Chicago-based Human Capital consulting form HR Solutions International, Inc. recently released its 2010 Overall Employee Engagement norms, finding that Employee Engagement levels increased from 2009 to 2010. The normative data is comprised of survey responses from more than 3.3 million employees at over 2,400 organizations. The number of Actively Engaged employees increased two percentage points, from 25% in 2009 to 27% in 2010. During this same time period, the percent of Ambivalent employees (neither engaged nor disengaged) increased slightly, from 59% to 60%, while the percentage of Actively Disengaged employees declined (from 16& to 13&). "The fact that Employee Engagement levels increased during these turbulent times is quite interesting," says Chris Dustin, Executive Vice President of Sales and Consulting at HR Solutions. "The recession caused many employees to be grateful for simply having a job, which resulted in a heightened intent to stay. The new norms also indicate that companies did a commendable job communicating and navigating the economic downturn by outlining their strategic vision for the future." For more information, go to www.hrsolutionsinc.com/
Marcus Evans, Inc., one of the world's premier providers and promoters of global summits strategic conferences, professional training and business-to-business congresses, will introduce a formal curriculum on the emerging field of Enterprise Engagement in partnership with the Enterprise Engagement Alliance, a consortium of companies and associations supporting research, education and outreach that makes the connection between engaging people in business and long-term financial performance. The education program, to be incorporated into select Marcus Evans events, provides training and certification for executives and managers seeking formal systems and measures for maximizing performance by engaging key organizational audiences, including customers, channel partners, salespeople, administrative and operations employees, vendors and communities. Under its agreement with the Enterprise Engagement Alliance, Marcus Evans will have exclusive rights to offer the curriculum at up to 2,000 events held by the company worldwide, which attract tens of thousands of attendees from the world's top 1,000 companies. Marcus Evans will also hold professional training programs based on the EEA program for professionals interested in becoming certified to provide training in Enterprise Engagement or to help organizations achieve certifications based on their business practices. For more info, go to www.enterpriseengagement.org
Writing on the Hotel News Resource website recently, Profitable Hospitality's Ken Burgin notes that "Loyalty and engagement are great buzz words, but how do we make them happen? As you build a loyal, engaged team, you'll become a magnet for the positive, energetic people everyone is after. We all want motivated staff, but they usually have a job – and if they make a change, they usually choose their new workplace rather than it choosing them. The talent shortage is still a big issue, but you can be well ahead of your competitors by making these key words of motivation, loyalty and engagement a priority. There are said to be eight key elements needed for a loyal, engaged workforce:
Obviously, these points aren't just applicable to the hospitality industry, but it's interesting to see how engagement is finding its way into different businesses and organizations – and how these universal ideas are being adapted and applied. For more info, go to www.profitablehospitality.com
Despite spending more on employee wellness programs in 2010, only 37% of U.S. employers actually measure program effectiveness, a recent survey indicates. The study, "WORKING WELL: A Global Survey of Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Strategies," released by Buck Consultants, found that employers spent 35% more – about $220 – on each employee who participated in a wellness program compared to 2009. These were just some of the key findings of Buck's fourth annual global wellness survey analyzing responses from more than 1,200 organizations in 47 countries representing more than 13 million employees. "Organizations that measure the impact of their wellness programs are more successful at improving their employees' health and overall wellness," says Barry Hall, a Buck principal who directed the survey. "However, many simply don't know how to measure their results – or they don't have the resources to do so." Among U.S. respondents, 40% have measured how wellness programs affect the cost of providing health care benefits to their employees. Of those, 45% report success in slowing health care cost increases, with a typical reduction of two to five percentage points per year. The U.S. results contrast with results in other regions on the health risks that drive wellness programs. Globally, reducing workplace stress is the top driver of wellness programs, particularly in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Africa. In the United States, the lack of physical activity is the top driver, and stress ranks much lower (sixth) as a health risk targeted by these programs. For more on this study, go to www.buckconsultants.com
The Enterprise Engagement Alliance (EEA) recently announced that research measuring the return on investment (ROI) of an annual meeting of healthcare insurance brokers that stressed training, relationship-building and networking opportunities found the sponsoring company enjoyed a return of almost $2 for every $1 invested in the program. Initial results reported in March revealed that the program had a profound impact on the way brokers thought and felt about the company, its products and its people. Part 1 of the report, The 'ROI in Channel Partner' Conferences – A Case Study, noted that the annual gathering translated into higher sales, performance and engagement among those who attended. Part 2 of the report examines the actual change in sales of Allsante, Inc.* products among program participants, summarizing the ROI the company achieved from the event. EEA analysis of the methodologies and findings reveals that Allsante earned significant ROI from its annual event. "After all variables were accounted for, a highly credible and conservative estimate of 190% ROI was arrived at," says Allan Schweyer, Chairman of the EEA. "In other words, the company enjoyed a return of almost $2 for every $1 it invested in the first six months following the event, and our researchers say it's likely that the returns, if calculated after another six months have passed, will be even greater." Parts 1 and 2 of the study, The 'ROI in Channel Partner' Conferences – A Case Study, can be downloaded at www.enterpriseengagement.org
* The company in this report is referred to as "Allsante, Inc." at the firm's request, due to competitive reasons.
The November/December issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine is out! Here's a look at what you'll find inside:
In this revealing Q&A, White Castle owner Dave Rife talks about how his experience on the TV show Undercover Boss helped him discover how the old truths about engagement still apply. To make sure you get your copy of Engagement Strategies Magazine, go to www.enterpriseengagement.org/account/login/ and update your subscription today!
"It's a totally different environment from when I sold back in the 1990s," says Jamie Jones, Novo Nordisk Sales Director. "So we wanted to pay attention to those Generation X and Generation Y salespeople to make sure we had a program that encouraged behavior and offered rewards consistent with how those people think. Read more in the next issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine.
A new White Paper, How Social Media is Changing Corporate Performance, discusses how lessons learned from Social Media are helping corporate employee-engagement experts capitalize on the momentum in self-motivated, peer-driven participation. Corporate recognition, rewards and incentive programs for employees are actually the unsung pioneers of the kind of 'social points' activity like we see in Social Media games like Farmville and others. By leveraging the power of online systems, corporations can provide a familiar social environment similar to those in which people have already chosen to engage during their own time. You can bring the power of Social Behaviors to your employees by offering intrinsic/extrinsic motivation rewards and recognition programs. Peer-to-Peer awards let people recognize each other. Team-based activities allow for relationship-building and trust. Wellness programs show that you care about employees' health challenges and that you want to help through education and online tools. Open 'suggestion programs' accelerate innovation by creating a meritocracy. To view the full report, go to www.dittmanincentives.com
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