1. Reducing Absenteeism by
Improving Employee
Engagement
Steve Mitchinson
Managing Partner
TeamRed Solutions
July 2010
Leadership Strategy Results
2. Culture : Why it is important
There is volume of research showing strong
correlation between absenteeism and staff
engagement.
There is volume of research showing strong
correlation between staff engagement and
profitability.
So just how do you build and maintain a positive
workplace culture and deliver improved employee
effectiveness?
What are others doing?
Leadership Strategy Results
3. Culture : Why it is important
Gallup
38% higher customer satisfaction scores
22% higher productivity, and
27% higher profits!
Families and Work Institute
Earnings & Benefits have only a 2% impact on Job Satisfaction
Job Quality and Workplace Support have a combined 70% impact.
Watson Wyatt
maintaining a positive reputation
being appreciated
believing that the work is important
having interesting assignments.
Towers Perrin –
an environment of stimulation, contribution, recognition (monetary and otherwise)
development, learning and support (from day-to-day management and senior leadership)
The Society of Human Resource Management - "How can we keep talent from jumping to our
competitors?“
Leadership Strategy Results
5. Wisdom of Spencer
Employees leave their managers, not their employers
So how can you improve your ROI - your Return on
Interactions
Leadership Strategy Results
10. Questions we might want to ask....
•What is it worth to reduce absences and turnover in your Enterprise
•How do I avoid the “on the job retirees” - people don't show up for work
even when they do
•How do I make my Enterprise the place where people want to be?
•How do I interpret, and manage absenteeism, sick leave and separations?
•How do I control absenteeism through positive incentives?
•How do I develop and actionable strategy (what to do) and a tactical (how-
to -do -it) work plan to reduce absenteeism employee turnover
How do you track results and make corrections when deviations between
expected and actual results occur?
Leadership Strategy Results
11. What does it mean to be “engaged”
• A heightened emotional and intellectual connection an employee has for
his/her job, organisation, manager or co-workers that, in turn, influences
him/her to apply additional discretionary effort to his/her work.
In a nutshell…
Engaged people like
coming to work,
and are inspired to
do their best
best!
Leadership Strategy Results
12. Drivers of Employee Engagement
Personal
Co-workers /
Trust & Integrity relationship with Employee Development
Team members
Manager
Direct links between
Career Growth
The Type of work Pride in the Brand Individual & Company
Opportunities
Performance
There are many things we can do to create an engaged workforce…
Leadership Strategy Results
13. Drivers of Employee Engagement
Personal
Co-workers /
Trust & Integrity relationship with Employee Development
Team members
Manager
The Culture Direct links between
Career Growth
The Type of work Pride in the Brand Individual & Company
Opportunities
Performance
There are many things we can do to create an engaged workforce…
Leadership Strategy Results
14. Drivers of Employee Engagement
Personal
Co-workers /
Trust & Integrity relationship with Employee Development
Corporate & Social
Manager
Team members
Career Growth
Opportunities
Responsibility
The Type of work Pride in the Brand
Direct links between
Individual & Company
Performance
There are many things we can do to create an engaged workforce…
Leadership Strategy Results
15. Corporate & social Responsibility
Employees cite corporate responsibility issues as one of their key criteria
when choosing an employer - an organisation’s ability to retain employees
may depend on its ability to meet individual work requirements and align
business practices with employees’ values
•84 per cent of employees want to work in an environmentally-friendly
office.
•90 per cent of women and 78 per cent of men said their employer should
have the environment at the top of mind.
•81 per cent of 18-24 year-olds wanted to work in a ‘green’ office, as did 86
per cent of 35-49 year-olds.
Source:
USING ICT TO DRIVE YOUR SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY, Telstra 2009
Leadership Strategy Results
16. Top 20 Tips to Retain Employees
B
•A clear attendance policy
•No show, call in policies
•Return to work interviews
•Make attendance a KPI
•Flexible scheduling
•Incentive programmes tied to attendance
•Tie promotions to attendance
•Is your attendance policy too strict e.g. Lates...
•Engagement surveys
•Identify your worst days
•Introduce well being program
•Train the leadership group
•Communicate regularly & effectively
•Empower staff and provide a sense of accountability
•Include team games & incentives
•Share the statistics
•Ensure Information systems are not outdated
•Develop proper training and development plans
•Regular Feedback
•Get involved
Leadership Strategy Results
17. Top Tips To Attract, Retain and Motivate Employees
By Don Grimme, Co-founder GHR Training Solutions
1. Pay employees well
2. Respect
3. Praise accomplishments...and attempts
4. Communication
5. Recognition
6. Involvement
7. Listen
8. Share Information
9. Celebrate
10.Create Opportunity
Leadership Strategy Results
18. Employee Engagement Quadrant
High Disengagement Purposefulness
F
O
C
U
S
Low Procrastination Distraction
Low High
ENERGY
Leadership Strategy Results
19. Employee Engagement Challenge
High Disengagement Purposefulness
F
O
C
U
S
Low Procrastination Distraction
Low High
ENERGY
Leadership Strategy Results
20. Possible Approaches
• Keep promises & follow through - Walk the Talk
• Keep promises & follow through - Walk the Talk
• Open and honest
• Open and honest
Managerial • Tell it like it is – even when bad news or a difficult
Managerial • Tell it like it is – even when bad news or a difficult
topic – balance +ve & -ve
Interventions
Interventions •
topic – balance +ve & -ve
(Visibly) Rewarding the right people for the right
• (Visibly) Rewarding the right people for the right
reasons
reasons
• Building one on one relationships and trust
• Building one on one relationships and trust
• Demonstrate how individuals contribute to
• Demonstrate how individuals contribute to
Communications organisational goals (strategic communications)
Communications organisational goals (strategic communications)
Interventions • Employee Surveys
Interventions • Employee Surveys
• Consistent, regular face to face communication
• Consistent, regular face to face communication
• Timely and honest responses to what is heard from
• Timely and honest responses to what is heard from
employees – “Captain Rumour”
employees – “Captain Rumour”
• Empowerment - Flatten managerial and decision-
making hierarchies.
Organisational
Organisational • Increase autonomy and decision-making authority.
Interventions
Interventions • Using cross-functional teams
• Structured development and Effective career
mapping
Leadership Strategy Results
21. The benefits of engagement
•Increased staff satisfaction
•Reduced your operating costs
•Lower staff acquisition costs
•Improved Customer Satisfaction
•Increased customer profitability and repeat purchasing.
•Reduced staff attrition costs
Leadership Strategy Results
22. Reducing Absenteeism-
Improving Employee Engagement
Steve Mitchinson
Managing Partner
TeamRed Solutions
www.teamredsolutions.com.au
steve@teamredsolutions.com.au
July 2010
Leadership Strategy Results