talent is a key driver in organizational success. Mobility is common among employees. Organizations can’t assume that they will have the talent around when it’s required. The best way to attain talent is to develop it in-house. Establishing a reputation for supporting career growth will markedly improve the organization’s reputation as a great place to work. As a secondary benefit, supporting employees’ career growth helps organizations deal with skills shortages issues as practice bolsters its reputation as an employer of choice. Why “Tactics for Engagement” in the Career Planning Process Assisting employees to clarify their career goals will provide an occasion to communicate the organization’s desire to partner with them in their ongoing career management. Career planning will engage the employee by creating an environment of trust and belonging. The organization will build a deeper talent pool that will contribute to the current and future success of your organization. Employing “Tactics for Engagement” in Career Planning is essential because tangible results from Career Planning depend on individuals’ motivation to reach their plans’ goals. If an organization implements a Career Planning process, its value depends on employees being highly engaged in and committed to it. Types of Engagement Strategies Improve the Career Planning Process The best tactics in career planning are those that bring together both the individuals’ career needs and the organization’s goals. When integrated, Career Planning gives new life to the organization’s Workforce Development initiatives and helps fulfill its Succession Planning objectives. Organizations do, however, need to be aware that the Career Planning process can lead to competing priorities if not managed properly. When Career Planning is “individual centered” the organization runs the risk of being treated as a means to an end. On the other hand, when Career Planning is ignored and the organization thinks only in terms of its own goals and establishes Workforce Development strategies to reach them, individuals feel like “cogs in the machine” and only do what’s necessary to satisfy the employer. The following table outlines the implications of organization and individual centered Workforce Development. The diagrams following this table graphically display the need for a synergy between the individual and the organization in the Career Planning process.


Potential Conflicts Between Organization and the Individual Organizational Needs and Demands

Individual Needs and Demands

• Concern for effective and efficient operation, profit and productivity

• Concern for self-fulfillment and self-actualization

• Concern for all members of the organization

• Concern for self

• Need to fill the rates in the organization structure

• Need self–fulfillment and self-actualization

• Need for skills to fill all positions • Interest in challenging work only • Need for some specific, well-developed skills

• Bored by routine work using specific skills

• Best utilization of all talents within the organization

• How to utilize own potential within or outside the enterprise

• Manager to work in geographic location best for the organization

• Location must suit self and family

(Source: International Handbook on Management by Objectives by Heinz Weihrich)

Diagram A below reflects the opposing forces at play when an employee’s career goals are not consistent with that of the company’s vision. Low Degree of Integration of Organizational Demands and Individual Needs - Diagram A

Low Degree of Integration

(Source: Strategic Career Management, A Missing Link in Management by Objectives-by Heinz Weihrich)

Career Planning strategies need to integrate the individual’s needs and the organization’s goals. The Career Planning process is an opportunity to create an atmosphere where people enjoy their work and grow in the process of doing it. By providing a supportive environment and directing the employee’s career path toward the company’s current and predicted needs, the result will be a high level of integration. Diagram B reflects this.


High Degree of Integration of Organizational Demands and Individual Needs - Diagram B

High Degree of Integration

(Source: Strategic Career Management, A Missing Link in Management by Objectives- by Heinz Weihrich)

NOTE: Organizations need to be selective with regard to which employees are eligible to participate in the Career Planning process. The parameters for Career Planning will vary by organization. The following information provides guidelines for developing a Career Planning participation policy:

• Individuals should be employed for a minimum period. • Employees should become proficient in their current jobs before engaging in Career Planning (exceptions could be made for good employees whose current job is a poor fit.).

• Employees must have minimum time commitment to the organization.

(See ETHOS Career Management Group’s Organizational Career Management Model for information about how employers can integrate career planning into their organizations – www.cmc.ethoscmg.com .)

Career Planning Process – Tips for Coaching The employer/manager must develop a career planning strategy that will utilize individual’s potential, develop their strengths, while simultaneously meeting and contributing to the organization’s demands. The following tips will help you develop a strategy that works for your organization:

• Ensure that you are clear about your company’s goals. Communicate these goals to the employee and listen carefully to their feedback.

ENGAGEMENT TOOLS FOR CAREER PLANNING


• Help others to bring out the best in themselves. Identify talents and abilities of your employees and ensure that they understand how they can contribute to the overall plan and vision.

• Identify core competencies of every level of employee in the organization. Research behaviors that will drive the business and emphasize them in selecting training programs and in criteria for judging effectiveness in performance reviews. (Refer to appendix section on behaviour assessments.)

• The most important part of the annual review is a discussion about the future of the employee’s career.

• Learning plans need to be tailored to suit a person’s learning style: Auditory; Visual; or Kinesthetic. For example, a hands-on person who likes to try things out (Kinesthetic) would derive little benefit from a lecture (Auditory).

• Allow people to take varying amounts of responsibility for their own learning, depending on how self-directed they are. Self-directed learners may enjoy doing training on the Web or their own research. Less self-directed learners need more structure and guidance, and would likely benefit from more formal classroom training.

• Encourage people to take responsibility for their own careers. Allow the employees to take the initiative and plan their own careers.

• Find future leaders and focus resources on them. • Development of Short-Range Objectives and Action Plans: 1. Individual objectives should contribute to organizational aims. 2. The short-term goals should contribute to the long-term. 3. Objectives should indicate priorities. For example, the training objective of attending a computer course may be more important than taking a course in economic history at the time when the company is switching to a computerized control system.

4. Career goals should be challenging, yet realistic. Many MBA graduates with unrealistic career expectations become frustrated with the organization if those expectations are not addressed.

5. Objectives should be expressed clearly and in writing, so that one can measure achievement or non-achievement of objectives.

6. Career objectives should be agreed upon with the supervisor. Career planning is a joint effort of the individual and the supervisor.

7. Objectives should provide for feedback and follow-up. Such a discussion is especially valuable when the supervisor was an active partner in developing the subordinate’s career plan.

Framework for Helping Individuals Create Career Goals Many individuals don’t realize their potential because they’ve never established goals. Many people work in organizations for a paycheck and


are blind to their opportunities. A Career Management framework can help individuals make informed career decisions and begin planning action steps. An effective Career Management framework helps individuals identify the work that they’re innately suited for, and provides information about the job options they may wish to pursue. In short, employees need to answer two questions:

“What type of work am I suited for?” and “What career options are available for me?”

The following “no-cost” tools can help employers provide this guidance. What Type Of Work Am I Suited For?

o The University of Waterloo Career Development eManual This online resource has been available for free to the general public for over five years. This resource guides individuals through a comprehensive self-assessment process. Although geared towards pre-training/education decision making, this guide provides the important steps for making informed decisions. Completing this guide will help employees understand themselves better, and the reasons behind why they’re attracted to certain types of work more than others. Employees can utilize the knowledge they gain for choosing career paths within the organization.

Step 1: Self Assessment Welcome to Step 1!

Completing Step 1 will help you to: • Understand why self assessment is a key factor leading to

career success • Conduct a complete assessment of your personality,

interests, values, skills, learning needs and self-employment potential

• Know what you are looking for in your career

The First Step to Career Success!

(See: www.cdm.uwaterloo.ca/step1.asp)

What Career Options are Available for Me? Employers can help individuals answer this question by providing them with information about employment options available within the company and opportunities to learn more about them. o Make all job descriptions for every department available to staff Make it easy to find out the details about your organization’s various jobs. Make sure that education, training and experiential requirements are


included with your job descriptions. Some organizations have this information available to employees on their Intranet.

o The Informational Interview Encouraging and supporting the concept of informational interviews with in your organization. Ensure that all management and staff have been briefed on the parameters of an internal interview. Set up a 15 minute appointment with the individual to be interviewed

• The interview should be regarded as a business appointment (be prompt, dress appropriately)

• Stay within the 15 minutes time frame • Take brief notes and stay focused • Follow up with a thank you message

Examples of informational interview questions: � What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of your job? � What kinds of problems do you deal with? � What kinds of decisions do you make? � What job experiences led you to your present position? � What particular skills are essential to be effective in your job? � How did you learn these skills? � What are the major frustrations of this job? � What abilities or personal qualities do you believe contribute most to success in this field/job?

o Job Shadowing Provide opportunities for high potential and interested candidates to closely observe other roles in the company. A Job Shadow involves providing an individual a short period of time (e.g. half a day) observing another individual performing the job.

o Coaching Provide timely and consistent feedback specific to an individual’s Career Plan. Career planning should be an integral part of managing. An individual’s growth and development should be discussed and objectives related to career discussed. Evaluating the progress toward the established goals and addressing any undesirable deviations. An excellent time to assess career development progress would be at the performance appraisal. This is the time to review not only performance against objectives in operating areas, but also to review the extent to which milestones in the professional development have been achieved. In addition to the appraisal reviews, a manager can continuously reinforce professional behavior and growth in subordinates.


Cultural Initiatives We understand organizational culture to be the “beliefs; values and assumptions that shape behaviors, and help individuals understand the

organization”. Corporate culture is created by what people say, how people treat each other, how people treat their customers, and why managers make decisions. Cultural Initiatives are tools for creating a healthy workplace. Organizational culture can be enhanced by positive practices in leadership, management, decision-making, work values, community citizenship, quality of life, recognition, salary and benefits. Why Top Employers Consider Cultural Initiatives a High Priority

• Understanding company culture creates cohesion and commitment at all levels of the organization. Cultural Initiatives help people understand the core ideology and what is expected of them.

• The cohesion of common culture spawns healthy interactions between work colleagues and builds morale in the workplace. When people integrate into the company culture, they feel like they belong and as a result have stronger emotional ties to the organization.

• Cultural Initiatives result in behaviors that serve as a guide to employees about what is considered appropriate or inappropriate behavior in the organization.

• Many employees have experience in work cultures with low trust levels and “us and them” mentalities. Cultivating the qualities that lead employees to trust creates a foundation for Employee Engagement.

Top Employer Example

In 1999, Delta Hotels developed a strategy to create a healthier workplace and improve overall working conditions for their staff. Bill Pallett, Senior Vice President, People, Resources and Quality at Delta Hotel’s Head Office, believes that values, opportunities, and leadership are key areas when looking to enhance company culture. Pallett believes that to know where you want to go, you have to understand where you are and where the gaps are. One tool Delta uses is its annual employee opinion survey. Another tool is the application process for various industry awards. By analyzing their practices through the award process they are able to bench-mark mechanisms to validate internal and external practices. This allows them to see where the gaps exist. (Source: Response-Ability and the Power to Please – Bill Pallett, Delta Hotels)


Why “Tactics for Engagement” When Creating Cultural Initiatives Cultural Initiatives are designed for integration – employers need their employees to have more than the knowledge of organizational culture. Culture is effective when it’s “affective”, that is, when it’s internalized by individuals. Leading business expert, Jim Collins (author of Built to Last and Good to Great) describes culture in the most effective organizations as being “an almost cult-like disease that pervades the organization”. Types of Engagement Tactics that Improve Cultural Initiatives Initiatives for developing culture fall into two categories: 1. General Qualities of Healthy Cultures, and 2. Unique Qualities of Individual Organizations.

Both are important to nurture. The following is a list of general qualities that are important to all healthy cultures with tips on cultivating those qualities.

Factor Positive Cultural Belief To Increase Employees’ Positive Cultural Belief

Risk tolerance Faith that “things will work out”

• Spend more time explaining options during stressful times.

• Offer a safety net. Adjustment Confidence; belief that

the world is a safe place • Recognize achievements. • Correct failures through discipline.

Power Feeling of authority • Provide choices; avoid coerciveness • Explain how decisions serve company interests.

Security Sense of safety • Provide comfort during change. • Reduce risks in times of change.

Similarity Sense of shared values and group identity

• Use “we” more than “I.” • Emphasize what you have in common.

Interest alignment

Shared sense of interests • Find wins for employees. • Explain how meeting company goals benefits everyone.

Benevolent concern

Belief that you will put yourself at risk for them

• Demonstrate genuine concern. • Occasionally make sacrifices for employees.

Capability Perception that you’re competent

• Demonstrate your skills in relation to tasks at hand.

• Delegate tasks you’re not good at. Predictability/ Integrity

Belief that you behave consistently and fulfill promises

• Under-promise and over-deliver. • If you can’t fulfill a promise, say why.

Communication Experience of open and honest exchanges

• Increase frequency and candor of your communications.

• Cultivate bonds beyond workplace roles; e.g. by having lunch.


Cultivate Your Organization’s Unique Cultures Just as individuals are different, with their unique qualities that define who they are, so are organizations. Like a country, an organization has history and traditions, and host of other factors, which have combined to create a common culture. Every country also has its own celebrations and activities throughout the year that reinforce its culture. Find ways to schedule activities that reinforce your culture. (See Tactics for Nurturing Your Culture below.) Cultural Literacy – Tangible Evidence of An Integrated Organizational Culture Cultural literacy requires the broad range of trivia and the use of that trivia in the creation of a communal language. In other words employees need to learn the office talk as a step in “fitting” the company culture. Cultural Initiatives That Top Companies Use

• Survey: The Keg Restaurants conduct staff “Quality of Work Life Surveys”, twice a year in each location - Jason Forbes, Director of Training Keg Restaurants Ltd.

• Share: The Delta Hotel Richmond, as part of a communication strategy to engage people, conducts daily operations meetings and monthly town hall meetings, where they share financial results, guest satisfaction results, and read out positive feedback letters - Shari Avery, Delta Richmond.

• Feedback: The Cactus Club Café strives to “empower every employee; they should treat the business as their own”. The Cactus Club achieves this amongst other strategies by providing feedback daily to employees.

• Challenge: Create a culture that fosters engagement by inviting people’s input on decisions and encouraging them to positively challenge the status quo.

• Clarify: Explain the thinking behind final decisions. • Strive for Consistency: Link your positive work experiences with processes that send consistent messages to employees. o Top US Company Whole Foods back up its team-based process with compensation practices, employee rewards, recognition, and promotion criteria is strongly team-based.

o Bonus pay is linked to group, not individual, performance. As a result team members choose hard workers not buddies.

ENGAGEMENT TOOLS FOR CULTURE INITIATIVES


• Responsibility: Clearly state new responsibilities and performance standards after making final decisions.

Tactics for Nurturing Your Unique Culture Great organizations build strong cultures by: • “Orientation and ongoing training programs that have ideological as well as practical content, teaching such things as values, norms, history, and tradition

• Internal “universities” and training centres • On-the-job socialization by peers and immediate supervisors • Rigorous up-through-the-ranks policies – hiring young, promoting from within, and shaping the employee’s mind-set from a young age

• Exposure to a pervasive mythology of “heroic deeds” and corporate exemplars (for example, customer heroics letters, marble statues)

• Unique language and terminology (such as “cast members” – Disneyland, “Motorolans”) that reinforce a frame of reference and the sense of belonging to a special group

• Corporate songs, cheers, affirmations, or pledges that reinforce psychological commitment

• Tight screening processes, either during hiring or within the first few years

• Incentive and advancement criteria explicitly linked to fit with the corporate ideology

• Awards, contests and public recognition that reward those who display great effort consistent with the ideology. Tangible and visible penalties for those who break boundaries

• Tolerance for honest mistakes that do not breach the company’s ideology (“non-sins”); severe penalties or termination for breaching ideology (“sins”)

• “Buy-in” mechanisms (financial, time investment) • Celebrations that reinforce success, belonging and “specialness” • Plant and office layout that reinforces norms and ideals • Constant verbal and written emphasis on corporate values, heritage, and the sense of being part of something special” (Source: Jim Collins, Built to Last. HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2002. p.136)

Communicate the Organization’s Commitments When people believe that the organization leadership and culture respects and values them, they respond positively by being committed and engaged. Deborah Bromley, CEO of ETHOS Career Management Group Ltd. in Nanaimo, BC, gave the twelve employees on her first work-team the following commitment in writing:


Recognize the Differences between Generations Patterns fall within generational lines. Generations are defined by spikes and declines in birthrates. The people in those groups are influenced by the cultural events, changes, and challenges that they experience, especially during their formative years. As a result, they bring their own set of attitudes, perceptions and values to the workplace. Generation Y (1976-1998)

• Find ways for them to exercise their intellectual curiosity and work in teams.

• Give them regular honest feedback. • Help them create and stretch goals.

I promise…

To make every effort to ensure a positive, supportive and

nurturing workplace

To be flexible and open to any/all suggestions you may have for

improving the way we work

To respect and listen objectively to all your ideas, never

discounting one without explanation

To acknowledge when I’ve made a mistake and take responsibility

for it

To give credit where credit is due and share equally in our success

(and in our challenges)

To provide positive feedback and constructive direction where

appropriate (and to accept the same from you!)

To allow you full discretion on how you plan and use your time to

help us meet our goals

To laugh, to commiserate, to “fume” and even to cry with you, to

offer hugs when required … and to always remember that our

‘work’ must also be FUN!!! ☺


Generation X (1965-1976)

• Help them develop new skills and identify career options in your organization.

• Keep them in the loop. Communicate early, honestly, and often, in ways that work for them.

• Provide flexibility, freedom, and work/life balance. Baby Boomers (1946-1965)

• Help them find meaningful work. Ask what they are passionate about. • Keep them on their cutting edge. Teach them. Ask what new thing they would like to learn this coming year.

• Notice and thank them for their dedication and commitment. Matures (1933-1945)

• Respect and mine their knowledge. Tell them how much you value what they bring to you, the team, and the organization.

• Let them mentor the younger workers and pass on their wisdom and knowledge.

• Connect them to the community as a way of leveraging their expertise. Ask if they would like to serve on your organization’s community service committee or head up the next charity drive.

• Hire mature workers when you start running short on talent, or you want someone smart, loyal, hardworking, and connected to your customers.

Workplace Values by Generation Matures Boomers Generation X Generation Y Work Ethic Work until

you drop Work long hours, and tell you about it.

Personal life first, work is important.

Lifestyle comes first.

Loyalty Loyal to employer

Loyal to employer, with reservations.

Career and professional loyalty

Career Options

Technology Technology fascination or avoidance

Technology challenged (40%)

Technology proficient (80%)

Technology savvy (100%)

Reporting Relationships

Strong chain of command

Chain of command

What is the purpose of a chain of command?

Be respectful but move ahead.


Workforce Development

Workforce development is a cooperative, on-going effort on the part of an employee and the organization designed to improve the employee's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Workforce development requires a sense of balance between an individual's career needs and goals, and the organization's needs. It enhances employees’ skills, communication and teamwork, and helps clarify the organization’s mission and values. Why Top Employers Consider Workforce Development a High Priority Our research of Top Employers found a consistent high regard for training and development. These employers recognize the direct relationship between the quality of their workforce and their business’ performance. A well trained staff is a major factor for ensuring customer satisfaction. In turn, satisfied customers provide a level of revenues and margins that will satisfy the owners and/or shareholders. Workforce development helps employers retain employees and stay competitive. Training employees is an investment in two distinct ways. First, educated employees are more productive. Second, training is a proven tactic for attracting and retaining talented employees. Why “Tactics for Engagement” in Workforce Development Initiatives Without engagement, workforce development activities are “hoops that

employees jump through” as part of the corporate game of satisfying bosses and employers. When employees feel coerced into taking part in training and learning activities, they simply go through the motions, and the learning experience is often unappreciated and largely a waste of time and resources. When employees are interested in training and understand how it will benefit them, training becomes an entirely different experience. Employees become more thankful for training opportunities and approach them with a completely different attitude. If pre-training session preparation is required, they’ll complete it ahead of time with appropriate effort. After the training experience, engaged employees will look forward to applying what they’ve learned and sharing their knowledge with others. An addition, these employees will set a higher bar amongst staff and help create a positive inertia that becomes part of your workplace culture. Types of Engagement Tactics that Improve Workforce Development Initiatives Effective Workforce Development tactics are those that entice “buy-in” from the employee. Employees who invest in their learning do so because they


understand its value. In short, the learning must be relevant to their jobs, future jobs/roles with the company, and relevant to their careers. Important Factors for Engaging Employees in Workforce Training

Ensure the training experience includes the following: 1. Employees are clear about the reason for the specific training. 2. Employees are involved in determining the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be learned and they are attainable and relevant.

3. Employees participate in activities during the learning process. 4. Ensure that work experiences and knowledge that employees bring to each learning situation are used as a learning resource.

5. Practical problem solving methods are used on real workplace examples. 6. Build knowledge with new material connected to the employees’ past learning and work experience.

7. Employees are given an opportunity to strengthen what they learn by practicing.

8. The learning environment is informal, safe and supportive. 9. The individual employee is shown respect and value. 10. The learning opportunity promotes affirmative self-esteem, pride in work, safe learning atmosphere. (Implementing an Employee Training & Development Program www.hrcouncil.ca/training/pg005_e.cfm)

Workforce Development Methods You Can Use

• Committees: employees from different areas of the company discussing on a regular basis issues from different perspectives

• Conferences and forums • Critical incident reports: a source of learning opportunities from daily incidents

• Field trips: visiting other businesses or other related sites • Job aids: assist employees to perform their jobs • Job expanding: provide challenges and growth • Job rotation: provide opportunities to work in another area of the organization

• Job shadowing: learn about other positions through shadowing a colleague in his/her day-to-day tasks

• Learning alerts: Newspaper articles, government announcements and reports

• Peer-assisted learning: two like employees agree to work together to learn different tasks

ENGAGEMENT TOOLS FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT


• 'Stretch' assignments: assignments that go beyond employee’s current abilities

• Special projects: broaden work knowledge outside an employee’s job duties

• Coaching: an agreement between an experienced manager and his or her employee for coaching on specific skills

• Mentoring: experienced manager/employee provides structured guidance and advice to a junior employee

• Networking: professional contacts within the same industry that exchange information and stories about experiences

• Performance appraisal: evaluate the employee's on the job performance

• Courses, seminars, workshops; formal training opportunities • Courses offered by colleges or universities, relevant to work • Professional associations: provide employees an opportunity for updates on current practices

• Reading groups; groups of employees reading then discussing articles/ books relevant to the workplace

• E-learning: Information and course offered online of relevance to the position and the organization

• Leaders as Teachers; company executives facilitating leadership development sessions and workshops (HR Council for the Voluntary/Non-profit Sector www.hrcouncil.ca/training/pg005_e.cfm#methods)

Samples of Engaging Workforce Development Tools

Personal Learning Plans Personal Learning Plans help engage employees in their learning and their career growth, while building your human capital. The following Personal Learning Plan provides a detailed outline of the process. It will need to be adapted to fit your organization.

Recognizing the Important Skills/Knowledge/Abilities 1. Engage the employee in identifying the skills, knowledge of abilities that he/she is lacking and needs to develop to improve his/her job satisfaction and performance

2. Examples of skills/competencies: Coaching, Facilitating, Mentoring, Job shadowing, Report writing, Computer Skills

Establishing Learning Goals Engage the employee by: 1. Setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely (SMART)


2. Discussing how the goal will provide success and be measured in advancing careers and/or job performance. Examples:

• Provide more detailed and consistent feedback to my staff • Effectively chair monthly committee meetings • Use appropriate e-learning technologies • Be able to receive and send reports electronically

Creating Action Plans for Accomplishing Goals: 1. Engage the employee by developing an actions plan for each goal. Have the employee describe how the goal will be achieved, timelines, and degree of success to be accomplished. Management becomes more involved as a participant interested in its successful completion.

2. Examples of Learning Action Plans: • Take courses or workshops • Attend a conference • Read a book, article or manual • Research a subject on the internet • Chair a meeting, join or lead a project team • Take an acting assignment, job shadow, or make a presentation

Implementing the Action Plan 1. Engage the employee to begin making plans, working closely with his supervisor for support.

2. Determine which obstacles make the goals more difficult. 3. Engage the employee to develop plans for overcoming and removing these obstacles to ensure success.

Evaluating the Learning Plan 1. When the employee has completed the various actions for a goal, evaluate his/her overall success.

2. Engage the employee by having him/her discuss: • To what degree was your learning goal achieved? • What learning experiences were relevant to your current job or career development?

• How have you been able to apply what you have learned? • What follow-up actions are necessary?

When a Learning Plan is Complete, Begin a New Plan (Canadian School of Public Service www.myschool-monecole.gc.ca/corporate/lp_e.html Athabasca University Human Resources Learning Plan: www1.athabascau.ca/hr/training/lrn_plan_template.doc)

Leader-as-Teachers This strategy capitalizes on your organization’s internal knowledge and expertise. By simply giving skilled staff members the time and


venue for sharing their knowledge and skills, you will be able to reproduce some of your organization’s best resources. The Leader-As-Teachers training strategy benefits the organization in two main ways. An atmosphere of mutual respect and trust between the employees and the leaders provides understanding and closer ties to the company’s roots, values and behaviors. The leaders-as-teachers training programs often produce outcomes benefiting the leader as much as the employees. The employees are engaged by:

• Interaction with their leaders who become more approachable • Leaders displaying their knowledge and understanding of the organization in confidential and safe discussions

• Understanding the bigger picture of the organization from the leader’s perspective and how they fit into the bigger picture

• Providing an opportunity to contribute with ideas and methods to improve the organization

Methods for Engaging Employees in Leaders–As-Teachers Sessions: 1. Present employees with an overview of the business plan and demonstrate how her/his work fits into the overall plan.

2. Establish a benchmark for employee success if setting plans in action. 3. Ask the employees what they feel is their current level of performance. 4. Provide brainstorming activities to explore ways to apply new skills and work related methods soliciting ideas from employees and management.

5. Offer insight into the future and what will be required for skills, knowledge and abilities.

6. Find out if a follow-up meeting is required from the employees for continue learning and explore suggested topics.

7. Provide willing experts in the company to go to resolve issues or concerns.

8. Solicit ways to improve training and workforce development. (From Steve Arneson, Vice President Of Career Development, Capital One Financial Corp.

www.wpsmag.com/content/templates/wps_article.asp?articleid=313&zoneid=27)

"Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and

I will understand." - Confucius (450 BC)


Succession Planning Succession planning is the process of identifying and preparing suitable employees to replace employees and leaders within an organization. It is an integral component of good human resources planning and management. Succession planning acknowledges that employees will not be with an organization for an indefinite period, and it provides a plan and process for addressing the changes that will happen when they leave. Most succession planning focuses on key positions or managers. However, all positions can be included in the plan. A well-developed succession plan has employees who are perceived to have the skills, knowledge, qualities, experience and the desire, and who can be groomed to move up when the opportunity arises. Succession plans generally include a combination of career planning and workforce development with existing employees, as well as external recruitment for skilled positions that cannot be filled by any current employees. (Source: The HR Council for the Voluntary/Non-profit Sector, Succession Planning www.hrcouncil.ca/hr_overview/pg004_e.cfm#9 By Teresa Howe, CHRP January 19, 2004 www.charityvillage.com/cv/research/rhr12.html)

Why Top Employers Consider Succession Planning a High Priority Our research indicates Top Employers consider a succession planning process important because they rely on staff to carry out their vision, meet the organization's goals and generally, keep the organization running efficiently. Top Employers identified the need to succession plan in preparation of the changing realities of the labour force. Trends such as the impending retirement of the baby boomers, declining workforce resources, vacancies in senior or key positions, and no emerging group of potential employees on the horizon (i.e. young workers, women entering the workforce, large waves of immigration) make succession planning more important than it ever has been. However, Top Employers are optimistic and believe that with careful planning and preparation their succession planning processes will succeed. (Source: The HR Council for the Voluntary/Non-profit Sector, Succession Planning www.hrcouncil.ca/hr_overview/pg004_e.cfm#9)

Top Employers make the Succession Planning Process:

• Part of an overall drive to develop employees at all levels • An ongoing commitment of high-level management • Integrated into an overall organizational strategy


• Clearly defined in terms of the specific behaviors, skills and values that employees need in order for them to succeed now and in the future

• Coordinate with performance-appraisals allowing for correct employee placement and development decisions

• Integrate with all other important organizational systems such as recruiting, employee selection, orientation, workforce development, career planning, performance management, exit management, retention and development systems

(Source: Succession Planning: A Tool For Success, by Jana Ritter, Galt Western Personnel Ltd. www.galtglobalreview.com/business/succession.html)

Why “Tactics For Engagement” in the Succession Planning Process The strength of an organization is largely dependent on the key people in leadership and other important positions. If low, or even moderately engaged, employees move into higher level positions the organization loses the type of vibrancy necessary for producing exceptional results. Effective succession planning ensures that only motivated and committed people move into the organization’s most important positions. Management must ensure that the succession planning structures allow the right people into the right positions. Types of Engagement Tactics that Improve Succession Planning Succession Planning generates higher levels of engagement when the planning process communicates two important engagement drivers – significance and achievement. People want to be part of significant organizations, and be part of significant activities. People become more engaged when they make upward transitions if they believe their new responsibilities will make a greater difference. Just as important is the issue of achievement. Transition into the new position cannot be perceived as simple and requiring little effort. Rituals that communicate a significant achievement when an individual is installed in new position foster engagement for both the individual and the organization. (These are the same principles that foster engagement when people become part of exclusive clubs or teams.) Employees engaged in Succession Planning steps tend to have a sense of pride and self-fulfillment. (Source: The Super Seven Factors for Employee Engagement By Melanie Joy Douglas, Monster.ca content.monster.ca/9867_en-CA_p1.asp & Top Three Benefits to Succession Planning: Leadership – Tools.com www.leadership-tools.com/succession-planning-tools.html)

Other factors found in successful Succession Planning initiatives include:

• Senior leaders who are personally involved and engaged • Senior leaders holding themselves accountable for growing workforce competencies


• Employees who are committed to their own self-development • Success that is based on a business case for long-term needs • Succession that is linked to strategic planning • Workforce data and analysis to inform the process • Employee competencies as the chief factor for identifying, selecting and developing people

• A pool of talent that is developed early for long-term needs • Development that is based on success in challenging and varied job-based experiences

• Senior leaders forming a partnership with human resources • Succession planning that addresses challenges such as diversity, recruitment, and retention

(Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Succession Planning Process www.opm.gov/hcaaf_resource_center/assets/Lead_tool1.pdf)

Steps for Planning a Succession Planning Process Keep in mind that you’ll need to customize this process to meet your needs.

THE PLANNING STEPS

(Source: New York State Department of Civil Service/Governor’s Office of Employee Relations – Workforce and Succession Planning Guide Website: http://www.cs.state.ny.us/successionplanning/planning/steps.html)

ENGAGEMENT TOOLS FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING

1. Scope 2. Context

3. Work 4. Demand 5. Supply

6. Gaps 7. Priority

8. Solutions

Implement Solutions:

Monitor, Evaluate, Improve


SCOPE What is the issue, initiative, or organizational concern that needs your attention? Is it an immediate critical need or do you have time to plan?

CONTEXT What is your direction and how will it affect the issue, initiative, or organizational concern?

WORK What functions will need to be performed? Will the work be the same, evolving, or brand new?

DEMAND What staffing levels and skill sets or titles will be needed to perform the functions?

SUPPLY Where will the people come from to staff the functions? What does the data on the current work force tell you about the likely availability of qualified people when you need them?

GAPS What positions, titles, or functions require special action to ensure that you can recruit, appoint, and retain the people with the skill sets you need?

PRIORITY What is the order of importance of addressing the gaps you have identified?

SOLUTIONS What specific actions will you take to address the priorities?

(Source: New York State Department of Civil Service/Governor’s Office of Employee Relations – Workforce and Succession Planning Guide Website: www.cs.state.ny.us/successionplanning/planning/steps.html)

Succession Planning Process

Step 1: Link Strategic and Workforce Planning Decisions • Identify the long-term vision and direction • Analyze future requirements for products and services Use data already collected

• Connect succession planning to the values of the organization • Connect succession planning to the needs and interests of senior leaders. Step 2: Analyze Gaps • Identify core competencies and technical competency requirements • Determine current supply and anticipated demand • Determine talents needed for the long term • Identify “real” continuity issues • Develop a business plan based on long-term talent needs, not on position replacement.


Step 3: Identify Talent Pools • Use pools of candidates vs. development of positions • Identify talent with critical competencies from multiple levels—early in careers and often

• Assess competency and skill levels of current workforce, using assessment instrument(s)

• Use 360° feedback for development purposes • Analyze external sources of talent. Step 4: Develop Succession Strategies • Identify recruitment strategies • Identify retention strategies • Identify development/learning strategies:

- Planned job assignments - Formal development - Coaching and mentoring - Assessment and feedback

- Action learning projects - Communities of practice - Shadowing

Step 5: Implement Succession Strategies • Implement recruitment strategies (e.g. recruitment/relocation bonuses) • Implement retention strategies (e.g., retention bonuses, quality of work life programs)

• Implement development/learning strategies (e.g., planned job assignments, formal development, Communities of Practice)

• Communication planning • Determine and apply measures of success • Link succession planning to HR processes

− Performance management − Compensation − Recognition − Recruitment and retention − Workforce planning − Strategies for maintaining senior level commitment.

Step 6: Monitor and Evaluate – Track selections from talent pools – Listen to leader feedback on success of internal talent & internal hires – Analyze satisfaction surveys from customers, employees, and stakeholders

– Assess response to changing requirements and needs. (Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Succession Planning Process www.opm.gov/hcaaf_resource_center/assets/Lead_tool1.pdf)


Exit Management Exit Management refers to all processes and strategies that are designed to help organizations maintain fair, positive and healthy relationships with individuals who leave the organization. While most people think of Exit Interviews when they hear the term “exit management”, effective exit management encompasses numerous strategies for communicating with employees before and after they’ve left the organization. How do managers learn from employees who leave and how do managers honour organizational values during this process? This section will cover strategies dealing with a wide variety of exit types; downsizing, looking for greener pastures, retirements, positive career moves, family planning, harassment, and illegal conduct to name several. It will also show how the exit management process effects and influences the engagement of new employees. We have dedicated the majority of this section to the Exit Interview process.

Why “Tactics for Engagement” in the Exit Management Process Our research has discovered that many Top Employers do not have intentional exit management strategies and processes. However those that do have found these processes invaluable for helping them address issues such as skills shortages, workforce retention, succession planning and employee engagement. A large component of the Exit Management system is a constructive interviewing process. Exit interviews with departing personnel can be an excellent way to identify cause of turnover. The results of exit interviews determine whether there are underlying problems that are causing employees to leave, and enable you to develop strategies for improved retention. For example, a former employee can be an ambassador for your organization to potential employees and customers; as well, you may end up re-hiring this person in the future. (Source: Shawn Smith, J.D. & Rebecca Mazin, The HR Answer Book. (2004) New York, N.Y: AMACOM p.96-97)

Types of Engagement Tactics that Improve Exit Management Having an Exit Management strategy is engaging in and of itself. The Exit Management strategy communicates that the organization cares about the well-being and concerns of its staff. The best Exit Management strategies are those that allow for non-judgmental and active listening with no fear of consequences. Exit Management is about trying to find out what employees need, and the only way to discover this is to ask these questions of your


staff. The following overview of an Exit Interview highlights the nature of the interview through the types of questions it suggests asking. Exit Interview Guidelines 1. Ask open-ended questions such as:

� What prompted their decision to leave? � What did they like about working with the organization? � What didn’t they like about working with the organization? � What could have kept them with the organization? � Would they consider returning to the organization?

2. Reviewing these interviews, watch out for trends.

� Are several key employees leaving for more money? Perhaps your wages are too low.

� Are people leaving to take better positions? Perhaps your company lacks the career advancement opportunities today’s employees expect.

� Are employees leaving because a particular manager is too difficult to work for? Perhaps that manager needs to be retrained or replaced.

� Are people leaving because the organization doesn’t help them grow professionally? Perhaps you could offer them on-the-job training, or supplement their continuing education through seminars and college courses, provided the courses taken are job related.

(Source: Management Corner, Want the Real Scoop on Why You’re Losing Employees? Try

Exit Interviews by Michael Web site: www.leadtrac.com/management_corner1.htm)

The exit interview will help your company understand the real reasons why you’re losing employees. If properly used, the information will help you take action to stem the tide of employee defections, increase operational efficiency and boost employee morale, creating a stronger, happier and ultimately more profitable organization. Used in combination with employee satisfaction surveys, exit interviews are a rich source of information for organization improvement. Unfortunately, if you are learning improvement ideas or employee concerns at the exit interview, it is too late to take action to improve or help the exiting employee. The best time for an employee to discuss concerns, dissatisfactions and suggestions with his employer is while he is a committed employee, not on his way out the door. Make sure your organization provides multiple opportunities to gather and learn from


employee feedback, including surveys, department meetings, comment or suggestion forms, and more. (Susan M. Heathfield, “How to Conduct an Exit Interview” – www.humanresources.about.com)

The exit interview is an attempt to improve the company, not put the employee on the spot. These tools will assist organizations in discovering the reasons for turnover and better practices. The reasons for exiting employees may vary from downsizing, greener pastures, retirements, positive career moves, family planning, harassment, illegal conduct etc. Encourage “Boomerang” Employees To encourage valued employees to return to the organization, (the boomerangs), seeds need to be planted during the exit interview. When a valued employee says they are leaving, there are two things an employer should do. First, ask if there is anything that would change his mind and would cause them to reconsider. Second, tell him, in no uncertain terms, “If you ever want to come back for any reason – I will try to find a job for you.” Reasons for Hiring Boomerangs or Corporate Alumni There are numerous reasons why you should develop a formal effort to re-recruit top employees who left your firm. Some of them include:

• Fast hire. Boomerangs offer an opportunity to acquire a top person quickly (the search and the assessment take little time).

• Known skills. Because they are former employees with years of performance appraisals, you know in advance what skills and competencies you are obtaining.

• Up to speed quickly. Because they know the organization and its culture, they are likely to get up to speed faster than traditional new hires who have to learn an entirely new set of politics, culture, and processes.

• Low failure rate. They have a lower chance of failing because they have already adapted to the culture and you already know their performance capabilities and their ability to produce results (especially if they quit your firm recently).

• Browngrassers. You might find that after seeing the "color of the grass" on the other side that they are desirable because they will not

ENGAGEMENT TOOLS FOR EXIT MANAGEMENT


likely leave again. The added benefit alluded to earlier is that they can help in the retention effort because they can tell stories to others about life on the outside.

• Competitive intelligence. They can provide competitive intelligence, new ideas, and a fresh perspective from their previous firms.

• A chain reaction. They often bring back other alumni with them when they come, especially after the message spreads that you are welcoming back those who left.

• Building community. Alumni programs help build a sense of a long-term community among employees because even when you leave, employees know they can maintain a relationship with the firm.

• PR value. A high return rate might improve image and secure good PR in the industry and community.

Targets to Approach Boomerang programs should not target every former employee. If Homer Simpson quits, count your blessings and let him go. In addition, anyone who was fired or forced out should not be on the priority list, unless of course whoever forced him or her out has been forced out himself! Some categories of former employees to target should include:

• Top performers who voluntarily left. • Top performers who were in key positions. • Top performers with key skills, contacts, or experience. • Retirees who may not have found retirement to be all they hoped it would be.

• Top finalists who accepted another job. These people can be called in the first week of their new jobs and after three months in order to see if they made a mistake (buyer's remorse). This might seem silly, but if you think about it, how many jobs have you taken where you realize the first day that it was a mistake?

• Long-term consultants or contractors. Although they technically were not employees, if you had individuals who performed well for a long period time, you might consider bringing them back as contractors again or even as employees.

Possible Problems with Boomerang Efforts As with all recruiting programs, boomerang programs have some possible problems that include:

• Former employees having a "dream memory" of the firm (or it could have changed) and they may become disenchanted upon return.

• Current employees becoming jealous or resentful when boomerangs are hired back at significantly higher pay or job level than similar individuals who remained with the firm.


• Boomerangs might come back to retire in the job. • A long period away could result in the boomerang having changed so much that you need to reassess him or her before any offer to return is made.

• Sometimes layoffs or partings were so negative, the best you can do is neutralize their feelings but they will never return.

• Firms don't want to build the perception that they are desperate. • It requires a long-term view and a vision of sales and learning as well as recruiting. Most recruiters do not share that broad vision.

• Proving the benefits (like the increased image (perception of corporate alumni toward their former firm) and the decrease in bad mouthing) may be difficult to do if your HR or recruiting department is weak in the metrics area.

• Traditional HR people often fail to realize that in boom times, the scope of whom they reconsider may need to expand to include even average performers who left.

(Source: Article Review – Boomerangs: The Strategic Process of Rehiring Your Former Employees, by Dr. John Sullivan. www.ere.net/articles/db/9CDE46749D1E4236A59E7EB0F07A24BD.asp)

How To Bring Back The Boomerang Employee 1. Let people know you would welcome them back before they leave. 2. Call former employees every 6-8 weeks during the first year just to keep in touch (and make it personal, not just business.)

3. Send former employees an e-mail newsletter with company happenings and positions you want to fill.

(Source: Boomerang Employees: Bring ‘Em back By Andrea Ballard, Foster Pepper & Shefelman, PLLC www.theizzogroup.com/pdfs/Boomerang_Employees.pdf)

According to BC Labour Market Report, July 2006 (p.4), up to 10 percent of new hires in many companies are boomerangs. The opportunity to have talented workers return has prompted many companies to encourage employees who are leaving to think about returning at some point in the future. This is a major change for many companies who in the past have shunned ex-workers. Treating departing employees well is good business, even if they don’t return. Employees who leave on good terms will act as good-will ambassadors for their prior employer. And if the employee returns, the organization benefits from the industry experience and skills the worker acquired while he/she was away. Many Human Resources Specialists recommend giving employees an Exit Interview Questionnaire during Employee Orientation. This practice communicates the respectful way the organization treats employees. It’s


also a subtle invitation for employees to voice their concerns with management before they make a decision to leave. Exit Interviews – Sample Questions

1) What are your reasons for leaving the organization? 2) What could the organization have done to encourage you to stay? 3) What factors were important in choosing your new role? 4) Is your job description up to date/relevant? 5) Can you describe your levels of job satisfaction? 6) Was the job what you expected? If not, why not? 7) What advice would you give to a new employee who takes on your

role in future? 8) Were there obstacles to you performing your role effectively and if so,

what were they? 9) What did you like the most and the least about your role? 10) What do you think we do well as an organization? 11) What do you think we do poorly as an organization? 12) How would you describe the level of support you were given to perform

your role? e.g. from your manager, colleagues, CEO etc? 13) Did you receive adequate assessment and formal feedback on your job

performance? If not, why not? 14) What are your views on your remuneration package? Suggestions? 15) How did you feel about the working conditions here? Suggestions? 16) What sort of occasion were you given to discuss career development

opportunities? 17) What is your view of the training opportunities we provide? 18) How would you describe the way in which the organization communicates

with its employees? Suggestions for improvement? 19) How do you think we could improve on the way we treat our employees? 20) How would you describe the morale of employees in this organization? 21) How could we improve the morale of our employees? 22) What did you enjoy most about the culture of the organization? 23) What did you enjoy least about the culture of the organization? 24) Would you consider working for us again in the future? 25) Would you recommend this organization to other people, as a place to

work? If not, why not? (Source: SPARC is the Crown Entity responsible for sport and recreation in New Zealand www.sparc.org.nz/filedownload?id=fc0d45fd-adbc-45ce-8d4b-59b1160100c8&getfile=true –)

“The ability to establish, grow, extend, and restore trust with all

stakeholders – customers, suppliers, investors and co-workers – is

the key to leadership competency of the new global economy.” Steven M.R. Covey


References and Resources

PART 1

Engagement That Matters • Jordan-Evans, B.K. and S. 2005. Love’em or lose’ em. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. 3rd ed. San Francisco, CA. (Techniques for retention and engagement)

• Messmer, M. 2005. Human Resources kit for dummies. Wiley Publishing, Inc. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ. (Simple overview of HR process and strategies)

The Picture of an Engaged Employee Additional Literature Questionnaire: www.decwise.com/pdf/Sample Employee Engagement Survey.htm Report: www.decwise.com/pdf/Sample Engagement Report.pdf Suggested Readings • Bernthal, P., Phelps, M. 2004. Measuring Employee Engagement. Development Dimensions International, Inc.

Web Links • www.cunahrcouncil.org/news/422.html • cu360.cuna.org/articles/story.php?doc_id=1289 PART 2

The 10 C’s of Employee Engagement • The Ten C’s, and description of each, from: “What Engages Employees The Most

or, The Ten C’s Of Employee Engagement.” By Gerard H. Seijts and Dan Crim, (The Ivey Business Journal, March/April 2006)

• Management by Whose Objectives? By Harry Levinson, (Harvard Business Review [The Best of HBR])

• The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace. By Cary Cherniss and Daniel Goleman, (Jossey-Bass Management Series, 2001)

• “One More Time – How Do You Motivate Employees?” by Frederick Herzberg, (Harvard Business Review [The Best of HBR])

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. By Steven Covey, (Simon & Schuster, 1989)

The Herzberg Motivation Theory (two factor theory)

Suggested Reading • “One More Time – How Do You Motivate Employees?” by Frederick Herzberg, (Harvard Business Review [The Best of HBR]), www.hbrreprints.org

PART 3

The Recruitment Process • Your Guide to Human Resources, Plan your Recruiting to Ensure Successful

Candidate Selection – By Susan M. Heathfield, • Human Resources for Dummies – By Max Messmer • How to conduct a Job Interview – By Brian Libby (BNET. com)


• Built to Last, Successful Habits of Visionary Companies – By Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras

• Hewitt Associates’ “Best Employers in Canada study” – www.hewitt.com/bestemployerscanada

• Six Best Practices in Recruiting – By Dr. John Sullivan and Master Burnett • Public Service of Canada Website – www.psc-cfp.gc./ppc/assessment_cp1_e.htm

• What it Means to Work Here – By Tamara J. Erickson and Lynda Gratton Employee Orientation • Getting Them to Give a Damn - by Eric Chester (Kaplan Publishing, 2005) • The Leader’s Tool Kit - by CY Charney ([AMACOM] American Management Association, 2006)

• Employee Orientation: Keeping New Employees on Board- by Judith Brown humanresources.about.com

• Conducting Effective Employee Orientations – by Claire Belilos (CHIC Hospitality Consulting Services 1998), http://www.easytraining.com/orientation.htm

• Tips for New Employee Orientation – by Judith Brown & Susan M. Heathfield humanresources.about.com

Performance Supports • A Plateau/Knowledge Infusion White Paper, May 2007, A Practical Guide for Effective Performance Management

• Performance Management, www.businessballs.com • University of Calgary Human Resources Performance Management, www.ucalgary.ca/hr/staff/support_staff/compensation_performance/performance_management

• Harvard business Review, Articles 17,18 & 28, www.hbrreprints.org • Increasing the Value of Performance Appraisals www.wpsmag.com/content/templates/wps_article.asp?articleid=539&zoneid=17September 2006 - Tracy Martin & Heidi Spirgi

• Tool Kit #2: Conducting Good Performance Appraisal Meetings www.uscg.mil/hq/g-w/g-wt/g-wtl/news/fall99/conduct.htm & a useful tool addition

• Services Canada Performance Appraisal Methods, www.hrmanagement.gc.ca/gol/hrmanagement/site.nsf/en/hr11577.html

• Tool Kit #3: Self Performance Appraisal Form: www.lehigh.edu/~inhro/forms/forms.html

• Tool Kit #4: Management by Objectives Performance Appraisal Form, Created by Chris Jarvis for the BOLA Project www.bola.biz/appraisal/appform5.html

• Tool Kit #5: 360 Degree Performance Appraisal Form www.businessballs.com/ • www.chimaeraconsulting.com/sitleader.htm • Make Performance Appraisals Relevant, Winston Oberg www.unep.org/restrict/pas/paspa.htm

• Source: Hermann F. Schwind, “Performance Appraisal: the state of the Art,” in Shimon L Dolan and Randall S. Schuler, eds., Personnel and Human Resources management in Canada, West Publishing, 1987


• Writing Center - Six Tips for Effective Self-Appraisals, ULiveandLearn.com, Inc www.uliveandlearn.com/lessons/lesson.cfm?lesid=288&pg=1

• Conducting Good Performance Appraisal Meetings www.uscg.mil/hq/g-w/g-wt/g-wtl/news/fall99/conduct.htm

• Tool Kit #1: A Starting Point: Employee and Manager Surveys • Blue sky Performance Improvement site at www.blue-sky.co.uk/consultancy-services/performance-evaluation.html

Career Planning • Building a Career Development Program by Richard W. Knowdell (Davies-Black Publishing, 1996)

• International Handbook on Management by Objectives by Heinz Weihrich • The Leader’s Tool Kit by CY Charney • Free self assessment for determining learning styles : • www.businessballs.com/freematerialsinword/vaklearningstylesquestionnaireselftest.doc

• www.talentsmart.com Traditional Succession Planning • Self-Assessment test: www.cdm.uwaterloo.ca/step1.asp • Strategic Career Management, A Missing Link in Management by Objectives- by Heinz Weihrich (Harvard Business Review [The Best of HBR]), www.hbrreprints.org

Cultural Initiatives • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_literacy - Cultural Studies, -- (Gollnick and Chinn,

1994) • ww.allbusiness.com ; Determining Your Company’s Corporate Culture • The Role of Corporate Culture in Change Efforts by Diane Hamilton • LOVE’EM ORLOSE EM Getting good People to Stay by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans

• HBR -One More Time, How Do You Motivate Employees?-by Frederick Herzberg • HBR - Fair Process: Managing in the Knowledge Economy-by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

• HBR – The Decision to Trust – by Robert F. Hurley • HBR – Understanding “People” People – by Timothy Butler and James Waldroop • Responsibility and the Power to Please, Delta Hotels – Worklife BC www.worklifebc.ca

Workforce Development • C Schwind/Das/Wagar, Canadian Human Resource management, A strategic Approach, sixth edition, 2002, PP 316-323

• CY Charney, “The Leaders Tool Kit” New York; Amacom2006 p.142 • BC Labour market Report (2006, issue 6, volume 8). P5 You’ve lost that workin’ feelin’

• Involving Employees in Leadership Development, June 2005 - Robert Rodriguez, Ph.D. www.wpsmag.com/content/anmviewer.asp?a=216&print=yes

• Michael J. Freeman www.sonic.net/~mfreeman/mentor/mentsupp.htm • The Conference Board of Canada www.conferenceboard.ca/humanresource/mentoring-inside.htm


• The Value of Mentoring: by Peter Symons, OARBIC • www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/canada/OARBIC-Mentoring-601.php • Office of Human Recourses, University of Minnesota at www1.umn.edu/ohr/toolkit/development/index.html

• Sam Slay and Associates and 357 Solutions, LLC www.samslay.com www.hrcouncil.ca/training/pg005_e.cfm#methods

• Canadian School of Public Service • www.myschool-monecole.gc.ca/corporate/lp_e.html • Athabasca University Human Resources Learning Plan: www1.athabascau.ca/hr/training/lrn_plan_template.doc

• HR Council for the Voluntary/Non-profit Sector www.hrcouncil.ca/training/pg005_e.cfm#methods

• Implementing an Employee Training & Development Program www.hrcouncil.ca/training/pg005_e.cfm

Succession Planning • Fac-staff.seattleu.edu/gprussia/web/mgt383/HR%20Planning1.ppt • The HR Council for the Voluntary/Non-profit Sector, Succession Planning www.hrcouncil.ca/hr_overview/pg004_e.cfm#9

• The HR Council for the Voluntary/Non-profit Sector, Succession Planning www.hrcouncil.ca/hr_overview/pg004_e.cfm#9 By Teresa Howe, CHRP January 19, 2004 www.charityvillage.com/cv/research/rhr12.html

• New York State Department of Civil Service/Governor’s Office of Employee Relations – Workforce and Succession Planning Guide Website: www.cs.state.ny.us/successionplanning/planning/steps.html

• Succession Planning: A Tool For Success, by Jana Ritter, Galt Western Personnel Ltd Website: www.galtglobalreview.com/business/succession.html

• The Super Seven Factors for Employee Engagement By Melanie Joy Douglas, Monster.ca content.monster.ca/9867_en-CA_p1.asp & Top Three Benefits to Succession Planning: Leadership – Tools.com www.leadership-tools.com/succession-planning-tools.html

• U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Succession Planning Process www.opm.gov/hcaaf_resource_center/assets/Lead_tool1.pdf

Exit Management • “How to Conduct an Exit Interview.” by Susan M. Heathfield, – www.humanresources.about.com

• BC Labour Market Report, July 2006 – Christian St.Cyr • The HR Answer Book, Shawn Smith, J.D. & Rebecca Mazin, (2004) New York, N.Y: AMACOM p.96-97

• Article Review – Boomerangs: The Strategic Process of Rehiring Your Former Employees. Dr. John Sullivan, www.ere.net/articles/db/9CDE46749D1E4236A59E7EB0F07A24BD.asp

• Management Corner, “Want the Real Scoop on Why You’re Losing Employees? Try Exit Interviews. ”by Michael Anthony www.leadtrac.com/management_corner1.htm


Acknowledgements

Tactics for Engagement – an Employers’ Toolkit resource for increasing employee engagement levels in organizations was made possible by the following:

The Career Management Connection Project Team The outcomes in this report are the result of the combined efforts of the project participants:

• Sherry Halfyard – Researcher/Writer • Guillaume Peribere – Researcher/Writer • Glenn Calder – Administration/Researcher/Writer • Marie Rose Rowland – Administrative Assistant

The team did an amazing job, contributing its talents and efforts towards researching, compiling and writing of this toolkit resource. This group is a first-rate example of an “Engaged Work Team.”

The Career Management Connection Advisory Committee Members ETHOS recruited a community advisory committee to provide guidance and additional resources for the Career Management Connection project. Committee members’ feedback was essential for gaining an employers’ perspective on the study issues, and keeping our research and outcomes grounded in the realities of organizations’ day-to-day business. We would like to acknowledge the following committee members:

• Mr. Randy Chang, Human Resources Manager of Budget Car & Truck Rentals (Nanaimo, BC)

• Mr. Kirk Larson, General Manager of Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd (Nanaimo, BC)

• Ms. Denise Lloyd, Executive Director of the Career Management Association of BC (Victoria, BC)

• Ms. Lee Mason, Executive Director of the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce (Nanaimo, BC)

• Mr. Thomas Mayrhofer, General Manager of the Coast Bastion Inn (Nanaimo, BC)

• Mr. Allen Peabody, Store Manager of London Drugs at Port Place (Nanaimo, BC)

• Ms. Laurie Sagle, Human Resources Manager of Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa & Resort (Parksville, BC)

Service Canada, Nanaimo, BC provided a significant portion of the total funding for this project through its Job Creation Partnership program.

Thank you to everyone involved! Glenn Kelso – Project Coordinator (ETHOS Career Management Group Ltd., Director of Strategic Planning and New Initiatives) – June 19, 2007

employee engagement toolkit 2014.pdf

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