1. Creating a great Workplace Culture to Develop and Retain Great People
Sarah Sherertz
HR Manager
Microsoft Australia

2. Where do you focus? Organisations don’t exist – people do
A company’s ability to perform is reliant upon its ability to attract and retain great employees who can drive success in today’s complex environment.

3. The things we have in common Our company values The language we use
Culture
The things we have in common
Our company values
The language we use
Who we hire
Who we don’t hire
How we communicate to each other
Our location
Our social interactions
The systems and processes in place
How we make decisions
The things we don’t have in common
How we get involved with the community
The design of our buildings and offices
Our incentives
Our passions

4. Microsoft Company Values who we will become – our journey!!!4

5. Building workplace culture 3 Critical ingredients
Is your CEO a “believer” in people?
Set your people strategies with the Leadership team
Are your Leadership Team believers?
Get 100% of the Right People in the Right jobs
Is your HR Lead a “believer” in being a true business partner?
Do they understand your business?
Are they strategic?
Do they have a seat at the decision making table?
Your Managers are key to making your people strategy live
Be clear on what is expected of them and how you will support them
Meet regularly on how to execute on the people strategy
Agree on what values and behaviours are needed

6. What we know Our People stay because... and they leave because...
Passion for their work
People
Great company/Culture of Microsoft
Clear goals
Empowerment – ability to decide how to do their job
Being on the winning team, sharing in credit for Microsoft’s success
and they leave because...
Frustration with their manager
Work isn’t challenging or interesting
Next career steps are unclear; no one’s thinking about it
Lack of recognition and reward
Exclusion from strategy thinking and key decisions
Dissatisfaction with work/life balance 6

7. Employee Value Proposition

8. Great place to work – People Strategy Initiatives
Make the Values REAL – off the wall and into hearts & minds
Values workshops and Values Plus
Feedback training for all staff
Capability
Leaders
Manager Community
Increased Change Management skills
Development
Meaningful development plans for all staff

9. Meaningful Development
From
“You own your own career”
Manager involved
Disparate, informal resources To
Three way partnership
Employee drives,
manager assists,
Microsoft supports
Manager accountable
Consistent framework across Microsoft

10. Our Approach Managers Employees Microsoft Accountable
Quality Discussions
Honest assessment & feedback
Follow up on actions
“Career Broker”
Employees
Personal Career Direction
Needs Awareness
Drive Action plan
Follow up on actions
Regular focus
Microsoft
Formal Career Discussions Online Resources
Manager Commitments Manager Training
Employee Training Career Models

11. Focused Development – Career Models
Integrated components
Career stages
What is expected in current stage and how to get to next stage on chosen career path
Competencies
Set of behaviors that differentiate outstanding performance
Experiences
Building blocks for learning and growth

12. Great Place to Work – Our results
Internally
89% of our employees would recommend Microsoft ANZ as a great place to work
Employee engagement 80% - up by 5% YOY
Manager effectiveness increased on average 8%
Employee satisfaction with career development plans increased by 9%
84% feel employees act consistently with Microsoft Values
Attrition lower than industry average (8%)
Externally
The Australian HR Awards “Employer of Choice” 2004 & 2005
100 applications per week

13. Final thoughts Agree on what values and behaviours are needed
Engage your leaders and all of your managers
Recruit/retain people who will take you to where you need to be rather than give you what you need today
Understand why people leave and why people stay – listen & open channels of feedback
Invest in a compelling employee value proposition 13

14. THANK YOU