Employee Engagement: Motivated and Productive People Who are Innovative and Creative.

Doug Buchanan, Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources

Tell me what you want me to do

and Ill do it.

Engaged?

Introduction

Overview of Employee Engagement UMKCs previous attempts to measure Employee Engagement New collaborations and a broader definition The Pilot Project What the research yields Blending all the research pieces together Recommendations for any organization Conclusion

Overview of Employee Engagement

Why we care Positive psychology vs. disease, damage, disorder, disability Research: Popular business publications, etc. (i.e. Q12) Anecdotal Scientific/academic literature (often connected to complementary study areas) Who is responsible for employees optimal performance?

Employee Engagement

Employee Engagement exists when the employee feels: Physically Intellectually Emotionally attached to their work (Kahn,1990) Work life work and personal well being The extent that an employee is psychologically present in an organization role. Values, match, and fit.

Some Research Claims for Employee Engagement

Employee engagement research claims that it

Predicts organizational and financial success through task and job motivation and organizational commitment. Increases with positive measures:

Workload (reasonably) Control Rewards and recognitions Community and social support Perceived fairness Values fit

Burnout is defined as negative measurements in these areas.

Engaged Employees
30% (Engaged) 54% (Not Engaged) 16% (Actively disengaged)

12 Things Important to Employees

From Gallups Q12: 1. Knowing whats Expected 2. Having the Right Materials & Equipment 3. Opportunity to Do What I Do Best 4. Recognition & Praise 5. Caring for Me as a Person 6. Encourages Development

12 Important Things cont.

7.
8. 9. 10. 11.

12.

My opinion Counts Connection with Mission of Organization Co Workers Committed to Quality Work I have a Best Friend at Work Someone Has talked with Me About my Progress Opportunities to Learn and Grow

Thoughtful Questions

What are your expectations of work?

Self Reflection Questions:

(on a scale of 1-10, rate yourself on each question)

I get up each day excited about going to work I like the contribution I make beyond what I get from it Work fits with my values

UMKCs Previous Attempts to Measure Employee Engagement

Workplace of Choice surveys

To all UMKC employees Participation and results organized by department

Worker satisfaction surveys

Division of Administration and Finance

Focus groups of employees for various departments and levels of the organization Workplace of choice committee IDP story demonstrated lack of trust and fear of sharing

New Collaborations and a Broader Definition

UM Board of Curators desire to conduct employee engagement surveys with all employees UMKC HR accepted role to lead the first System effort UM System System Human Resources ALDP and UM Columbia Ph.D. student (Jill Hermsen) UMKC Campus UMKC Human Resources Student Affairs School of Art and Sciences (?) School of Education

Pilot Project

Project scope was outlined in a management document Theoretical and Practical research Survey development Proposed plan: Plan- Do- Check- Act

Pre- survey Conduct focus groups with results Intervention workshops Post- survey Embed in the culture (institutionalize) Routinely checking (survey on anniversary) Continual training offerings Leadership awareness

Blending All the Pieces Together

Organizational behavior/ popular literature Employee needs to feel challenged Not Threatened Psychological contract Emotional vs. rational Academic literature: Measurement of Work engagement: Engaged vs. Burnout Vigor vs. Exhaustion Dedication vs. Cynicism Absorption vs. [Detachment]

Survey Instrument Components

Themes (Hermsen) 1. Career Support

I have opportunities to develop further skills in my career There are clear performance criteria outlined for my job I receive feedback on my performance. I am given recognition for my contributions. I have the authority to make decisions

2.

Recognition of Competence

Survey Instrument Components cont.

3.

Intra Departmental Relations

I have good relationships with colleagues in my unit. Turnover is NOT a problem in my unit. There is strong leadership in my unit. I have a best friend at work

4.

Working Conditions

My unit receives adequate resources. I am satisfied with my salary. I have a good relationship with faculty.

5.

External Relations

Survey Instrument Components cont.

6.

Job fit
My work utilizes my full abilities. I feel competent and fully able to handle my job. My job and I are well matched.

7.

Role fit
I like the identity my job gives me. My job fits how I see myself.

8.

Social Support
My immediate supervisor goes out of his/her way to do things to make my job easier. It is easy to talk with my immediate supervisor. My immediate supervisor can be relied on when things get tough at work.

Survey Instrument Components cont.

9.

Job Satisfaction I enjoy working in my position. I have the trust and confidence of my colleagues. Compared to my peers of similar experience and skills, my salary compensation is fair.
Work Engagement At my work, I feel bursting with energy. I am enthusiastic about my job. I get carried away when I am working. My job inspires me. I am proud of the work that I do.

10.

What the Academic Literature Yields to Help Us

Meaningfulness

Safety

Employee Engagement

Availability
(Kahn, 1990)

Reasons Cited as Why Employees Leave

The job and/or workplace does not live up to expectations Mismatch between job and worker Too little coaching and feedback Too few growth and advancement opportunities Feeling devalued and unrecognized Stress from overwork and work-life imbalance Loss of trust and confidence in senior leaders

Branham (2005). 7 Hidden reasons employees leave.

What Did Your Former Company Do Poorly?

Poor management Lack of career growth and advancement opportunities Poor communications (top-down) Pay inequities and ineffective performance appraisals Lack of recognition Poor senior leadership Lack of training Excessive workload Lack of tools and resources Lack of teamwork

Branham (2005).

The J.M Smucker Company

A simple code:

Listen with your full attention Look for the good in others Have a sense of humor- but not at the expense of others And, say thank you for a good well done By 2005, their stock had a 100 percent return over the past five years. 3 percent voluntary turnover

Result:

Recommendations

Start with engaged people; Hire well

First look inside Be clear and accurate Integrity first

We can teach skills easier than Integrity

Commit to Coaching and Feedback

Performance Management Hold leaders accountable Clear expectations

Commit to their Careers, not just your own

Overall career development Internal pathways Succession planning Training

Recommendations cont.

Rewards and Recognition

Its not only about the money Formal and Informal Genuine appreciation

Work/Life Balance

Care Flexibility when possible Encourage positive relationships Have some fun Honor commitments Trust them and their solutions Detect their value Give up control to gain control

Be Trustworthy

Recommendations cont.

Support Meaningful work

Value connection Fit Let them express their uniqueness Reasonable expectations Appropriate resources

Make it Safe

Support their Availability

Concluding Questions

Why do we tolerate personal incompetence in managers more than we would financial malfeasance? We lose more from interpersonal incompetence! What three qualities are essential for producing optimal employee performance? Uniqueness Service Community

Bibliography

First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently. (Buckingham and Coffman, 1999). The Power of Full Engagement. (Loehr and Schwartz, 2003) 12 Elements of Great Managing. (Wagner and Harter, 2006). Engagement is Not Enough. (Ayers, 2006). 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave. (Branham, 2005). The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. 77. (May, Gilson, and Harter, 2004). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology. 12(7). (Saks, 2006). Measurements of work engagement with a short questionnaire. Educational and Psychological Measurements. 66(4). (Schaufeli and Bakker, 2006). Hardwiring Excellence. (Studer, 2003). The One Thing You Need to Know. (Buckingham, 2005). Resonant Leadership. (Boyatzis and McKee, 2005). Good to Great. (Collins, 2001). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work.. The Academy of Management Journal, 33, 692-724. (Kahn, 1990)