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Energize and Engage:
How Inclusion Supercharges Employee Satisfaction
and Performance
Dianna Gould, SPHR, CAE
Guam and CNMI - April 2014

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WHAT IS ENGAGEMENT?
Source: Employee Engagement Report 2011, BlessingWhite
• Employee Engagement happens when two different, but
connected things happen:
– An employee’s personal satisfaction in their role
– His/her contribution to the organization’s success
• When these two forces align, both the individual and the
organization benefit in both the short and long term

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BUSINESS CASE FOR
INCLUSION AND ENGAGEMENT
1. Global demographic shifts
2. Attracting the best talent
3. Employee retention and increased
productivity
4. Greater flexibility, agility, and innovation
5. Contributes to company performance;
competitive advantage

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INCLUSION DEFINED
The achievement of a work environment in which all individuals are treated
fairly and respectfully; have equal access to opportunities and resources; and
can contribute fully toward an organization’s success.

5.
The collective mixture of differences and similarities that includes for example,
individual and organizational characteristics, values, beliefs, experiences,
backgrounds, preferences, and behaviors. A few examples include:
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Race/Color
Gender
Age
Education
Socio-economic Status
Ethnicity
Native born/non native
Geographic Location
Military Experience
Parental Status
Smoker/Non smoker
Thinking Styles
Work Background
Religion
Functional Specialty
Communication Style
Marital Status
Beliefs
Culture Values
Behaviors
Visible
Diversity
Traits
Invisible
Diversity
Traits
Sexual Orientation
Physical Abilities/Qualities
Personality
Level in Organization
Physical
Attributes
WORKFORCE DIVERSITY DEFINED

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THE GLOBAL WORKFORCE IS CHANGING
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 Aging Population
 Women
 People With Disabilities
 LGBT
 Religious Diversity
 Immigration
 4/5 Generations
 Skill/Education/Socio-
Economic Gaps
 Cultural Competence
 Leadership
Changing Workforce Demographics

7.
76% CEOs are
making changes to their
strategy for managing
talent.
More than 80% expect to
grow operations in Asia
and South America
59% say they see
emerging markets as
more important than
developed markets to
their future.
53% of CEOs
see lack of key
skills as a major
challenge.
31%
of employers
worldwide find
it difficult to fill
positions
What Keeps CEOs up at Night
Global
Talent
Shortages
Sources: Forbes Insights. “Global Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering Innovation Through a Diverse Workforce” July
2011; PWC 15th Annual Global CEO Survey 2012
WHAT’S TOP OF MIND FOR CEOS?
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8.
PWC 2013 Global CEO Survey
97% of global CEOs believe that having the right
talent is the most critical factor for business growth
WHAT’S TOP OF MIND FOR CEOs?
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JOB SATISFACTION IS DECLINING
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Percent
U.S. Job Satisfaction is Declining
Conference Board survey, January, 2010
Employee Engagement

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JOB SATISFACTION IS DECLINING
U.S. Job Satisfaction, by Age, 2009 vs. 1987
1/27/2023
70.8
59.3
60.9
60.9
60.2
55.7
43.4
45.6
46.8
43.4
47.2
35.7
65 & Over
55-64
45-54
35-44
25-34
Under 25
2009 1987
Conference Board Survey, January 2010

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EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Engagement Levels
Disengaged
Actively engaged
Actively disengaged
Source: Gallup Management Journal's semi-annual Employee Engagement Index

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EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Engagement Levels
Disengaged
Actively engaged
Actively disengaged
54%
17%
29%
Source: Gallup Management Journal's semi-annual Employee Engagement Index

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EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Globally, just 35% of workers are highly engaged
1/27/2023
Source: Towers Watson Global Workforce Study on Engagement, 2012
Highly Engaged
Unsupported
Detached
Disengaged
35%
22%
17%
26%
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EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Lack of employee engagement costs
US businesses $350 billion annually
Employees who were most committed to their organizations gave 57%
more effort and were 87% less likely to resign than employees who
consider themselves disengaged
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Money? Benefits? A fancy office?
WHAT REALLY MOTIVATES WORKERS?

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WHAT REALLY MOTIVATES WORKERS?
The real motivators for 21st century workers are:
1. AUTONOMY – the urge to direct our own lives
2. MASTERY – the desire to get better and better at
something that matters
3. PURPOSE – the yearning to do what we do in
service to something larger than ourselves
Source: The surprising science of motivation, Daniel Pink, TED Talks Global, 2009

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TOP DRIVERS FOR JOB SATISFACTION
Opportunities to apply one’s talents
Opportunities to succeed
Opportunities to learn
Top drivers for contribution are more varied,
reflecting each employee’s circumstances
(e.g., region, age, function, etc.)
Source: Employee Engagement Report 2011, BlessingWhite

18.
TOP ASPECTS CONTRIBUTING TO EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT IN 2011
• 83% of employees said that they are determined to accomplish their work
goals and confident they can meet their goals.
• 76% of employees reported satisfaction with their work and their
relationship with their co-workers.
• 74% of employees were satisfied with opportunities to use their skills and
abilities at work.
• 73% of employees said their relationship with their immediate supervisor
was a contributor to their level of engagement.
• 71% of employees were satisfied with how their work contributed to their
organization’s business goals.
Source: SHRM 2011 Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement Report

19.
THE ROI OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
• High-engagement firms had total shareholder return that
was 19% higher than average in 2009. In low-engagement
organizations, total shareholder return was actually 44%.1
• “Organizations with comparatively high proportions of
engaged employees were much less likely to see a decline
in [earnings per share] in 2008, the year after the recession
officially began.”2
• “An analysis of the Best Companies to Work for in America
indicated that “high levels of employee satisfaction
generate superior long-horizon returns.”3
Sources: 1) Hewitt Associates; 2) The Gallup Organization; 3)Wharton Business School

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BENEFITS OF HIGH EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
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Source: Watson Wyatt’s 2008/2009 WorkUSA report, Driving Business Results through Continuous Engagement.
Shareholder Return
Productivity
Performance
Absenteeism
Turnover
Support and Resiliency

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Priority Areas of
Focus
“Why it Matters”
Leadership
 Is effective at growing the business
 Shows sincere interest in employees’ well-being
 Behaves consistently with the organization’s core values
 Earns employees’ trust and confidence
Stress, balance and
workload
 Manageable stress levels at work
 A healthy balance between work and personal life
 Enough employees in the group to do the job right
 Flexible work arrangements
Goals and objectives
Employees understand:
 The organization’s business goals
 Steps they need to take to reach those goals
 How their job contributes to achieving goals
TOP 5 DRIVERS OF SUSTAINABLE
ENGAGEMENT AND RETENTION

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Priority Areas of
Focus
“Why it Matters”
Supervisors
 Assign tasks suited to employees’ skills
 Act in ways consistent with their words
 Coach employees to improve performance
 Treat employees with respect
Organization’s image
 Highly regarded by the general public
 Displays honesty and integrity in business activities
TOP 5 DRIVERS OF SUSTAINABLE
ENGAGEMENT AND RETENTION

23.
How many people
voluntarily leave
organizations due to
perceived unfairness
each year?
POP QUIZ
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Retaining Top Talent

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EMPLOYEE RETENTION
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Source: Level Playing Field Institute, “The Corporate Leavers Survey,” 2007, LPFI.org
 Each year, more than 2
million people
voluntarily leave
organizations due to
perceived unfairness
 This trend costs U.S.
corporations $64 billion
each year
Retaining Top Talent

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KEY STRATEGIES FOR RETAINING
TOP TALENT
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 Hire slow; hire the retainable
 Don’t just fill jobs, build careers
 Make retention strategies personal---not one size fits all
 Closely examine underperformance
 Invest in line leadership development
 Allow more flexibility
 Offer meaningful and challenging work
 Listen to employee comments and respond in a timely manner
 Encourage /reward diversity of thought, innovative ideas, and problem
solving
 Provide frequent and balanced feedback/coaching
 Update technology systems
 Conduct “stay” interviews

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KEY STRATEGIES FOR RETAINING
TOP TALENT
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In order to achieve an inclusive
and high performing workplace
you must have…
Effective Leadership

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• Leadership is influence. It usually involves influencing employees,
members, or "followers" of some sort to carry out the goals of the
company, organization, or group.
• The knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors used to influence people in
order to achieve a desired mission.
• The key words in this definition are "people" and "mission," that is
what leadership is about--getting people to buy into a mission or
vision so that they work to make it happen.
• Leaders are different from managers.
• New leadership models/competencies/behaviors required for the
21st century workforce.
LEADERSHIP

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21st Century Leadership
for a 21st Century Workforce
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Leadership
Question 1-- What is the biggest
mistake leaders make when working with
others?
Question 2 – What is the most critical
skill a leader can possess when working
with others?
 Question 3 -- What are the top five
things leaders often fail to do when working
with others.

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Leadership
Question 1
What is the biggest mistake
leaders make when working
with others?

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LEADERSHIP
Question #1
What is the biggest mistake leaders make
when working with others?
 Inappropriate use of communication or listening 41%
 Under or over supervising, direction or delegation 27%
 Lack of management skills 14%
 Lack of support/inappropriate support 12%
 Lack of accountability 5%

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Leadership
Question 2
What is the most critical skill
a leader can possess when
working with others?

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LEADERSHIP
Question #2
What is the most critical skill a leader can
possess when working with others?
 Communication/listening 43%
 Effective management skills 17%
 Emotional intelligence and empathy 15%
 Values and integrity 8%
 Vision 6%
 Empowerment 6%

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LEADERSHIP
Question 3
What are the top five things
leaders most often fail to do
when working with others?

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LEADERSHIP – Question 3
What are the top five things that leaders most often
fail to do when working with others?
1. Failing to provide appropriate feedback (praise,
redirection) 82%
2. Failing to listen to or involve others in the process
81%
3. Failing to use a leadership style that is appropriate to
the person, task, and situation 76%
4. Failing to set clear goals and objectives
76%
5. Failing to train and develop their people
59%

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COMMON MISTAKES LEADERS MAKE
Micromanaging
Lack of vision and inability to communicate it effectively
Takes the credit but gives the blame
Lacks accountability
“My way or the highway”
Provides little/no feedback or coaching
Shows favoritism
Treats everyone the same
Task focused vs. team-oriented
Embraces the status quo
Selects and leads based on “like me”
Ignores diversity of thought or varying opinions

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COMPETENCIES OF A 21ST CENTURY LEADER
Adaptability Passionate Educated
Knowledgeable Risk Taker Strategic (visionary)
Inspirational Courageous
Decision-maker Empowering People Skills
Technologically savvy Team-oriented
Accountable Innovative Thinker Trustworthy/Trusting
Results-oriented Authenticity & transparency
Self-Awareness Keeps it fun

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10 BEST PRACTICES FOR INCREASING
INCLUSION AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
1. Clear compelling direction and vision that empowers
employees.
2. Align and support strategic goals.
3. Focus employees at all levels on the customer.
4. Don’t just talk the talk, but walk the talk.
5. Engage in open and honest communication—
overcommunicate.

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BEST PRACTICES FOR INCREASING
INCLUSION AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
6. Maintain a focus on career growth and
development.
7. Increase cultural competence.
8. Recognize and reward high performance. Know
what motivates your people.
9. Practice the Platinum Rule.
10. Build inclusion into all of your business processes.

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EXAMPLES OF GREAT PLACES TO WORK

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QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
1/27/2023
Thank you for your
participation
 : @SHRMDianna
 : Dianna Gould
 Email: Dianna.gould@shrm.org