EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Why Employee Engagement is Important for Your Organization Presented by Columbus Area Labor-Management Committee

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Your Presenters: Dr. Jim Cowles Executive Director Meredith Porterfield Program Manager Columbus Area Labor-Management Committee

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT What Is It? According to Wikipedia: An "engaged employee" is one who is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about their work, and thus will act in a way that furthers their organization's interests.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Organizations today face tremendous challenges. Why Is Employee Engagement Important? Organizations today face tremendous challenges. Customer demands Rapid change Doing things the same way isn’t working any more. Need more and new ideas to face the competition.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Helps with job retention Why Is Employee Engagement Important? Helps with job retention Can encourage more flexible environments Better use of limited resources.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Basic Principles: The person who does a job usually knows the most about that job. Most people want to be informed and involved. Everyone deserves a voice in determining their own future. Healthy organizations are in everybody’s interest.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT People drive change. People make the difference. Unless people are involved and committed to making fundamental change, any employee engagement process will not work.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Advantages: Greater productivity & efficient use of time. Better workplace communication. Improved relationships and higher trust levels between employees and management.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Advantages: Can be effective in unionized or non-unionized organizations. Opportunity for REAL problem-solving.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT How do you achieve it? Develop a culture where employees feel valued and can contribute their ideas freely.

Employee Engagement How do you achieve it? Make the commitment to the process Select a team or teams Provide training Identify a problem Use good problem solving processes Work to solve the problem, not affix blame

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT How do you achieve it? Need to demonstrate commitment through actions, not just words Have an open mind and be willing to take some risks Actively listen to employee ideas and provide feedback

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT How do you achieve it? May have to go the “extra mile” to show the importance of doing this, develop trust Start with a small project or something most would agree is important. Sometimes better to have outside facilitator to help

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Not easy Be aware – this process: Not easy Be patient. It takes time and determination – not a quick fix Not a cookie-cutter approach

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Be aware – this process: Must be consistent – all the time, not stop & start No finger pointing

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Be aware – this process: There must be mutual respect and empathy, treat each other as equals Must be honest, share information

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT A Word About Professional Outside Assistance: Can make a new process easier Confronting issues can be difficult when everyone has a stake in them Can help keep the process moving Professionals bring experiences from other organizations

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT A Word About Professional Outside Assistance: Help build trust Can help build a more cohesive team Professionals have tools and techniques to help groups as needed Can be more cost efficient

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT For more information or assistance with your employee engagement process, contact: Columbus Area Labor-Management Committee http://calmc.org