I recently presented at Ragan Communications conference on how communications can effect employee engagement. My presentation was a 2-hour workshop on how communications plays a key role in helping the organization shift to today's new work environment and how employee engagement initiatives can be more thoughtfully and strategically embedded throughout the organization by using the employee lifecycle as a framework. This also demonstrates four key principles for consistently applying employee engagement: adaptability, relevancy, sustainability and execution.

1. ATTRACTION
RECRUITMENT
ONBOARDING
DEVELOPMENT
RETENTION
SEPARATION
Using the Employee
Lifecycle asYour
Roadmap to
Employee Engagement
Elizabeth Lupfer | @socialworkplace

2. Let’s Get Cozy
• The new work
environment
• HR’s changing role
• Strategic focus
through the
Employee Lifecycle
2

3.  Frequent
organizational
change
 More
interdependent
work
 An increase in
knowledge work

4. Time is not frozen
Frequent
Change

5. No more Milton
More
Interdependence

6. Ability to
share
knowledge
How we
share is
different

7. Fighting fire
with fire will
only burn
everything to
the ground
Managers
Manage
Employees
Against the
Past Not the
Future
Technology is
part of the
solution but
it’s also part
of the
problem
Technology is
most effective
when it is
invisible
We need leaders
and change
champions, not
just managers
To get different results we need different actions
The Digital Renaissance of Work, Paul Miller and Elizabeth Marsh
How Work has Changed

8. What does this mean?
Technology is
most effective
when it’s
invisible
Technology is
part of the
solution but
it’s also part
of the
problem
Technology is
most effective
when it is
invisible
We need leaders
and change
champions, not
just managers
To get different results we need different actions
The Digital Renaissance of Work, Paul Miller and Elizabeth Marsh
How Work has Changed
In the new work
environment, we need
to use technology as a
seamless enabler to get
work done.
Fighting fire
with fire will
only burn
everything to
the ground

9. What does this mean?
To get different results we need different actions
The Digital Renaissance of Work, Paul Miller and Elizabeth Marsh
How Work has Changed
Managers
Manage
Employees
Against the
Past Not the
Future
Managers
Manage
Employees
Against the
Past Not the
Future
We need leaders
and change
champions, not
just managers
Fighting fire
with fire will
only burn
everything to
the ground
The development and
adoption of technology
outpaces the systems
capabilities of a
company.
Technology is
part of the
solution but
it’s also part
of the
problem

10. What does this mean?
To get different results we need different actions
The Digital Renaissance of Work, Paul Miller and Elizabeth Marsh
How Work has Changed
Technology is
most effective
when it is
invisible
We need leaders
and change
champions, not
just managers
Fighting fire
with fire will
only burn
everything to
the ground
Technology is
part of the
solution but
it’s also part
of the
problem
Manager roles need
changed into those of
leaders who represent the
new work environment or
the empowerment that
technology provides
Managers
Manage
Employees
Against the
Past Not the
Future

11. What does this mean?
To get different results we need different actions
The Digital Renaissance of Work, Paul Miller and Elizabeth Marsh
How Work has Changed
We need leaders
and change
champions, not
just managers
Fighting fire
with fire will
only burn
everything to
the ground
Technology is
part of the
solution but
it’s also part
of the
problem
Managers
Manage
Employees
Against the
Past Not the
Future
Technology needs to be an
enabler of something
more natural – an
extension of corporate
culture and embedded
into employee behavior
Technology is
most effective
when it is
invisible

12. What does this mean?
To get different results we need different actions
The Digital Renaissance of Work, Paul Miller and Elizabeth Marsh
How Work has Changed
Fighting fire
with fire will
only burn
everything to
the ground
Technology is
part of the
solution but
it’s also part
of the
problem
Managers
Manage
Employees
Against the
Past Not the
Future
Technology is
most effective
when it is
invisible
Change can come from
anywhere in the
organization but
managers are the leaders
who drive it all the way
through the organization
We need leaders
and change
champions, not
just managers

13. Partners in Engagement
13
Corporate
Communications
Human
Resources
Strategic brand Tactical Events
Storytellers Informers
Collaboration Transactional
Indirect messages Direct messages
Broad Audience
Targeted
Audience
•Developing
tomorrow’s leaders
•Building engagement
•Defining employer brand
•Measuring outcomes
•Planning and communicating
change
•Leveraging internal
platforms

14. HR Functions as Verticals
14
TALENT
ACQUISITION
DEVELOPMENT COMPENSATION ADMIN BENEFITS SEPARATION
RECRUITING
ONBOARDING
CAREERS
TALENT
REFERRAL
PERFORMANCE
RECOGNITION
DIVERSITY &
INCLUSION
TOTAL
PERFORMANCE
LEADERSHIP
TRAINING
PAYROLL
JOB ALIGNMENT
GLOBAL
MOBILITY
401K
DEFERRED
COMPENSATION
HRIS
ETHICS
HR SYSTEMS
COMPLIANCE
SAFETY
WORKFORCE
RELATIONS
ANNUAL
ENROLLMENT
HEALTH AND
WELLNESS
BENEFITS
PARTNERS
TERMINATIONS
RETIREMENT
EXIT
INTERVIEWS
EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCES

15. PHAT ASIAN
PHAT BABY
• Timing of steps taken by
me and benefits available
before, during, and after
• Short Term Disability
• FMLA
• Medical Coverage
• Life Insurance
• Maternity Management
Programs
• Adding Baby to Benefits
• Planning Childcare for
my return to work
• 401K – Future Savings
• 529 Savings
• Creating/Updating a Will
• Transitioning back to
Work

16. Phat Asian’s Experience
17
Intranet
Work Life
Illness & Injury
Initiating Federal
FMLA & State
Leave
Time Off & Leave
Mgmt & West
Non Bargained
for Hourly EE’s
Vacation
Personal
Leave of Absence
Personal, Military,
FML, Medical,
GRW
Life Events Having a Baby
EAP
Health
Medical Future Moms
Your Health Disability STD Disability SPD
Related Links
Your Benefits
Resource
Money
Wealth
Accumulation
Savings Plan

17. 18
RECRUITING
ONBOARDING
BENEFITS
LEARNING
RECOGNITION
PERFORMANCE
DEVELOPMENT
ETHICS AND
COMPLIANCE
TERMINATIONS
SAFETY
PAY
POLICIES
WORKFORCE
PLANNING

18. 20

19. 21

20. ENJOYMENT
THROUGH
COMMUNICATION
ACCOMPLISHMENT
RECOGNITION ADVANCEMENT
Key Drivers of Engagement
What do employees want or need?

21. The foundation of the
employee lifecycle
Adaptability
Relevancy
Sustainability
Execution
A
R
S
E
24
Four Key Principles

22. How the Principles Work
25
EMPLOYEE ADVANTAGE BUSINESS OUTCOMES LEADER / HR ROLE
Adaptability Needs of the business are
met at the same time as
the needs of employees
Adjust to the demand and
supply of the workforce
Interactions are more
consistent - content is
standardized
Relevancy Develop engagement
opportunities that are
relevant to employees
Connect with real work
goals and processes
Reorient managers to
guide and empower
knowledge workers
Sustainability Align employee
performance with business
performance
Build on existing processes
and target technology
investments to the evolving
needs of employees
The manager is critical
to sustained
engagement
Execution Interactive and engaging
platforms and solutions
Technology Investments
that meet the evolving
needs of the organization
and employees
Drivers of tools and
programs and can guide
employees

23. ATTRACTION
Candidates are savvy. A good candidate will research a
company extensively and ask their personal and
professional circles about a company’s value proposition.
26
ADAPTABILITY Employers must listen to external and internal conversation and
contribute and influence as much as possible.
RELEVANCY What your employees say internally and externally will attract or
detract talent.
SUSTAINABILITY Listening to the chatter generated by candidates and employees.
Influencing those conversations when applicable.
EXECUTION Brand Advocates; Reputation Management

24. SocialChorus makes it easy for employees and
ambassadors to actively participate in your brand’s
content marketing, social selling, social recruiting,
and employee engagement initiatives.

25. RECRUITMENT
Even though recruiting has become a social process, nearly
70% of new hires come from employee referrals. But those
referrals don’t happen when employees are disengaged.
28
ADAPTABILITY Companies need to adjust to the fact that recruiting is no longer
a singular conversation between the recruiter and a candidate.
RELEVANCY Engaged employees are champions of your recruiting message
and their recommendations can build your talent pipeline.
SUSTAINABILITY Implement new technologies that embody a new work
environment.
EXECUTION Talent Pools; Peer-to-Peer Referrals; Video Recruiting

27. ONBOARDING
Engaged employees are not only excited about joining a
new company, but they enjoy helping other employees
transition into their new roles as well.
30
ADAPTABILITY Companies, specifically managers, need to make sure new hires
feel welcome otherwise you risk creating a poor first impression,
and slowing down time to productivity.
RELEVANCY Managers don’t always have the time to onboard, so quickly
connecting new employees to work partners is important.
SUSTAINABILITY Ongoing feedback via 90-day interviews, focus groups and
surveys are essential to continued refinement.
EXECUTION Job Aid Wiki Boards; Mentoring; Gamification

28. Typical MSS
31

29. Employee-focused MSS
32
Development
Recognition
Recruitment
Onboarding
Learning and
Development

30. Wheeldo is a cloud-based platform that provides
context-driven social games for training needs.

31. ADAPTABILITY We need to get to know the employees and their skills so we can
understand their specialized talents, moreover, we need to create
a place where employees can share their skills and use them.
RELEVANCY The best learning comes from learning from each other.
Employees can be your best teachers and idea generators.
SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability comes in unexpected ways, sometimes through the
intrinsic return of employees feeling valued while other times it
comes in the form of actual business revenue.
EXECUTION Idea Generation; Collaboration Sites; Learning Communities
Teaching Opportunities (Internal and External); Job Shadowing
DEVELOPMENT
Employees have an entrepreneurial desire to grow, feel
inspired, and this often comes in the form of
collaboration or community.
34

32. Wheeldo is a cloud-based platform that provides
context-driven social games for training needs.

33. ADAPTABILITY In order to retain employees, we need to provide tools that
reinforce their changing work, connect them with their global
work teams and recognizing them for their efforts.
RELEVANCY Employees need to feel an emotional connection to the company
cares about their well-being as much as they feel connected to
their functional work.
SUSTAINABILITY Identify key HR programs that will benefit from technology:
benefits, health and safety and recognition.
EXECUTION Corporate Wellness, Raves & Recognition Walls; Peer-to-Peer
Acknowledgement ; Continuous Recognition
RETENTION
Companies who enable collaborative work environments
and also recognize employees for their work see the
highest levels of retention.
36

34. 37
Social Incidence
Reporting –
a new climate
for Safety

35. Tapmyback is a simple social and mobile tool that
drives employee engagement and motivation through the
power of peer-to-peer recognition

36. SEPARATION
39
ADAPTABILITY Understand why employees are leaving. Especially during times
of change, it’s important to identify and keep high performers –
losing specialized knowledge can be detrimental.
RELEVANCY Employees stay in touch with former colleagues. Employees who
leave are your best candidate pool for rehire. But they can also
be your biggest enemy if they leave feeling unappreciated
SUSTAINABILITY Conduct separation surveys and make sure you have knowledge
transfer processes in place.
EXECUTION Knowledge transfer, Alumni Networks; Reunions; Feedback
89% of employers think employees leave for more money.
But only 12% of people actually do. In reality, 75% people
voluntarily leaving aren’t leaving their jobs, they’re leaving
their bosses.

37. Knowledge Transfer Alumni Networks

38. “I think the model for
starting employee
engagement activities
has to be embedded
in everything you do.”
Richard Branson, Chairman
Virgin Group
42

39. How the Principles Work
43
EMPLOYEE ADVANTAGE BUSINESS OUTCOMES LEADER / HR ROLE
Adaptability Needs of the business are
met at the same time as
the needs of employees
Adjust to the demand and
supply of the workforce
Interactions are more
consistent - content is
standardized
Relevancy Develop engagement
opportunities that are
relevant to employees
Connect with real work
goals and processes
Reorient managers to
guide and empower
knowledge workers
Sustainability Align employee
performance with business
performance
Build on existing processes
and target technology
investments to the evolving
needs of employees
The manager is critical
to sustained
engagement
Execution Interactive and engaging
platforms and solutions
Technology Investments
that meet the evolving
needs of the organization
and employees
Drivers of tools and
programs and can guide
employees

40. Let’s Connect
Elizabeth Lupfer
The Social Workplace
elizabeth@thesocialworkplace.com
Twitter: @socialworkplace
44

41. Sources and further reading
• “The Digital Renaissance of Work” by Peter Miller and Elizabeth Marsh
• “How Do Great Leaders Drive Employee Engagement” by Forum
• “Breakthrough Performance in the New Work Environment” by the Corporate
Executive Board
• “Technology and Communication: How to Leverage Technology to Improve
Employee Engagement” by ElevatePoint
• “From Hire to Retire: Optimize Productivity Throughout the Employee Lifecycle”
by Cisco
• “Social Media and the Employee Lifecycle” by HR Ringleader
• “Contemporizing the Employment Lifecycle through HR’s Deployment of Social
Media & Electronic Technology” by Tiffany Scheff and Josie Trine Cornell
University
• “The Virtual Edge: How HR Professionals Can Use Tomorrow’s Tools Today” by
iMeet by PGi
45