Newswire - News

Mary Ann Masarech, Employee Engagement Lead Consultant at BlessingWhite and a regular ESM Columnist, recently posted an article on her company’s website noting that a high-performance work environment is clearly the responsibility of everyone, not just the senior leaders of an organization, and that talent management and compensation policies play a key role. She includes tips to spark readers’ behavior – and that of their fellow leaders. Some highlights:... [ read more ]

Don McPherson, President and Co-Founder of Minnesota-based Modern Survey, recently noted that when people say they know and understand the organizational values of the company they work for, those people are 51 times more likely to be "Fully Engaged" than ... [ read more ]

The latest issue of BlessingWhite eNews notes that as we begin 2015, American workers are feeling more confident in the economic foundation their jobs depend on, but their expectations that their employer will support their career goals continue to wear thin. T... [ read more ]

Globoforce reports that best-in-class companies know something about recognition. According to a new report from Aberdeen, more top performing organizations than ever before are leveraging peer-to-peer recognition to deliver results. Built from data drawn from Aberdeen’s The Power of Employee Recognition report, this new Aberdeen white paper shows how ... [ read more ]

Paul Hebert, VP, Solutions Design at Symbolist, notes in the current issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine that scale is the holy grail of today’s business world. Scale is all about getting more and spending less to get it. Even the engagement space isn’t immune to the ... [ read more ]

Achievers has announced the winners of its fifth annual Most Engaged Workplaces awards honoring the top 50 employers in North America that lead the way in engaging employees and making their workplaces more productive. Applicants were evaluated based on ... [ read more ]

Management’s view of a key aspect of engagement is not very favorable at this point. More than half of managers (52%) consider their employees less loyal than five years ago, according to a survey of more than 1,200 executives and managers by the American Management Association (AMA). Just over one-third (37%) perceive employees to be about as loyal as they were five years ago. The most telling statistic: Only 11% view employees as more loyal. This trend is even more pronounced among organizations with more than 1,000 employees. Just over 60% of respondents at large organizations consider employees to be less loyal than five years ago, compared to 44% of respondents at firms with fewer than 1,000 employees. Other highlights from the survey: • Declining employee loyalty is thought to harm organizations by causing low morale (84%), high turnover (80%), disengagement (80%), growing distrust (76%) and lack of team spirit (73%). • One-third (33%) of senior leaders believe employee loyalty has a direct link to profits. To read the full article, go to www.amanet.org/news/10606.aspx ... [ read more ]

The Enterprise Engagement Conference and Expo, April 14-16 at the Omni Interlocken in Denver, is the first conference and education program to focus specifically on why and how to implement engagement in all areas of the organization. Attendees from sales, marketing, human resources and operations – and the marketing, human capital and other consulting firms who serve them – will benefit from the first comprehensive program demonstrating how engagement can be applied not only to engage customers, distribution partners and employees to achieve specific sales, marketing and human resources goal, but also how it can be applied to strengthen an organization’s overall brand. Speakers at this year’s event include corporate practitioners, investment analysts, leading academics and experts in a wide variety of engagement topics who will demonstrate how engagement requires the ability to integrate many tactics, such as assessment, coaching, communications, learning, innovation, rewards and recognition that are traditionally siloed in many organizations. Hands-on roundtables will enable attendees to review and experience a vast array of engagement tools presented by leading companies. Bonus: All attendees will receive a copy of Enterprise Engagement: The Textbook, edition 2. For more information, or to register, go to http://www.eeaexpo.com. ... [ read more ]

Career management programs are supposed to help employees understand advancement opportunities and chart career paths with their organizations, resulting in greater engagement. However, research from Towers Watson reveals that employers and employees alike agree that career management programs are largely failing to meet these goals. This finding comes at a time when many employees believe their careers are stuck in neutral and say they would need to leave their employer to advance their careers. According to the Towers Watson Global Workforce Study, less than half of all employees (46%) and only 59% of high-potential employees – a group that employers should be working hard to keep – say their organization provides useful career planning tools. An even smaller group (42%) report that their employer provides advancement opportunities. Furthermore, roughly 4 in 10 employees believe they would have to join another company in order to advance their careers. Read more at www.towerswatson.com/en/Press/2014/10/career-management-programs-missing-the-mark-towers-watson-research-finds... [ read more ]

The Conference Board, Deloitte and Sirota have announced the formation of the Engagement Institute. According to the web page announcing the new organization, these companies have come together to found a research community to advance the state of engagement. It will consist of leaders across industries who will work collaboratively to shape how organizations understand and drive engagement. Activities will include research and peer learning. Companies involved with this initiative include Apple, Oracle, Shell, Colgate Palmolive, Accenture, ITT, Nokia Solutions and Networks, Michelin, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Philips, Unilever, Target, Caterpillar, Xerox, ADP, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Hilton Worldwide, Proctor & Gamble, Monsanto, AT&T, Amazon SanDisk, and Lowe’s, among dozens of others. We encourage any organization that’s serious about engagement to look into this new organization here.... [ read more ]

Maritz Holdings Inc. and Allegiance Software, Inc. (Allegiance) have announced their intent to create a new independent company, MaritzCX, through the acquisition of Allegiance and subsequent combination with Maritz Research Inc. MaritzCX will address the multi-billion-dollar customer experience (CX) industry via a combination of four key elements: CX software, data and research science, deep vertical market expertise and managed program services. MaritzCX will have 900+ full-time employees in 18 offices and five global regions serving 500 clients and one million users in 100 countries. The MaritzCX platform – to be called the Allegiance platform – will provide flexible, self-service capabilities that allow clients to create or change reports on their own, and will integrate with Salesforce.com, Adobe, and other popular data systems. More at www.maritzcx.com/press/maritzcx-redefines-business-customer-experience-seizes-global-technology-lead/... [ read more ]

These 25 firms surpass all others when it comes to strategically engaging their employees, customers and communities The Enterprise Engagement Alliance (EEA) has announced the Top 25 Most People-Centric publicly held companies in the U.S., based on a detailed analysis of independent research by McBassi & Company, a leading human capital analytics firm. ... [ read more ]

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On the TharpeRobbins Employee Recognition Blog, Marketing Communications Specialist Melissa Meunier recently wrote about a report by the Aberdeen Group which noted that employee recognition is one of the fastest growing areas of talent management. The report found 67% of Best-in-Class organizations have a formal recognition program in place and are quickly embracing recognition as a way to spark engagement and drive success. The act of recognizing someone creates a special feeling for both the person being recognized and the individual who is providing recognition, says Meunier, who then goes on to describe her own experiences with recognition in various managerial positions. Read the full post at: http://info.tharperobbins.com/blog-0/bid/194700/The-Recognition-Experience-From-A-Different-Perspective... [ read more ]

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UK-based P&MM, parent company of Motivation Matters, recently released a white paper entitled Employee Engagement: The Psychology Behind Individual Behaviours. The report, co-authored by Ruth Patel, Workforce Psychologist at Unlocking People Potential, examines a range of key elements, such as why employee engagement is important; how to create the right work environment; addressing individual needs; and four areas that can help boost employee engagement. Low engagement can be seen through factors such as high absenteeism, staff turnover and poor staff performance. A Gallup poll also indicates that engagement levels could be predictors of sickness absence, with more highly engaged employees taking an average of 2.7 days per year off sick, compared with disengaged employees taking an average of 6.2 days per year. To download a free copy of the white paper, click here.... [ read more ]

Writing on the Harvard Business Review website recently, Rob Markey, coauthor of the book The Ultimate Question 2.0: How Net Promoter Companies Thrive in a Customer-Driven World and Director in Bain & Company’s New York office, outlined the following four things that leading companies do to promote engagement: • Line supervisors, not HR, lead the charge • Supervisors learn how to hold candid dialogues with teams • They also do regular “pulse checks” • Teams rally ‘round the customer To see in-depth explanations of these points, read the full post at http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/01/the-four-secrets-to-employee-engagement/ ... [ read more ]

The Enterprise Engagement Alliance and its Board have developed a social media strategy centered on the concept of the “People-Centric Enterprise.” The objective is to build a continually growing community of consumers, employees and citizens demonstrating their support for People-Centric businesses, spreading the word about great organizations that “put people first.” The website at www.peoplecentricenterprise.org allows supporters to engage via LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter and voice their support, as well as post stories about companies that are People-Centric. The EEA and its members urge anyone with an interest in Enterprise Engagement to share this information and website with their friends, colleagues and communities, and hope you agree that this concept is good for business and society.... [ read more ]

In today’s business environment the role of the contingent employee has changed as companies leverage freelancers and contractors at an accelerated rate. This creates new opportunities and challenges for HR departments to change their strategy when planning and creating recognition, incentive and reward programs. Focusing on engagement of only direct employees excludes an increasing percentage of the company workforce. Here are five realities from a recent blog posting by Marketing Innovators President Rich Blabolil that you should be aware of as you approach this emerging trend: 1. Workforce engagement must be redefined 2. Contingent workforce hires are on the rise 3. Customization is key 4. Global workforce engagement is the new norm 5. Communication is Critical For detailed descriptions of these “new realities” and to read the original post, go to www.marketinginnovators.com/employee-engagement/5-upcoming-realities-you-should-know-about-workforce-engagement/ ... [ read more ]

Authored and edited by dozens of experts in general management, marketing, sales, data management, business and academia, Enterprise Engagement: The Textbook’s methodology has been endorsed by Ernst & Young and other top companies as a means of achieving both strategic and tactical organizational goals related to sales, marketing, human resources, vendor management and community relations. The newly-released textbook is available from the EEA Store at www.enterpriseengagementbook.com for $36, or you can purchase it online through Amazon.com. The first edition is 268 pages. Enterprise Engagement: The Textbook also provides formal preparation for the Enterprise Engagement Certification program. Preparation and general learning is also available at Engagement University Online. The textbook is updated regularly based on input generated through the online university. ... [ read more ]

The 2014 Engagement University and Rewards & Recognition Expo was held at the Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville April 6-8. The meeting brought together many of the leading thinkers and practitioners in the field. Curt Coffman, co-author of the seminal HBR article “Manage Your Human Sigma” and “First Break All the Rules” gave a keynote and hosted a panel session to discuss his perspectives; Gina Valenti of Hilton Worldwide described the implementation of the successful “Hamptonality” program; and others talked about their experiences with organizations such as McAfee, AstraZeneca and Ernst & Young. The Rewards & Recognition Expo attracted more than 80 exhibitors from 50 exhibiting companies, including American Express LoyaltyEdge, TUMI, Applebees, Naples/Marco Island CVB, Victorinox Swiss Army, Target, Canon and dozens of others. “The event exceeded my expectations,” said exhibitor Pete Mitchell, Director, B-to-B Sales at Samsonite. “The majority of my meetings were with current clients...and we were able to get to the business at hand. I’m happy I came.” Attendees were also impressed with the ‘conversation center format’ of the Exhibit Hall, which lent itself to relationship-building and face-to-face conversations rather than the typical ‘drive-by’ literature grab that characterizes most trade shows. “A well-planned and organized event,” noted Jill Trupo, Program Manager at Incentra, Inc. “The speakers were great, the mix of show floor and in class speakers was nice, and the exhibit format was excellent for getting new information from our suppliers and new partners.”... [ read more ]

Aon Hewitt has released its annual list of Best Employers in Canada, revealing that Millennials – the generation entering the workplace after 2000, who have often been characterized as self-interested, difficult employees – are becoming more engaged the longer they’re in the workforce. The survey measures how well organizations perform in six key areas: Leadership Excellence, Manager Effectiveness, Enabling Productivity (how well organizations equip employees to do their jobs), Growth & Development, Valuing & Appreciating Employees and Overall Employee Experience. This year, average employee engagement was 78% at Best Employers, roughly on par with last year’s 79%. The average for other participants was 58%. The study also suggests that the long-held assumption that part-time Millennials are less engaged than their full-time counterparts is simply not true. Read the full report at http://aon.mediaroom.com/The-Kids-Are-All-Right-Millennials-More-Engaged-at-Work-says-Aon-Hewitt-s-15th-Annual-50-Best-Employers-in-Canada-Study... [ read more ]

The Incentive Research Foundation announced that its 21st annual Incentive Invitational will be held May 28-June 1, 2014 at Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort in San Jose del Cabo. The Incentive Invitational is the IRF’s most important annual fundraising activity for research surrounding motivation and incentives. This year’s Education Day, dubbed Innovating Incentives: Cutting-Edge Technology and Bold Ideas, will feature a number of fast-paced, engaging and interactive sessions with speakers ranging from top academics to key consultants. These sessions will also offer attendees a first look at three new IRF studies. ... [ read more ]