Employee Engagement It's not about ping

David Hawthorne, Chief People Officer, Pacific Bells

The last few  years have  seen several  disruptions  in the employment  market: remote/hybrid  work, “quiet quitting,”  people simply leaving  the workforce for a  variety of reasons, and  increased wages. With  turnover on the rise and  seemingly fewer qualified  candidates available for  the open positions posted,  there is a broader focus  on retaining employees  through engagement. The  million-dollar question  is, “How do you engage  employees?” 

When I speak  to leaders in my  organization and others  with which we have  close ties, I receive  many suggestions for  how we should engage  employees. These range  from ping pong tables  and dart boards in the  break room to free  drinks, cereal, snacks,  and even beer and wine  for weekly happy hours.  We’ve implementedemployee-of-the-month  programs and message  board recognition  tools. Do these provide  opportunities for fun and  team building? Sure they  do, but in the long run,  they do not substantially  improve employee  engagement. 

Engaged employees  are missionaries for the  vision and values of the  organization. They are  deeply connected to their  work, teammates, and  leader. They consciously  and purposefully deliver  high-quality work.  They also stay with an  organization for much  longer, even in tough  times. When I review  exit survey data and  comments from recently  departed employees, not  a single one comments  on the free stuff or games  to play in the office (or  lack thereof) for as fun  as they may be; they are  ultimately just gimmicks.  Free beer and ping pong  will never build the deep  connections that make for  an engaged employee.

In reality, the direct manager or leader of the employee  will create this connection. Much to our dismay, though,  this is neither an overnight solution nor does it provide  a tangible moment like a dart board appearing on the  wall in the break room or free sodas in the lunchroom  refrigerator. Engagement is cultivated over time and  with great effort, especially at the beginning. Much like a  rocket ship burning most of its fuel just to free itself fromthe gravity of Earth, engagement requires a lot of heavy  lifting to get going but eventually reaches its apogee and  coasts along in a serene orbit with much less effort and  energy. 

Engagement starts in the interview and selection  process. The hiring manager must be the future  employee’s direct supervisor and build the foundation  of the relationship from the first interview. While HR  should always be available to support and advise, the  hiring manager must own and drive the hiring process  with each candidate. An engaged hiring manager  will ensure that the hiring process is  transparent, time and appointment  commitments are always met, and  follow-up happens at every step. Being  on time and attentive (mobile phones  and watch alerts are silenced) shows  the candidate that you are interested in  them. Following up when promised is  also critical. This includes the selection  phase, where we possibly did not select  a particular candidate for this position.  Reaching out to let them know is a  powerful relationship-building step in  the process – the manager will know  when a connection is made when the  rejected candidate expresses gratitude  and a strong desire to apply at a later  date. 

Once hired, the first day is the next  important step. Spending time in the  onboarding process to explain company  culture, vision, mission, values, and  fundamental knowledge (like where  the restrooms are located) will make  a nervous rookie feel welcomed. If an  organization has swag like cups, mugs,  shirts, etc., provide these on day one.  Introduce the new employee to any  team members or clients with whom  they will interact. Partner them with an  experienced (and personable) peer to provide another  resource for information. The new employee does not  know what they do not know – having a buddy to ask  routine questions will make them comfortable and more  quickly immersed in the organization. 

“Building  (and  following)  a detailed  training  plan  allows the  manager  and the  employee  to track  progress  and make  adjustments  as needed” 

Proper training and development also begin in that  first week. Building (and following) a detailed training  plan allows the manager and the employee to track  progress and make adjustments as needed. I have foundthat weekly one-on-one (1:1) meetings starting in that  first week create solid communication avenues for both  the manager and employee. I set up 1:1s for my team in  our calendar app as a repeating appointment and set the  tone for the 1:1 at the beginning. It is not the manager’s  meeting – it is the employee’s meeting. The 1:1 is not time  to catch up on outstanding tasks or get project updates.  Those conversations should happen spontaneously in  real-time or at other scheduled status meetings. The 1:1  consists of three basic questions for the employee: 

1. How are you? 

2. What can I (as the manager) do  to remove any obstacles that are  currently making your job difficult? 

3. What is important to you right  now, and how can I support that? 

Any individual 1:1 can last ten  minutes or up to an hour, depending  on the employee’s responses. We  know that vacations, business travel,  projects, and other demands can  infringe on our time, so the hard rule  of 1:1s is that they do not get moved  or canceled without the manager and  the employee agreeing. 

Lastly, it is important for  managers to always respect the time  of their employees. I am very much  a proponent of work-life integration  (as opposed to “balance”), explaining  to my team that work is part of  life and together, we can find ways  to integrate it into an employee’s  personal situation wherever possible  (see 1:1 questions 2 and 3 above). 

After all, if an employee needs to  attend their kid’s soccer game or  take Friday off for a long weekend,  irreparable harm is done when a  manager denies such a request. My  experience is that people will step up  to meet a deadline or finish a task when needed if they  know that their manager will give them time off upon  request. 

No amount of gimmickry or free stuff will build the  kind of relationships and connections that real and  connected leadership will. Focus on building a team of  great leaders; candidates will beg to be on your team or  your organization. It will be evident that the organization  is filled with truly engaged employees. 

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