Leaders Letters A Leadership Resource
Edition 5. October 2007
The Super Seven Factors for Employee Engagement By Melanie Joy Douglas, Monster.ca new report identifies seven clear indicators of employee engagement and points to how Canadian employers should be addressing employee satisfaction and retention.
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The independent study, conducted by Warren Shepell and Canadian HR Reporter, surveyed more than 300 organizational leaders across Canada. “The report’s data shows links between the presence of seven top job and workplace factors and positive employee mental health, a lower rate of turnover, and satisfaction,” explains Rod Phillips, president and CEO of Warren Shepell in a recent press statement.
Left to right: Dr. Merit Marnot, Dr. Geri Jacques, Dr. Albert Adegbemo and Vernon MacIntyre of Dental Public Health were among the 25 supervisors participating in Giving and Receiving Feedback: Maximizing the PDP Experience for employees presented October 16, 2007. See page 2 for more.
The top seven workplace factors are as follows: 1.
Trust senior management.
2.
Asked for their ideas and opinions on important matters.
7.
Perceive their supervisors as caring and considerate of their well-being.
When asked to evaluate how much of a presence these top workplace characteristics had, Canadian business leaders responded as follows: •
Trust senior management: 37%
3.
Clearly understand the organization’s vision and strategic direction.
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Asked for their ideas and opinions on important matters: less than 50%
4.
Trust their supervisors.
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5.
Perceive recognition and praise for good work.
Clearly understand the organization’s vision and strategic direction: 33%
6.
Have a clear say in decisions that affect their work
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Trust their supervisors: 42%
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Receive recognition and praise for good work: less than 50%
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Have a clear say in decisions that affect their work: 34%
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Perceive their supervisors as caring and considerate of their well-being: 45%
“While business leaders may recognize the importance of the top seven factors,” says Phillips, “there is still a large gap between what employees need and what is being provided in Canadian workplaces.” Note that money, compensation, and perks are not even in the top seven. Rather, intrinsic factors like psychological and emotional well-being are the drivers for employee contentment. Employees are concerned
with an atmosphere of trust, input, and two-way communication with all levels of management. John Hobel, acting publisher and editor of Canadian HR Reporter agrees that these survey results provide “a concise checklist for organizations to utilize when reviewing their own success in dealing with satisfaction, retention, and workplace mental health issues.” WarrenShepell is a leading provider of Employee Assistance Programs. Canadian HR Reporter is Canada’s national journal of Human Resource management.
Workshop offers tips to give and receive feedback Feedback is any communication that gives another person information about how we perceive them and how their behavior impacts on us, on the team or on the organization. – Carol Gabanna, Giving and Receiving Feedback workshop, Oct.16, 2007 he workshop Giving and Receiving Feedback was presented for interested supervisors as part of PDP Awareness Month, October 2007. During the month organizers expected to raise awareness about the new PDP tool and the value of providing meaningful, specific and timely feedback to achieve maximum performance.
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A poll of 25,000 managers highlighted in the book Coaching for Improved Performance found the most common reasons employees don’t do what they are supposed to is: •
Because they don’t know what they are supposed to do.
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Because they don’t know how to do it.
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and because they don’t know why they should do it.
Carol recommends using the following feedback statement to provide clear, fact based and focused feedback.
“When you (do this...), I feel (this way...), because of (such and such...). Pause here. What I would like you to consider is (doing x... ), because I think it will accomplish (y...). What do you think? For more information on giving effective feedback, refer to the pocket books Giving Feedback and Coaching distributed to all SLG members in October. TIPS FOR MEETING PDP TARGETS: Words of wisdom provided by participants at October 16 workshop. •
Put deadlines on PDP. Book time in your and your employees’ schedules giving all involved sufficient time to work towards the PDP.
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Be honest, be kind, do unto others...!
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If you see an opportunity to give feedback, take it– timing can really help with delivery.
Leaders Letters are produced by the Human Resource Team of the Corporate and Finance Division and distributed to members of the Senior Leaders Group. For more information contact 894 0304.