A primer on the challenges and strategies for driving robust, lasting employee engagement in the workplace.

1. January 2016

2. How we got here. Why this matters.

3.  Engaged employees are:
informed, motivated,
productive, loyal, even
passionate
 (Happy) employees can also
be very effective advocates
for brand, company
 Key engagement metrics
include:
 Alignment with manager
 Satisfaction with job
 Likelihood to recommend job
 Intent to stay or leave

4. THEORY
 Engaged staff are better for a
company’s bottom line, culture
 Companies can’t succeed without
informed, motivated employees
 Disengaged staff erode business
performance, miss work, hurt
morale and drive away customers
 Disengaged employees often
become vocal critics of company –
or negative ambassadors
STATS
 Lost annual productivity in US due
to actively disengaged: $500+ billion
 On average only 1/3 of staff
engaged, ~20% actively disengaged
 Almost 90% of employers think staff
leave for more money (only 12% do)
 Engaged employees are 87% less
likely to leave company than
disengaged staff
 Organizations with highly engaged
workforce achieve 2X annual net
income of those lagging on
engagement
Sources: Gallup,TowersWatson, HayGroup,ACCOR

5. The world’s top-performing organizations understand that employee
engagement is a force that drives business outcomes.
Research shows that engaged employees are more productive employees.
They are more profitable, more customer-focused, safer, and more likely
to withstand temptations to leave the organization. In the best
organizations, employee engagement transcends a human resources
initiative — it is the way they do business.
Employee engagement is a strategic approach supported by tactics for
driving improvement and organizational change.The best performing
companies know that developing an employee engagement strategy and
linking it to the achievement of corporate goals will help them win in the
marketplace.
Gallup Consulting

6. Absenteeism
Turnover
Service/Product
Quality
Safety Incidents
Customer
Service
Productivity
Profitability Advocacy
Innovation

7. Some companies are trying hard to engage their
employees. Others are more talk than action.
Whatever they are doing, on average their efforts
are not working.

9. Companies (spending money & effort) trying
to drive engagement…
…are getting a terrible ROI

10. What is it that so many
companies are missing?

11. …and a New Prescription

12. YOU’RE LUCKY TO HAVE A JOB
IN THE BEGINNING…

13. OK. We’ll share
information with
you…
(but we’ll decide how we do it
and what’s important)

14. We’ll work hard to give you the things
you need to do your job

15. We (now) believe
our employees are #1!!
(or at least a critical audience)

16. We’ll provide “competitive”
benefits & workplace programs

17. We’ll introduce new concepts like
Employee Value Proposition
And Total Rewards
…which try to answer why you should work here

18. We’ll work hard on cool
perks

19. We’ll make a huge effort to help you
manage your performance

20. Learn
Train
Develop
Advance
= Career
We’ll make sure you have a career
(not just a job)

21. We’ll be guided by common values*
* AKA guiding principles, desired behaviors or competencies

23. We’ll listen better and
ask employees what they like.
And what they need.
* Maybe even too much 

24. We’ll improve how we communicate…
Transparent
Visual
Timely
Searchable
Relevant
Interesting

25. We’ll come up with new, better
ways to recognize
good work

26. Welcome to the CONVERSATION

27. We stand for more
than
making money
We (now) have
a higher
purpose

28. Good
progress.
But we’re not
quite there
yet.

30. Companies need to help their employees
find their passion

31. Try to touch their…

32. Passion can
be positive
or negative

33. If your employees hate the company…you’ve
got a serious problem
If your employees don’t care…you’ve got a
serious challenge
If your employees love the company…you’ve got an
amazing opportunity

34. PASSIONATE WORKERS…
Drive sustained, extreme
performance improvement
Are more resilient
Are more innovative
Are focused on learning, developing
Are more loyal
Translation: They Care More

35. Employee engagement is important, and improving it typically will
give a firm a bump in performance. But engagement is often a
one-time bump; employees move from unhappy to happy, bring a
better attitude to work, and possibly take fewer sick days.
However, workers who are merely engaged won’t actively seek to
achieve higher performance levels, to the benefit of self and firm;
passionate workers will, though.
Deloitte University Press – Passion at Work

36. So how do you ignite passion in your employees?
1.Hire for fit, not just skills
2.Promote your unique culture, brand
3.Communicate to inspire
4.Choose the right perks, programs
5.Recognize and reward values-based work
6.Lead with passion
7.Listen and involve
8.Foster advocacy
9.Let employees tell their story
10.Give them room to grow (and fail)

37. Unlock passion in your
workplace
• Cross-functional projects
• Easy collaboration
• Customer-driven innovation
• High-impact challenges

38. Employees are more likely to be feel valued – and
be happy - if they are recognized by their
manager and peers
THANK YOU
also goes a long
way…

39. Passionate
employees are often
led by
passionate
leaders

41. So maybe you need to design and build your
company (and workforce)
for passion

43. Let’s make the best products
Let’s create a new category
Let’s reinvent the market
Let’s make a positive impact
Let’s create a legacy
Let’s change the world
TOGETHER

44. I love what I do
I do what I love

45. For those who like data charts…

46. …or who are left brain thinkers

47. So…
why are only 12% of workers ‘passionate’ ?

48. Companies often fear and discourage passion

49. Employees being able to deliver on the brand promise is the price of entry.
Employees being motivated – even passionate – to live the brand is the real
goal, and a much higher bar.That requires sustained employee
engagement: alignment, productivity, initiative and loyalty.

50. Customers won’t believe
in your brand if your
employees don’t…
 Believe in it
 Act on it
 Talk about it
 Promote it
 Defend it
Mobilize your employees to be your brand ambassadors

51. This presentation was partly inspired by the great book The Passion
Conversation and the folks at Brains on Fire.

52. bernie@thintwicecommunications.com
www.thinktwicecommunications.com
512-897-7359