2011 hr leadership & management conference neil reichenberg ipma-hr executive director

2011 HR Leadership & Management Conference

Neil ReichenbergIPMA-HR Executive Director

Employee Morale

Most organizations recognize their employees as their most important asset.HR is the only department that has the people of the organization as its primary mission “The right talent is the fundamental building block when it comes to creating an organization capable of innovating and changing…”

Ed Lawler, Director, Center for Effective Organizations and Professor, University of Southern California

How Are Organizations Treating Their Most Important Asset?

IPMA-HR surveys showed agencies taking the following actions to address budget issues:

Hiring freezesPay freezesReduce overtimeReduce trainingLayoffs & furloughsChange benefit plans to require more employee contributions

Employee Morale

There is anti-government sentiment fueled in part over concern with public employee pay and benefitsAlthough resources have been reduced, the workload in many instances remains the same or greaterThe public sector continues to lag the economic recoveryAll of this can lead to a decline in employee morale

Improving Employee Morale

What are organizations doing to improve morale?

Created financial dashboard that is updated monthly so employees can check on the organization’s financesStarted a career coaching program to help employees develop their career & achieve personal and professional excellence



Offered additional tools for supervisors to recognize employee contributions that are not tied to monetary rewardsCreated a web blog accessible to employees & citizens to showcase employees at their finest, with nominations from coworkers & citizens



KUDO’s program on the organization’s intranet that can be sent out by any employee, supervisor or manager to recognize good work. Each month the organization has a drawing for a pen set for all who received a KudoEmployees print them & hang them in their work area



Offer employees discounts on retail, entertainment, lodging, & restaurantsCounty sponsors teams that participate in sports with other governmentsAnnual employee recognition celebration during Public Service Recognition Week

Engagement

A state in which employees feel a vested interest in the success of the organization and are both willing and motivated to perform to levels that exceed the stated job requirements

It reflects how employees feel about the overall work experience – the organization, its leaders, the work environment & the recognition and rewards they receive

Engagement

Engagement contributes to the performance of the organization leading to improvements in service quality, customer satisfaction, retention, & productivityIt also serves the individual by fulfilling a need to be connected to worthwhile endeavors and make a significant contribution

Employee Engagement - Gallup

Gallup (www.gallup.com) has done extensive research on employee engagement

Average working population ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees is nearly 2:1World class organizations have an engagement ratio of more than 9:1

http://www.gallup.com/


Gallup’s 12 elements of engagement consist of statements that best predict employee and workgroup performance:

1. I know what is expected of me at work2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my

work right3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best

every day4. In the last 7 days, I have received recognition or praise

for doing good work5. My supervisor, or someone at work seems to care

about me as a person6. There is someone at work who encourages my

development


7. My opinions seem to count8. The mission or purpose of my organization makes me feel my job is important9. My fellow employees are committed to doing quality work10. I have a best friend at work11. In the last 6 months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow

Employee Engagement – Blessing White Report

Released by Blessing White (www.blessingwhite.com) & is based on global survey responses from nearly 11,000 individuals & interviews with HR and line leadersWorldwide, only 31% of employees are engaged, with 17% being disengaged

http://www.blessingwhite.com/


Five levels of employee engagement:

Engaged – high contribution & high satisfaction – they contribute fully to the success of the organization & find great satisfaction in their workAlmost engaged – these employees are among the high performers & are reasonably satisfied with their job.Honeymooners & Hamsters – honeymooners are new to the organization or their role & happy to be there. Hamsters may be working hard, but are in effect spinning their wheels working on non-essential tasks, contributing little to the success of the organization.


Five levels of employee engagement

Crash & Burners – disillusioned & potentially exhausted, they are top producers who aren’t achieving their personal definition of success & satisfaction. They can be bitterly vocal about the organization.Disengaged – they are the most disconnected from organizational priorities, often feel underutilized & are not getting what they want from work. If they can’t be coached to higher levels of engagement, their exit benefits everyone.


Key study findings:Despite the global recession, engagement levels remained about the same since before the recession In organizations that imposed layoffs, salary & hiring freezes, employees were less likely to be engaged than the workforce at largeMore employees are considering leaving their organizations than they were in 2008There is a strong correlation between engagement levels and age, role/level, and tenure in the organization – the higher up in the organization, the more likely you are to be engaged


Key study findingsGeneration Y are among the least engagedEngaged employees plan to stay for what they give to the organization (they like their work & are able to contribute), while disengaged employees stay for what they get from the organization (secure job, desirable salary, favorable job conditions)The top drivers of job satisfaction are opportunities to apply their talents, career development, & training opportunitiesTrust in executives can have more than twice the impact on engagement levels than trust in immediate managers does Employees are more likely to trust their immediate managers than the executives in their organization


Key study findingsEmployees want more opportunities to do what they do best and more flexible job conditionsEmployees want greater clarity about what the organization needs me to do & whyEmployees want regular, specific feedback about how they are doingEngagement surveys that don’t lead to visible follow-up action may actually decrease engagement levels, so organizations should not do them unless they plan to act on the results


My Manager….

Engaged Vs. Disengaged

Encourages me to use my talents

84% 33%

Asks for and acts on my input

85% 39%

Recognizes & rewards my achievements

78% 29%

Has built a sense of belonging in our department or team

72% 22%

Employee Engagement – Mercer Study

Mercer study found that US employees are not happy and are less committed to their employers as compared to 5 years ago

One in three employees is seriously considering leaving1/5th didn’t commit to staying or leaving & are the least satisfied & engagedActions taken during the recession are cited as the cause for this shift


As the economy improves, employers risk losing valued talent & face productivity and morale issues among the workers who remain40% of workers 25 – 34 are seriously considering leaving, along with 44% of employees 24 and younger


Scores dropped slightly, but consistently on most other engagement-related questions

I am willing to go beyond the requirements of my jobMy work gives me a feeling of personal accomplishmentI am proud to work for my organizationI feel a strong sense of commitment to my organization

For additional information, please contact:

Neil ReichenbergIPMA-HR Executive [email protected]/549-7100

mailto:[email protected]

2011 hr leadership & management conference neil reichenberg ipma-hr executive director

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