Communications Tactics for Successful Employee Engagement Programs

JP Morgan ChaseFebruary 8, 2011

Susan McPhersonSenior Vice President

Strong Values

Career Enhancement

Respected Leadership

Social Relevance

Financial Stability

External Visibility

of Brand

Community Investment

Local Value of Equity

Employees

Why Should I Care?

What is Employee Engagement?

“Worker engagement” is a business management concept. An "engaged employee" is one who is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about, his or her work and thus will act in a way that furthers an organization's interests.

Via Wikipedia

And Why Engage?+R

etention

+Revenue increases

+Reduced healthcare costs

+Recruitment

+Reputation

+Reward

Studies show….

Gallup's engagement ratio is an indicator of an organization's health, allowing executives to track the proportion of engaged to actively disengaged employees:

+World-class ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees is 10:1

+Average ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees is 2:1

Gallup 2010

Use Social Media as Your Base

+Collaboration

+Trust

+Authenticity

+Transparency

All are the underpinnings of social media today.

Starting Out+Research

+Create your strategy

+Create and communicate your vision

+Tap unbridled enthusiasm

+Use a phased approach, starting small to ensure success

+Consider an enterprise-software/platform

+Support and showcase growth

+Trust, trust, and trust…and share

+Rather than a monologue to the masses, engage with all employees

+No longer the CEO and executives shouting

+Yammer/Intranet/Wiki/Private Facebook page – provide avenues for employees to express feelings, connect, share, and gather feedback

+Find your mode – daily messaging, weekly newsletter, quarterly magazine, video, town hall meetings

Tactics

+Survey regularly and routinely – give employees a voice

+Provide direct access to senior executives

+Encourage volunteer-time/learning opportunities/community involvement with incentives

+Run monthly lunch & learns to encourage knowledge sharing

+Create an actual master narrative – orientation/new hire/evaluations – provide material/online training/education

Tactics

Examples

 Employees are encouraged to ask customers how make improvements.

By having real-time conversations, employees put a human face on both their fans and detractors. They can go online and see who is a company fan and relate to them as individuals, not just a number.

By involving employees, Starbucks is not only building loyal customers, but a highly engaged workforce.

StarbucksEmployee Involvement

Molson CoorsCommunications and Surveys

In 2009, the company’s engagement score increased to 86%,

up 6% from the year before.

Why?

Our Brew distributed to every employee to ensure that employees

are constantly aligned with company’s mission and vision.

Molson CoorsCommunications and Surveys

+ Employees asked for the first time how they viewed the company’s social and environmental responsibility:

believed the company was responsible in the community

   believed the company was

environmentally responsible

89% 

86% 

PatagoniaUnique Programs

Walking into Patagonia’s corporate office, you see the day’s surf report. 

There is a culture that encourages employees to pursue sports they are passionate about. 

Not only have they created a high level of employee engagement, but Patagonia is a purpose-driven company. 

PatagoniaUnique Programs+Being an environmentally and socially sustainable

organization, the firm committed to using organic cotton and recycling plastic bottles into fleece jackets.

+ Internship program pays employees to work up to two months for a nonprofit environmental organization of their choice.     

+On-site daycare.

IBMOverall Excellence

Increasingly exploring how online conversation via social engagement can empower IBMers as global professionals, innovators, and citizens.

New model: “Not mass communications but masses of communicators.” 

Tips for Success+Make it cross-functional – marketing, product

development, account management, sales – to determine shared company goals

+Prioritize

+Work with senior leadership to ensure goals reinforce company’s strategic objectives

+Deploy cutting-edge technology that folks are comfortable utilizing for sharing and relating

Tips for Success+Make it local

+ Include goals around building community, communicating messages, and gaining feedback from customers, partners, suppliers, and other stakeholders

+Build culture around sustainability goals. Whether it’s office parties, charity drives, or 401(k)s, look for ways to align them with the company’s sustainability initiatives

+Show your appreciation ALWAYS

About FentonOpened in 1982, we specialize in campaigns that inspire action – and accelerate progress.

Strategists in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and London in November with a global partner network.

We understand that the most powerful brands, companies, and campaigns cultivate a long-term, consistent, two-way conversation.

About Fenton+Galvanized public opposition to end apartheid+Legitimized global warming as an urgent threat to our

future+Compelled governments to ban and restrict toxins and

artificial growth hormones+Prevented hard liquor advertising from airing on network

TV+Saved the North Atlantic swordfish from the brink of

extinction +Established the National Amber Alert +Created a system at the CDC that tracks data on violent

deaths to prevent homicides and suicides