1. The Science of Employee Engagement
Craig Dowden, PhD

2. What is the State of Engagement?

3. Business Case for Engagement
Highly engaged organizations
19% higher total shareholder return
26% higher employee productivity
Lower risk of turnover
Better suited to attract top talent
Highly engaged employees
Twice as likely to be top performers and miss 20% fewer days of work.
Exceed expectations in performance reviews and are more supportive of organizational change initiatives

4. Show Me The Money!!

5. Paid Vs. Volunteer: Who Wins?

6. Show Me The Money!!??

7. Show Me The Money???

8. Show Me The Money???
“We find that financial incentives may indeed reduce intrinsic motivation and diminish ethical or other reasons for complying with workplace social norms such as fairness. As a consequence, the provision of incentives can result in a negative impact on overall performance.”
Dr. Bernd Irlenbusch, London School of Economics

9. Show Me The Money? The Canadian Way
Money was at the bottom of the list of primary job motivators
“Canadians have made it clear that money really isn't everything….. Factors like learning and development, creativity and corporate culture have become true indicators of job satisfaction for today's working Canadians.”
Workopolis President Patrick Sullivan

10. Show Me The Science!!!

11. Show Me The Science!!! Engagement Through Progress Goal-Setting
Feedback
Focus on the Positive
Communication
Purpose

12. 1) Progress

13. 1) Progress: Success Audit
Exercise: Think about five different successes you had last week. What were they?
“It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?”
-Henry David Thoreau 13

14. 2) Goal-Setting HARD goals
Heartfelt: My goals will enrich the lives of somebody besides me
Animated: I can vividly picture how great it will feel when I achieve my goals
Required: My goals are absolutely necessary to help this company
Difficult: I will have to learn new skills and leave my comfort zone to achieve my assigned goals for this year.

15. 2) Goal-Setting Top 8 Factors
I can vividly picture how great it will feel when I achieve my goals
I will have to learn new skills to achieve my assigned goals for this year
My goals are absolutely necessary to help this company
I actively participated in creating my goals for this year
I have access to any formal training that I will need to accomplish my goals
My goals for this year will push me out of my comfort zone
My goals will enrich the lives of somebody besides me (customers, the community, etc.)
My goals are aligned with the organization’s top priorities for this year

17. 3) Feedback Focus on the behaviour rather than the person
Focus on the positive
Be specific rather than vague/abstract
Provide illustrations
Global versus local
Outline the impact and identify benefits of positive change
Praise effort and strategy rather than outcome
Connect the feedback to organizational objectives

18. EXERCISE:
FEED-FORWARD

19. 4) Focus On The Positive

20. 4) Focus On The Positive Create your own motivational poster

21. 5) Communication
Word Time Challenge
Leadership

22. 5) Communication
“The danger in communication, is the illusion that it has been accomplished.”
-George Bernard Shaw
“ I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. ” -Alan Greenspan

23. 6) Purpose

24. 0% 77.4 % 6) Purpose Low Purpose High Purpose Always Engaged

25. 6) Purpose

26. 6) Purpose
3 Groups:
Personal Benefit
Control Group
Task Significance

27. 6) Purpose 3 Groups: Personal Benefit = Same Control Group = Same
Task Significance = Pledges increased = Donations increased 171%

28. 6) Purpose

29. Show Me The Science!!! Engagement Through Progress Goal-Setting
Feedback
Focus on the Positive
Communication
Purpose

30. Questions and Comments
Craig Dowden, PhD