The document discusses the concept of employee engagement and organizational engagement. It finds that only 35% of UK employees are actively engaged with their work. Organizational engagement is defined as a social and communicative approach where employees feel informed, have input that is acknowledged, and managers show commitment to organizational values. Several studies cited found that organizational engagement more strongly predicts outcomes and performance than job engagement alone. Key aspects of organizational engagement include employees feeling informed through two-way communication, manager commitment, and opportunities for employees to provide upward feedback.

1. Measuring employee engagement Kevin Ruck

2. England football team World Cup 2010 Engaged?

3. A study for CIPD (Truss , 2006, p. xi) found that only 35 per cent of UK employees were actively engaged with their work. But what is this thing we call engagement?

4. What would you choose to do to engage people? Give people a five per cent pay rise Take your team out for a meal Tell people what is going on in the organisation Introduce a new suggestion scheme Say “well done” for a good piece of work

5. What would you choose to do to engage people? Give people a five per cent pay rise Take your team out for a meal Tell people what is going on in the organisation Introduce a new suggestion scheme Say “well done” for a good piece of work

6. Work engagement A focus either on the individual role or the work activity with both approaches incorporating behavioural-energetic (vigor), emotional (dedication) and cognitive (absorption) dimensions . Employee engagement is a multi-dimensional construct Most surveys are focused on work engagement and are quantitative This diminishes the importance of organisational engagement Organisational engagement A social and communicative approach whereby employees are informed, have a voice that is heard and acknowledged, and where managers show commitment consistent with organisational values. Conclusion

7. Saks found (2006, p. 612) that, “…there is a meaningful distinction between job and organization engagement” and “organization engagement was a much stronger predictor of all the outcomes than job engagement”. Wieseke et al found (2009) that found the higher the level of organisational identity of sales managers the greater the sales quota achievement. Peccei at al (2010, p.432) “information disclosure does, in fact, seem to have a positive effect on financial performance”. Leiter and Bakker (2010, p. 2) affirm that “Employees’ responses to organizational policies, practices and structures affect their potential to experience engagement”. Millward and Postmes (2010, p. 335) conclude from an academic study involving business managers in the UK that “The fact that identification with the superordinate grouping of “the organisation” was particularly relevant to performance is important for theoretical, empirical and pragmatic reasons”. The academic case for organisational engagement

8. Typical engagement survey questions Only two of the Gallup 12 questions are linked to wider organisational engagement. One is about the organisational mission The other is about whether your opinions count Typical communication survey questions ICA survey focuses on the “amount of information” received. Others commonly focus on availability of information systems and influence of supervisor. Feeling well informed is different from the volume of information received and little attention is paid to opportunities for upward feedback.

9. LEADERSHIP Provides a strong strategic narrative. COMMUNICATION Engagement ENGAGING MANAGERS Facilitate and empower. VOICE views are sought out; people see that their opinions count. INTEGRITY Behaviour is consistent with stated values. MacLeod and Clarke (2009) Engaging for Success

10. Three components of organisational employee engagement Feeling well informed. Manager commitment Opportunities for upward feedback (Truss , 2006, p. xi)

11. (Truss , 2006, p. xi)

12. Level v Credibility of Information Low/med High Believe information communicated Low/med High Feel informed Truss (2006)

13. Feeling really well informed. Professional Timely, clear, accurate, pertinent, consistent, sincere, concise, business-like. Reinforces believable values and narrative. Propaganda Content is biased and does not reflect reality. Reinforced by managers who show commitment to the organisation.

14. Upward feedback Advanced Based on people feeling well informed in the first place, face to face, actions taken as a result or reasons why action not taken provided. Basic Surveys, suggestion schemes, email boxes. Reinforced by managers who are open to critical feedback.

15. Downward v Upward Communication Low/med High Have opportunity for upward communication Low/med High Feel informed Truss (2006)

16. Defining the values of the workforce has enabled Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service to launch a bold three-year employee engagement strategy . Focus groups were carried out at every fire station with more than 800 employees to talk about what motivated them in their jobs and also what causes frustration. The focus groups were followed up with a service-wide staff survey. From: People Management 8 April 2010 In their feedback, firefighters said that they wanted to be listened to and consulted with more and to have more communication from senior leaders.

17. Organisational engagement Integrity Engaging managers Voice Leadership Internal Corporate Communication Relational - Relationship management, symmetric communication. Organisational - Timely, clear, accurate, pertinent, consistent, sincere, concise, business-like. Team communication Project/peer or line manager Clarity, consistency, involvement. Informed employee voice

19. Thanks for listening www.pracademy.co.uk www.exploringinternalcommunication.com