the future of employee engagement engage for success special interest group collection of thought...
TRANSCRIPT
The future of employee engagement
Engage for Success special interest group
Collection of thought pieces: www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/research/future-engagement.aspx
Part 1: Contextual
'Worker in bottle factory, 2000', Seattle Municipal Archives, cropped. Published in Creative Commonshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/seattlemunicipalarchives/2710933334/in/photostream/
Encouraging findings from WERS … (Workplace Employment Relations Study)
Source:
Dromey (2014) ‘MacLeod and Clarke’s Concept of Employee Engagement: An Analysis based on the Workplace Employment Relations Study.’
Available at www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/7/6/08140-MacLeod-Clarkes-Concept-of-Employee-Engagement.pdf
Happy days!
Ann Fisher - Friendly and helpful CTA employees. Published on Creative Commons www.flickr.com/photos/yooperann/5376756346
But a more mixed picture from SES(Skills and Employment Survey) …
Sources:
• Job-related Well-being in Britain
• Job Control in Britain
In the series First Findings from the Skills and Employment Survey 2012 available at www.cardiff.ac.uk/socsi/ses2012/
More shifts, 2006 to 2012…
Work intensification:
• More high pressure jobs
• More high speed jobs
Mixed picture for employee influence:
• Individual task discretion unchanged
• Decline in influence over organisational decisions
Skills and Employment Survey
My job is secure
My job requires I work very hard
10 15 20 25 30 35
20042011
Intensification & security (WERS)
Happy days?
Notice to all employees (memo) by Kevin Lim. Published on Creative Commons www.flickr.com/photos/inju/3382984128
Sustainable engagement
www.cipd.co.uk/publicpolicy/policy-reports/engagement-behavioural-framework.aspx
Questions, questions…
• Are we getting better at fostering employee engagement?
• Are employers asking too much of employees?
• Is ‘engagement’ a ruse to increase pressure?
Part 2: Conceptual (& measures)
'Equilibrium: force' by Felipe Gabaldón, cropped. Published in Creative Commons https://www.flickr.com/photos/felipe_gabaldon/3752507142
Fundamentally different perspectives?
Academic researchers HR practitioners
Practical results
Behaviour
Focus on strategies
Looser definitions
Theoretical explanation
Psychological state
Focus on the individual
Precise definitions
Academic vs. Practitioner Measures
• Most academic researchers use Schaufeli et al’s Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES)
• This focuses on work engagement, and has three dimensions: vigour, dedication and absorption
• Based on the job demands-resources model• Sees engagement as the opposite of burn-out
• Practitioners use a variety of commercially-available products (or devise their own) to measure engagement with the organisation, eg
• Gallup’s Q12• Aon Hewitt’s say, stay, strive• Net Promoter• IES’s engagement measure• Civil Service People Survey• NHS staff survey
An ‘engagement deficit’?
Engaged Neutral Disengaged0
10
20
30
40
50
60
37%60%
3%
What’s your cut-off point?
What does a 5% rise mean?
‘There’s 3 types of people in the world…’
Helping build the wall
•Work with passion•Identify with the organisation
Sat on the wall
•Checked out zombies•Lazing around
Knocking down the wall
•Miserable naysayers•Undermine•SabotageNot that
simple!
Commitment The extra mile Support Recognition Voice Empowerment Playing to strengths
Purpose Meaning Passion Well-being Energy!
Alignment Collaboration Shared values Trust
A rose by any other name…?
But are your engagement metrics like…?
Potpourri, by Garry Knight. Published on Creative Commons www.flickr.com/photos/garryknight/3385578984
Questions, questions…
• (How) do you talk about employee engagement in your organisation?
• Does it matter there are different perspectives?
• How should we be measuring engagement?
Part 3: Practical
‘The conversation’ by Andrew Polandeze, cropped. Published in Creative Commonshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/71297346@N00/1206596658
Voice – the forgotten pillar?
MacLeod & Clarke on voice:
“employees’ views are sought out; they are listened to and see that their opinions count and make a difference. They speak out and challenge when appropriate. A strong sense of listening and of responsiveness permeates the organisation, enabling effective communication.”www.engageforsuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/file52215.pdf
A more engaging conversation
Sterling College (2012) Discussing Presidential Candidates – published on Creative Commons
Lead the way
Trendsetter, Eric Parker, published on Creative Commons www.flickr.com/photos/ericparker/4558361297
Meaningful work
Tattooed carpenter, Photo by Michelle Ress licensed on Creative Commons https://www.flickr.com/photos/safoocat/8540758992/
Empowering management A sign of the future … or the past?
Photo by unexxx licensed on Creative Commons www.flickr.com
Questions, questions…
• Are we serious about giving employees a voice? What gets in the way of their voices being heard?
• Are managers getting any less controlling, any more empowering?
Complex but a simple philosophy
The good of the
employee
•Feel looked after•Feel valued•Job plays to strengths•Interesting work•Autonomy & involvement in decisions•Meaning & purpose
The good of the
organisation
•Pride •Commitment •Understand strategy•Line of sight from job to orgl objectives•Purpose aligned with the organisation