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Creative thinking to address employee engagement challenges in hotels
1. Creative Thinking to Address
Employee Engagement
Challenges in Hotels
Enda Larkin
www.htc-consult.com
Presentation based on the
content from this book
2. Session 1
Mastering the Challenge
of Employee Engagement
Session 1
Mastering the Challenge
of Employee Engagement
3. What is Engagement?
Employee engagement is concerned with raising employee
performance to maximise the contribution that they make
to your business
Employee engagement includes issues such as individual
motivation and commitment, team effectiveness and
overall employee satisfaction
Being truly engaged means that an employee is not only
satisfied but translates that satisfaction into higher
productivity
An engaged employee believes in what you are trying to
achieve, is eager to help you realise your goals and plays
an active role in making your business a success
4. Employee Engagement
- Some Evidence
Gallup Q 12 Survey
The Three Types of Employees
Engaged – employees work with
passion and feel a profound connection
to their company
Not Engaged – employees are essentially
‘Checked Out’. Sleepwalking through their
working day
Actively Disengaged – employees aren’t just
unhappy at work, they’re busy acting out their
unhappiness
29%29%
55%55%
16%16%
Source - Gallup
5. Employee Engagement
- Some Evidence
Chartered Institute of Personnel and
Development
Employee Engagement Survey
Actively Engaged
Moderately Engaged
Actively Disengaged
35%35%
57%57%
8%8%
Source - CIPD
6. How can you tell an employee is
engaged?
International research commissioned by Robinson, Perryman
and Hayday identified that engaged employees generally
displayed the following behaviour patterns:
Belief in their organisation
Desire to work towards making things better
Understanding of business context and the bigger picture
Respectful of, and helpful to, their colleagues
Willingness to go the extra mile
Keeping up to date with developments on the ground
7. Let’s go Back to Basics for a
Moment……..
Dimensions
of Work
The
What
The
How
The
Who
What you want to achieve
Goals & Objectives
Targets
Plans
How the work is done
Processes
Procedures
Standards
Who does the work
Your Employees
8. The Human Equation
The Who
Employee
Engagement
Employees
Leads
to
The How
Productivity,
efficiency and
quality
Processes
Results
in
The What
Satisfied
Customers
and Ultimately
Profitability
Results
Ultimately, it is your employees who deliver
results!
11. Leadership
Leadership is concerned
with:
Overall direction and vision
for the business
Day to day leadership
throughout the business
CultureCulture
CompositionComposition
Effective
Leadership
Effective
Leadership
ClarityClarity
CompetenceCompetence
CooperationCooperation
ControlControlCommunicationCommunication
ChallengeChallenge
ConflictConflict
CompensationCompensation
ChangeChange
12. Leadership starts with a
Mindset
Recognize that attitudes to work today
are radically different
Apply innovative approaches to bring
the best out of your people
Leadership Mindset Leadership Actions
Understand that just telling employees
what to do might be easier ; it doesn’t
get the best results over the long term
Involve your employees in decision
making and two-way communication
Realise that it is the people who
ultimately achieve business outcomes
Strive to engage your team, not just
occasionally but all the time
Accept that people are all different and
as such will not all act in the same way
Develop your people skills to a high
level
Understand that the days of “do as I
say, not what I do” are long gone
Be a role model for those around you
13. Day to Day Leadership Focuses
on…..
TaskTask PeoplePeople
14. Outcomes
What outcomes do you want?Factor
Leadership
Employees feel that leadership in your
business is strong and brings the best
out of them
Employees feel valued and respected
by their leaders
15. Culture
Culture is the “personality” of
your business
Some cultures nurture
employee engagement,
others actively destroy it
You cannot improve employee
engagement without the right
culture
CultureCulture
CompositionComposition
Effective
Leadership
Effective
Leadership
ClarityClarity
CompetenceCompetence
CooperationCooperation
ControlControlCommunicationCommunication
ChallengeChallenge
ConflictConflict
CompensationCompensation
ChangeChange
16. Culture – Organisational
Components
Operational
How the work is
done
Organisational
How the organisation is
structured
Behavioural
How we behave and act
Cultural
Our Values, Beliefs, Norms
Easier
to
Change
Difficult
to
Change
17. Outcomes
What outcomes do you want?Factor
Culture
Employees see themselves as part of
your business and share similar
beliefs and aspirations as you do
Employees are proud about working
in your business
18. Composition
The composition of any team
impacts heavily on the
potential for the individuals
within it to fully engage
Recruitment processes often
focus too much on the skills
part
You want people who not only
can do the job, but who have
a “can do” attitude too
CultureCulture
CompositionComposition
Effective
Leadership
Effective
Leadership
ClarityClarity
CompetenceCompetence
CooperationCooperation
ControlControlCommunicationCommunication
ChallengeChallenge
ConflictConflict
CompensationCompensation
ChangeChange
19. Outcomes
What outcomes do you want?Factor
Composition
All employees “fit” with the culture of
your business and interact well
together
Employees to have an opportunity to
regularly work with different people
in your business
20. Clarity
Lack of clarity and direction
causes frustration and will lead
to disengagement
You need to clarify both
aspirations and expectations
for your employees through:
– Effective Induction
– Individual and Team
feedback
– Performance Appraisals
– “Big Picture” Updates
CultureCulture
CompositionComposition
Effective
Leadership
Effective
Leadership
ClarityClarity
CompetenceCompetence
CooperationCooperation
ControlControlCommunicationCommunication
ChallengeChallenge
ConflictConflict
CompensationCompensation
ChangeChange
21. Outcomes
What outcomes do you want?Factor
Clarity
Employees are clear on what you are
trying to achieve and how they can
contribute to that
Employees fully understand their job
description and what is expected of
them in terms of their performance
22. Competence
Competence is of specific
concern from an engagement
perspective at two levels:
When employees are not fully
competent at what they do,
others have to compensate for
those weaknesses. This creates
disharmony which over time will
affect engagement
On a broader scale, most
employees want to learn and
grow in their jobs, so helping
them to build their competence
and capabilities also enhances
their willingness to engage
CultureCulture
CompositionComposition
Effective
Leadership
Effective
Leadership
ClarityClarity
CompetenceCompetence
CooperationCooperation
ControlControlCommunicationCommunication
ChallengeChallenge
ConflictConflict
CompensationCompensation
ChangeChange
23. Outcomes
What outcomes do you want?Factor
Competence
Employees receive regular training
and coaching which helps them to do
the job more effectively
Employees can avail of structured and
ongoing opportunities to grow and
develop in their jobs
24. Cooperation
The levels of cooperation in your
business are both a driver of
employee engagement and a
reflection of it
Feeling part of a successful team
is a proven driver of
engagement
When engagement is high
cooperation between employees
is naturally higher
CultureCulture
CompositionComposition
Effective
Leadership
Effective
Leadership
ClarityClarity
CompetenceCompetence
CooperationCooperation
ControlControlCommunicationCommunication
ChallengeChallenge
ConflictConflict
CompensationCompensation
ChangeChange
25. Cooperation – Building Teams
Communication Co-operation
“Climate”
ConflictConflict
LeaderLeader
Common Goal
26. Outcomes
What outcomes do you want?Factor
Cooperation
Employees within each department
work well together and are supportive
of each other
Teamwork is strong between all
departments in your business
27. Control
Supervision and Control are not the
enemies of employee engagement
You must ‘control’ behaviour and
performance to ensure that all
employees work to the required
standard
However, you need to release
control and include employees in
decision making where appropriate
Empowering employees and
allowing them autonomy to make
decisions within certain boundaries
is critical to engagement
CultureCulture
CompositionComposition
Effective
Leadership
Effective
Leadership
ClarityClarity
CompetenceCompetence
CooperationCooperation
ControlControlCommunicationCommunication
ChallengeChallenge
ConflictConflict
CompensationCompensation
ChangeChange
28. Outcomes
What outcomes do you want?Factor
Control
All employees work to a common high
standard and underperformance is
addressed
Employees are empowered at work
and can use their own initiative
within certain parameters
29. Communication
Communication is a key driver
of employee engagement. Poor
communication leads to poor
engagement
You should consider:
1. Communication Styles
2. Channels of Communication
3. Frequency of Communication
4. Effectiveness of Communication
CultureCulture
CompositionComposition
Effective
Leadership
Effective
Leadership
ClarityClarity
CompetenceCompetence
CooperationCooperation
ControlControlCommunicationCommunication
ChallengeChallenge
ConflictConflict
CompensationCompensation
ChangeChange
30. Outcomes
What outcomes do you want?Factor
Communication
Positive communication styles are
used: approaches are non-aggressive,
open and two-way
Employees have regular opportunities
to communicate and feel that their
views are actually listened to
31. Challenge
An important factor in determining
levels of engagement is how
challenging employees believe
their work is
Most people don’t want to feel like
a machine, doing the same thing
day in day out
Luckily in our industry, there is
plenty of variety in the work but it
can still become a bit mundane
over time
You should explore ways in which
you can increase the sense of
challenge associated with their
work
CultureCulture
CompositionComposition
Effective
Leadership
Effective
Leadership
ClarityClarity
CompetenceCompetence
CooperationCooperation
ControlControlCommunicationCommunication
ChallengeChallenge
ConflictConflict
CompensationCompensation
ChangeChange
32. Outcomes
What outcomes do you want?Factor
Challenge
Employees have a sense of challenge
and variety in their jobs
Employees can make suggestions
about improving things in the
business
33. Conflict
Conflict is a feature of all
organisations and is
normal and indeed
sometimes necessary
You need to distinguish
between Constructive
and Destructive conflict
When destructive conflict
is mismanaged, it will have
a detrimental impact on
employee engagement
CultureCulture
CompositionComposition
Effective
Leadership
Effective
Leadership
ClarityClarity
CompetenceCompetence
CooperationCooperation
ControlControlCommunicationCommunication
ChallengeChallenge
ConflictConflict
CompensationCompensation
ChangeChange
34. Outcomes
What outcomes do you want?Factor
Conflict
Employees can voice their opinions in
a positive manner on issues that
concern them
Employees feel that the atmosphere
at work is positive and that
destructive conflict is not allowed to
poison the working environment
35. Compensation
Compensation is not just
restricted to pay; which is of
course important
The question is often asked, if
I pay people more, will they
be more engaged?
Emphatically, No is the answer
Compensation in a broader
sense relates to other issues
such as how your employees
are rewarded for performance
beyond the norm
CultureCulture
CompositionComposition
Effective
Leadership
Effective
Leadership
ClarityClarity
CompetenceCompetence
CooperationCooperation
ControlControlCommunicationCommunication
ChallengeChallenge
ConflictConflict
CompensationCompensation
ChangeChange
36. Outcomes
Factor What outcomes do you want?
Compensation
Employees are valued for the work
they do in your business
Structured systems are in place to
recognise and reward performance
including, where appropriate,
performance related pay schemes
37. Change
Too much change can be
frustrating for many people,
particularly if it isn’t leading to
improvements
However, continuing to do
things a certain way just
“because they have always been
done this way” is equally as
damaging to engagement
Change and innovation
processes, when well managed,
can contribute to improved
engagement
CultureCulture
CompositionComposition
Effective
Leadership
Effective
Leadership
ClarityClarity
CompetenceCompetence
CooperationCooperation
ControlControlCommunicationCommunication
ChallengeChallenge
ConflictConflict
CompensationCompensation
ChangeChange
38. Outcomes
What outcomes do you want?Factor
Change
Employees can contribute to decisions
regarding changes which directly
affect them
Change is structured, managed
effectively and employee concerns are
addressed throughout the change
process
40. Session 2
Applying the Twelve Factors
in Practice
Session 2
Applying the Twelve Factors
in Practice
41. Leadership
Ask Yourself
Do you genuinely believe that your employees are stakeholders
in the business? How do you currently demonstrate this in
practice?
Do you have a clear vision for how you want the business to
develop? Have you communicated this to your employees?
Are you strongly committed to the business and to your
employees? How do you show this commitment in practical
ways?
Are you passionate about running a great business? Does your
energy and enthusiasm reflect that every day?
Is Leadership effective at all levels in your business?
42. Culture
Ask Yourself
Do you have a Vision, Mission and Values for your business
What values are important to you in the way you run the
business? What five words could summarise those values?
What attracts people to come and work for you? What
makes people leave?
What would your customers say about you if you went out
of business tomorrow? Why would they miss you?
Are you and the other leaders in your business role models
for the culture you are trying to create?
Do you allow other leaders, or indeed any employees, to
act or behave in a way that does not mirror your preferred
culture?
43. Composition
Ask Yourself
Do you have a structured approach to recruitment and
selection with defined roles and responsibilities and support
tools in place?
Is your current approach to recruitment and selection
generating the right type of employees or are you having
problems finding people who match your needs?
Do you find that a significant number of people that you
employ don’t live up to your expectations? How many people
start working for you and then leave in a short period of
time?
When you look at your employees, do they make you proud?
44. Clarity
Ask Yourself
Do your employees know what it is you are trying to
achieve at your business? Do they get the big picture?
Do they individually know what their duties are and what
your expectations are of them? How do you communicate
this?
Do you provide feedback to individual employees on their
performance?
Do you periodically update your employees on how the
business is performing?
45. Competence
Ask Yourself
Do you have structured approaches to training in your
business? Is regular training provided?
Do your employees have a chance to develop in their jobs?
Do you use delegation as a development tool for employees
who show a willingness to progress?
46. Cooperation
Ask Yourself
How do your employees interact together? Are they
committed to, and supportive of, each other?
How do different departments work together? What are the
blockages? How diverse is your team? Do they respect each
other?
Do your employees individually and collectively make a
contribution that meets your expectations?
Do you use Work Allocation, Job Rotation and Team Based
approaches to problem solving to help improve
cooperation?
Are there regular Social and teambuilding events held in
your business?
47. Control
Ask Yourself
Do you allow underperformance to go unchallenged? Are
certain employees not living up to expectations?
Do you include employees in decision making, particularly
where the outcomes directly impact them
Are you are at least willing to listen to their concerns and if
nothing else explain the rational for your decisions?
Do you avoid top down, or dictatorial approaches which
stifle engagement?
Have you empowered your employees and given them
autonomy to make decisions within certain boundaries?
48. Communication
Ask Yourself
Is there open two-way communication in your business?
Are the styles of communication used positive and
conducive to encouraging employee involvement?
Do you pay a lot of attention to the structural component of
communication?
Are there daily or pre-shift briefing held regularly? On a
monthly basis do you allocate time to meet with staff to
talk through more in-depth aspects of work?
Do you make use of channels such as notice boards and
internal newsletters where appropriate? Do you minimise
the use of memos and emails?
49. Challenge
Ask Yourself
Do you involve your employees in improvement initiatives
where they can propose solutions to work related
problems?
Do you have a structured staff suggestions scheme?
Do you use multi-skilling and job rotation to help offer
variety for your employees?
Do you encourage your employees to get involved with the
local community or charities?
50. Conflict
Ask Yourself
Do you constantly monitor the climate within your team to
identify areas of conflict?
Do you ensure that constructive conflict is controlled, but
not stifled?
Do you address destructive conflict as soon as you identify
it and not allow such situations to fester?
51. Compensation
Ask yourself
Do you regularly review your pay structures to ensure they
remain as competitive as possible? Have you performance
related pay schemes in place? Are they as widely applied as
possible?
Do you ensure that employees receive positive feedback
when they, individually or collectively, deliver good result
for you?
Do you have formal recognition systems in place such as an
employee of the month scheme or similar. Are these based
on valid approaches, well structured and based on defined
criteria?
Are there a series of benefits available to employees?
52. Change
Ask Yourself
Do you ensure that ‘change’ in your business leads to
tangible benefits. Do you avoid change just for the sake of
it?
Do you offer lots of support and guidance when managing
change to help employees cope with the natural human
reactions to change?
Do you involve your employees in determining the nature
and direction of changes affecting them?
When you make significant changes, do you follow a clear
implementation plan with defined timelines?
When change does materialise, do you recognise the efforts
of employees in helping to make it happen?
53. Creative Thinking to Address
Employee Engagement
Challenges in Hotels
Thank You
Enda Larkin
www.htc-consult.com