Engage for Success Conference 22 March 2018 - presentation by Caroline Anderson, HR Director of HM Land Registry

1. #EFSConf2018

3. A Digital Voice for our people
in HM Land Registry
By Caroline Anderson, HR Director

4. • Government department created in 1862
• Registers the ownership of land and property in
England and Wales
• Self-funding through the charging of fees
• Majority of our customers are solicitors and
surveyors
• Led by Chief Executive and Chief Land
Registrar responsible to the Secretary of State
for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
HM Land Registry facts

5. • Based in 14 locations across
England and Wales
• 4,421 people
• 35.4 per cent part time/60.3 per
cent female/9 per cent disabled/4.5
per cent black and minority
ethnic/80 per cent local office
Operations
• Av age: 49
• Av length of service: 20.6 years
2014 snapshot: who we are and what we do

6. • Privatisation proposals vehemently
opposed by staff and trade unions
• Low staff morale and confidence in
management
• Employee engagement score in
2014: 49%
• Leadership and managing change
score lowest in Civil Service: 19%
Employee engagement in 2014
Land Registry keeps
me informed about the
35%
Positive
65%
negative
93rd
Out of 102 in
Civil Service
ranking

7. Engagement Index
49%
Difference from
previous survey
+1
Difference from
CS2014
-10 
Difference from CS
High Performers
-15 
My work
65%
Difference from
previous survey
+2
Difference from
CS2014
-10 
Difference from CS
High Performers
-13 
Organisational
objectives and purpose
66%
Difference from
previous survey
+1
Difference from
CS2014
-17 
Difference from CS
High Performers
-21 
My manager
58%
Difference from
previous survey
+6 
Difference from
CS2014
-9 
Difference from CS
High Performers
-13 
My team
79%
Difference from
previous survey
+3 
Difference from
CS2014
0
Difference from CS
High Performers
-4 
Learning and
development
38%
Difference from
previous survey
+5 
Difference from
CS2014
-12 
Difference from CS
High Performers
-17 
Inclusion and fair
treatment
67%
Difference from
previous survey
+2
Difference from
CS2014
-8 
Difference from CS
High Performers
-11 
Resources and
workload
66%
Difference from
previous survey
-1
Difference from
CS2014
-8 
Difference from CS
High Performers
-11 
Pay and benefits
39%
Difference from
previous survey
+8 
Difference from
CS2014
+11 
Difference from CS
High Performers
+4 
Leadership and
Managing Change
19%
Difference from
previous survey
-4 
Difference from
CS2014
-25 
Difference from CS
High Performers
-31 
 Statistically significant difference from comparisonStrength of association with engagement

8. Analysing the results and comments highlighted a disconnect between
leadership and our people. This included:
• Absence of a clear direction or corporate narrative
• Extensive churn in the leadership leading to a breakdown of trust in their motivation and
capability
• Inadequate corporate governance, information sharing and oversight
• A paternalistic relationship with staff, underpinned by a command and control culture
• Limited dialogue with staff and the vacuum filled with by the Trade Unions, the relationship
with whom was combative
• Inadequate change management capability
• Limited employee voice with largely anonymous mechanisms which neither allowed for a two-
way dialogue or ownership of comments
Turning results into insight

9. Understanding the context helped us target our efforts on reconnecting the
workforce to the organisation and its future, including:
• Establishing a new vision and organisation values developed with staff
• Refreshing our Business Strategy with an opportunity to input given to all staff and supported
by whole organisation re-induction
• Introduction of a network of engagement champions for each office
• Introduction of a monthly cycle of formal and informal CEO and Director visits
• Regular internal pulse surveys to check progress and the impact of these initiatives
• Improved communication framework including a new intranet
Turning Insight into action…

10. • This was a central part of turning insight
into action
• Driven by a new chief executive appointed
in 2015
• Keen to engage with colleagues differently
and embrace new values
• New weekly CEO blog, and regular director
blogs – open and honest approach –
tackling issues head on
• Targets: to improve employee engagement
scores by 7% and leadership and
managing Change scores by 15% over two
years by April 2017
Creating a digital voice

11. • Every comment was attributable to a named colleague
• Use of thumbs-up function
• Light-touch and rapid moderation
• Honest appraisal of challenges and open discussions
• Digital voice was backed up by face-to-face visits to offices
Using blogs to rebuild trust (1 of 2)

12. • Engaging with regular blog
commenters
• ‘Queen’s award’ for commenter
in recognition of her
open and honest challenge
• Chief Executive shares passions for
life inside and outside of work
• New diversity and wellbeing blogs
for staff to tell their own stories
Using blogs to rebuild trust (2 of 2)

13. • Blog to support Mental Health Week
• Opportunity to show we were behind
the campaign and to raise
awareness of challenges
• Very honest blog from couple
suffering from depression following
suicide of son
• Readers responded: 346 approvals
and 36 comments
• Couple were very moved by the
organisation’s response
Telling personal stories – case study
I have felt deeply
moved by your
poignant story…just by
opening up you have
helped so many more
people

14. • Highest ever engagement results in 2017
• The engagement score now stands at
60%, 12% up on 2014
• Between June 2015 and 2018 2017 there
were over 200 leadership blogs which
generated over 5000 individual
comments
Results

15. • Our leadership and managing
change score had risen to 41%,
22% up on 2014
Results

16. Feedback received
The blogs are great as
they keep us
informed, give a
chance to comment
and makes me feel
appreciated and
listened to.
I like the blogs as
they facilitate the
comments which I
think are a valuable
Insight into the
feelings of others.
I think the way that the
Board are more visible
at local offices should
be applauded - it is a
great step towards
better engagement
with staff.
Comments in response to blogs
and Pulse survey comments
Comms from the
board remains strong.
Graham's approach is
excellent and the
direction that
he is setting is clear.
I just want to say
that communication,
under your example,
is definitely
improving.
The blogs of the
directors are open
and give a chance
for views to be aired

17. • In a geographically dispersed organisation
blogs can help develop an ongoing dialogue,
between regular face-to-face visits
• Chief Executive buy-in is crucial
• Essential to make comms regular and
accessible with an open comments process
• The comms approach should reflect the
values of the organisation
• Improving engagement takes time and effort,
and needs regular measurement and
refinement
Summary

19. #EFSConf2018
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