Shaping The Future Engagement Tool 5526 PDF

Engagement for sustainable
organisation performance
This tool will help you:

put engagement strategies into
practice
identify what your organisation does
well and build on your achievements
to increase engagement
plan what else you can do with your
people to maximise engagement.
1 of 41
5526
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page
Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

A CIPD online practical tool
Help using this tool

Navigation
To navigate through chapter headings in the tool, use the bookmarks in
Adobe Acrobat Reader.
To navigate through individual pages, use the icons on the bottom right of
each page.
Links
the web
Red links will link you to the CIPD website or an external website.
this tool
Blue links will link you to other areas within the tool.
If you experience any difficulty with the links provided in this tool, you may
need to update your version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download a
free update from: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.
html
The Adobe Acrobat Reader preferences must be set up as follows:
Edit / Preferences / Internet then you must make sure Display PDF in
browser is checked.
i-boxes
i-boxes will open up extra useful information in a panel when you click on
them. Click anywhere on the panel to close it again.
Print
To print a page use the Adobe Acrobat Reader print facility.
2 of 41
CIPD 2011
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Who is this tool for?

H
R and learning and development professionals who want to maximise engagement in their
organisation
managers who want to gain maximum return on the skills and abilities of their people
HR consultants working with client organisations to build an engaged workforce
s enior managers and HR executives who are committed to embedding engagement, a must for
sustained organisational performance.
Benefits of using this tool

For you
Apply the findings from the leading-edge Shaping the Future research about engagement and
sustaining organisational performance.
Review the extent to which management behaviours are encouraging engagement in the organisation.
Identify areas where attention to engagement is needed to enhance organisation performance.
For your organisation:

Ensure clarity about engagement issues that affect organisational performance.
Establish a process for re-energising engagement.
Develop sustainable management practices suitable for both challenging economic circumstances
and organisational growth situations.
For your people:

Unlock peoples potential, enabling them to be the best they can at work, enhancing their own
sense of well-being as well as enabling organisation performance.
Develop clarity on how they connect with the organisations purpose and where their
commitments are placed.
Enable people to understand organisational priorities and the external pressures faced in order to
direct and manage themselves with more awareness and in the interests of well-being.
This tool has been written by Simon Turner and Dr Valerie Anderson from the University of Portsmouth
3 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Toolmap
Help using this tool
Benefits of using this tool

Toolmap
Introduction
Instrument 1: Locus of engagement
Instrument 2: Building engagement
Instrument 3: Developing engaging managers
Instrument 4: The nature of engagement in your organisation
Your action plan
Useful related CIPD resources
Further reading and references
Useful websites
Appendix
4 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Introduction
Engagement is now recognised as a central issue for organisations, whatever the economic climate.
Many companies acknowledge that, although they have sophisticated data sets to understand what
their customers need and want, they have very little information about what is important to their
employees, what motivates them and what workplace approaches would best build on those
understandings. In 2009 the UK Government endorsed the MacLeod Report on the role of
employee engagement to enhance organisational performance (MacLeod and Clarke 2009).
Research supported by the CIPD has shown how important engagement is for: performance, profit,
productivity, customer service, retention, innovation and well-being.
For further background information
about the concept of engagement and
CIPD work in this area, click here.
Engagement is a key driver of sustainable organisation performance

In 2010 the CIPD published the outcomes of a flagship research project: Shaping the Future. This
project involved rigorous research over a two-year period to assess the factors that enable
organisations to perform well both in the short term and to sustain their performance over time,
even through testing economic periods.
Engagement was one of the three key themes (along with leadership and organisation
development) that initially guided the research, given the wealth of existing literature articulating
the link between engagement and organisation performance. We examined what it is about
engagement that will really make a difference for sustainable organisation performance.
A key finding of the Shaping the Future study is that organisations need to get under the surface
of engagement scores. Its important to understand what we term peoples locus of engagement,
meaning what they are engaged with. For example, people can be engaged with their work, their
manager, customer, colleagues, the organisation as a whole, or something else.
Furthermore, in times of labour market insecurity people may say they are engaged but this may
represent relief to be in work rather than longer-term loyalty and commitment. Alternatively, if
people become too closely connected to one aspect of their work above all others, their actions
may undermine performance and they may resist change.
This tool builds directly on the Shaping the Future work and focuses on the insights related to
engagement. It examines what HR professionals can do to get under the surface of engagement in
order to get clarity about engagement issues that affect organisational performance; re-energise
commitment where this is necessary; and develop sustainable practices suitable for both challenging
economic circumstances and organisational growth situations.
Find out about the CIPD comprehensive
Employee Engagement toolkit.
5 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Figure 1: Key issues for sustained organisation performance
Engagement
Performance
measures
and metrics
Sustained
organisation
performance
Alignment,
agility and
shared
purpose
Capability
and talent
Engagement is one tool amongst many in the HR professionals armoury. We are currently
developing a range of other practical tools, directly related to other insights uncovered by the
Shaping the Future project as important for sustainable organisation performance, namely:
achieving alignment, agility and shared purpose
building capability and talent to meet both short-term and long-term priorities
making best use of performance measures and metrics.
6 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Whats in this Engagement for Sustainable Organisation Performance tool?

This tool starts off by setting out why engagement is important. It comprises four separate
instruments, each focusing on a particular aspect of employee engagement, with practical
exercises, illustrative case study examples and action planning facilities. You may find some
instruments of more relevance to you than others, depending on how much knowledge you already
have about engagement in your organisation. Further sources of information that you may find
useful are also included.
In this tool we adopt an approach known as appreciative inquiry, which involves:
discovering and appreciating the best of what is already happening
envisaging what could be and working with others to co-construct what should be
planning how to sustain what will be.

This instrument provides an opportunity for you to undertake an engagement check-up to
identify what the areas of strength are with engagement in your organisation and assess where
engagement needs re-energising.
This instrument focuses on specific practices and actions that can contribute to engagement. It will
enable you to take stock of the organisations capacity to build engagement and plan an
appropriate way forward to envisage what should be.
This instrument provides a framework to help you identify current strengths and potential
behaviours within the management population of your organisation to drive engagement.
Instrument 4: The nature of engagement in your organisation
This instrument examines whether engagement in your organisation is mostly of a transactional
nature, focused on extrinsic rewards or whether a more emotional and enduring connection has
been made by people in your organisation.
Action planning
The tool also provides an action plan to help you identify and take forward key actions to make a
sustained improvement to engagement in your organisation.
7 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page
Engagement for sustainable organisational performance


What do we mean by locus of engagement?
The CIPD Shaping the Future project found that people can be engaged at different levels and with
various aspects of the organisation or the work. These different loci of engagement are illustrated
in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Locus of engagement
Engagement with
the business
Engagement with
the people
Engagement with
the work
Engagement with
the future
The Shaping the Future research found that:

employees can be engaged with more than one locus at a time
employees locus of engagement is not static
employees locus of engagement may not translate to engagement with the organisation.
Read about employees locus of

engagement in Birmingham City Council
and BIG Lottery Fund.
8 of 42
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Getting under the skin of engagement: going beyond the surveys

You may already conduct a regular engagement survey in your organisation. CIPD guidance to HR
directors suggests that engagement surveys should incorporate a range of factors, such as: employee
commitment, organisational citizenship, staff satisfaction, attitudes to management, worklife
balance and intention to leave. A range of survey instruments have been devised by organisations,
such as Gallup Q12, the CIPD and the Institute of Employment Studies, and these are used to good
effect by many organisations.
Find out how to keep engagement under review.
Find out how NHS Dumfries and

Galloway keeps engagement under
review.
Find out how Standard Chartered Bank

keeps engagement under review.
The Shaping the Future research found that although such surveys highlight engagement levels in
different parts of the organisation, they dont necessarily uncover what it is that employees are
engaged with (their locus of engagement) or the intensity of that engagement. For sustainable
performance, it is important to understand how, and with what, employees are engaged.
The CIPD has recently commissioned a piece of work from Kingston Engagement Consortium
examining the effect on performance of what employees are engaged with. View this report.
Your engagement check-up

The engagement check-up provides an opportunity to explore the locus of engagement of people in
your organisation and the intensity of that engagement. As both the locus and the intensity of
engagement are likely to vary over time, it is important that your organisation commits to a regular
engagement check-up to identify where attention should be focused to sustain organisation
performance.
You can use this instrument to initiate an engagement check-up. Choose the range of your checkup (the organisation as a whole; a specific business unit; specific staff groupings) and think about
both the locus of engagement and the intensity of engagement. The statements in the check-up
derive from our Shaping the Future research findings, reflecting the key aspects of each loci that
employees identified with.
9 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Your engagement check-up

Unit or staff group being considered:
Type here
Intensity of engagement
1
Weak
5
Strong
Locus of engagement: the organisation

People seem to relate to the values of this organisation.
The goals of this organisation are clear.
The organisations procedures enable committed people
to create business advantage.
People feel that someone or something within their
organisation provides financial, developmental or
professional rewards that are in their best interests.
The purpose of the organisation is considered in terms
of its impact on society at large.
Senior managers lead by example.
Locus of engagement: the people
Managers in this organisation encourage two-way
communication that promotes open and honest
dialogue and understanding.
People value, support and empathise with other team
members.
People positively relate to and with their colleagues.
Locus of engagement: the work
Job roles are sufficiently wide to enable people to push
back the boundaries and to work beyond their job
descriptions.
People initiate ideas and action to improve service
quality.
People identify with the values and standards of their
profession as well as those of the organisation.
People focus on outcomes and achievements.
People feel concerned about decisions that affect the
way they deliver services to customers.
People identify with their business unit, rather than the
organisation as a whole.
Locus of engagement: beyond the immediate
People look for opportunities for career enhancement
or enrichment.
People want to focus on self-development.
10 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Engagement check-up: action planning

Reflecting on your responses to the 'check-up' exercise, make a note here of areas where action is
needed. Think about the locus of engagement and also its intensity. Identify where people have a strong
need but the organisation does not yet provide opportunities for this need to be realised.
Type here
What you note down here will be automatically transferred to the action planning process towards the
end of this tool.
11 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page


Overview
Research undertaken by the CIPD has identified a range of organisational characteristics and
practices that are associated with engagement outcomes that include: employee involvement;
effective communication; meaningful work; authenticity among managers; a supportive work
environment; and assuring a good personjob fit. In addition to effective HR practices, therefore,
organisations must address wider issues which are outlined in the IDEAL engagement framework
in Figure 3.
Figure 3: The IDEAL engagement framework
I
D
E
A
Find out more about the components of

this IDEAL engagement framework.
12 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

This instrument focuses on specific practices and actions that are associated with building and
sustaining an engaged workforce. Use it to assess the extent to which your team, business unit
or organisation is driving engagement or putting barriers in the way.
Engagement is an issue that requires constant attention as peoples experience of the
employment relationship is rarely static. This instrument therefore provides the opportunity to:
take stock of the organisations capacity to build engagement organisation-wide or at the level
of departments, business units or specific work teams and also considers ways to re-energise
engagement where this is needed.
13 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Building engagement assessment

Where does your organisation, business unit or department stand in relation to fostering
engagement? Use the first part of this instrument to take stock. You can then use your responses
to identify the priority actions to build on areas of strength or to re-energise engagement. Focus
on the areas where your score is highest and where it is lowest. This can help you to identify
practices that are working well, which you could share more widely with other parts of your
organisation, as well as areas where barriers need to be overcome.
High
engagement
Involvement and communication
Low
engagement
4
We provide employees with

opportunities to express views
upwards.
Reactive decision-making occurs

that does not pick up problems
before it is too late.
We regularly review organisational

communications and particularly
arrangements for listening to
employee opinions.
We have low levels of advocacy,

which carry the risk of creating
a downward spiral of employee
resentment and disengagement.
Workers feeling well informed

about what is happening in the
organisation.
There are low perceptions

of the quality of downward
communication.
We keep employees in the picture

even when there is no concrete
news.
Lack of fluidity in communications

and knowledge-sharing occur due
to rigid communication channels or
cultural norms.
We use all available media to beat

the rumour mill.
Many employees find out most

of their information through a
vigorous rumour mill.
We brief line managers in full on

developments so they can talk to
their teams.
There are strong perceptions that

senior managers are remote from
service delivery issues.
We make use of diverse media,

including social networking, to
provide real-time communication.
We only plan communications

around key business or operational
issues.
Leadership effectiveness
We support line managers and

encourage them to design
challenging jobs and manage
effective teams.
There are inconsistent management

styles based on the attitudes of
individual managers, which leads to
perceptions of unfairness.
We feed engagement scores into

the appraisal process for managers,
identifying line managers with poor
leadership skills.
We present engagement scores to

managers.
Authenticity
We think about creative, nonfinancial ways of motivating

employees, such as recognition
schemes and team-building days.
We rely on a command and control

management style.
The senior management team live

the values and behaviours that they
espouse.
There is a lack of consistency

between the messages of senior
managers and their observed actions.
14 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

What do we do well that we can build upon?

1
Type here
Type here
Type here
What are the barriers to engagement that we need to work on?

1
Type here
Type here
Type here
Depending on the issues youve surfaced, you may want to consider new initiatives (or re-energising
existing initiatives) to help sustain engagement. Organisations have learned the hard way that trying to
buy engagement through expensive tactics only serves to raise expectations and can lead to
disappointment when resources are short. However, many of the ideas listed in Box 1 below can be
organised (not solely by HR) on a shoe-string and may well lead to a more enduring sense of engagement.
Box 1
How feasible, practical and desirable would the following initiatives (or new
approaches to these initiatives) be in your context?
social events
team-building days
charity events
recognition schemes
line manager support surgeries
walking the floor
face-to-face briefings / town hall events
other initiatives / ideas you may have
Would any of these initiatives be relevant and appropriate in your departmental or organisational
context? Use the box provided below to make notes about ways you could build engagement.
15 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Building engagement: action planning

Make a note here of any actions you wish to plan that come from your reflections on the activities in this
instrument so far and the engagement-building suggestions. Identify what action the HR function can take;
what actions you will need to encourage others in the organisation to take; and how you might measure
progress you have made.
Type here
Find out how Telefonica O2(UK),

featured in the MacLeod report, is
building engagement.
Maintaining engagement in tough times

In difficult economic or trading circumstances, engagement issues may be severely challenged. Our
quarterly Employee Outlook survey looked at employees attitudes to work in difficult times and the
impact of the recession. This survey identified the fixed grin phenomenon, where workers tend to
report being more satisfied during tough times, however this may be because they are satisfied
simply to have a job. The CIPD Shaping the Future research found that in such circumstances HR
professionals and their line manager colleagues have to dig deep to ensure a balance between
directive and empowering leadership, effective HR processes, communication about changes to the
purpose and vision for the organisation, and support and development to enable people to manage
in new contexts. There may be instances when organisational processes will be engagement
neutral at best; action may be needed to enhance engagement recovery.
16 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Faced with the need to make efficiency savings, organisations have to make difficult decisions. It is
important to consider the impact of such decisions for employees engagement. The options shown
in Figure 4 are often considered by organisations in difficult times. Take a few minutes to think
about what you are faced with. Identify what, in your organisation, are the implications of these
actions and options for employee engagement in your organisation. Which approaches do you wish
to avoid if possible?
Figure 4: Organisational decisions that impact engagement
Reducing labour at any cost not

taking advantage of natural
wastage and/or offering voluntary
redundancy terms
Allowing short timescales to drive

decisions before considering
alternatives
Cutting back recruitment and

reviewing the use of temporary staff
Seeing loss of skill, knowledge and

organisational memory as
inevitable
Retraining employees whose skills

are no longer in demand and
redeploying people to other parts of
the organisation where possible
Seeing people as cost; focusing on

resource rather than potential
Reducing or eliminating overtime

working
Encouraging a long-hours culture

and poor worklife balance
Considering short-time working or

temporary lay-offs or sabbaticals
17 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page


Overview
Achieving employee engagement requires appropriate behaviours from leaders at all levels: both
senior management and line managers. CIPD research into engaging leadership indicates that a range
of behaviours are important for management authenticity, including: being accessible, showing
genuine concern and building a shared vision. Engaging leaders are seen by people as authentic if they
display the personal qualities and core values of acting with integrity, being honest and consistent.
Senior managers make a direct impact on engagement through the culture that is established and the
extent to which people feel they can sign up to the mission or purpose of the organisation. Line
managers attitudes, behaviours and performance also directly influence engagement. For example,
our Employee Outlook: year review report (2010) highlighted the importance of managers as a key
driver of employees job satisfaction.
The development of engaging leadership characteristics requires HR professionals to work with
their line manager colleagues to implement and embed appropriate behaviours. This involves
recognising the time and resource constraints facing all managers; providing relevant support and
development; fostering effective teamwork and relationships; and encouraging managers to
develop confidence in their engagement capability.
Developing engaging managers: assessment of strengths and areas for development

CIPD research into engaging leadership and management competencies for enhancing employee
engagement shows that management characteristics underpinning engagement comprise a
combination of: effective interpersonal behaviours; teamworking abilities; support of employee
development; and a focus on the long-term needs of the organisation. This instrument enables you
to identify current strengths and development areas relating to the components of engaging
management within your organisation.
The activity is grounded in appreciating and affirming where positive behaviours are already being
utilised and identifying the enablers in place that make these possible. This can help you to build on
practices in parts of the organisation where engagement is strong as well as to locate areas where
new action is required.
Complete this exercise separately for senior leaders and those who fulfil line management
responsibilities, examining the behaviours each displays. Identify areas of strength and the enablers
that encourage the positive behaviours you have pinpointed.
18 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Leader and management strengths assessment
Interpersonal
style and
integrity
Teamworking
Supporting
employee
growth
Focusing on
the future
Shows genuine concern

Is accessible
Encourages questioning
Acts with integrity
Is honest and consistent
Is decisive
Treats employees fairly
Challenges the status quo
Communicates effectively
Note down the best three areas

here.
Inspires others
Focuses team effort
Networking
Collaborating
Manages time and
resources
Effectively understands,
follows and explains
processes and procedures

here.
Supports a developmental
culture
Gives positive and
constructive feedback
Empowers employees to
problem-solve and make
decisions
Offers help and advice to
employees
Encourages innovation
Facilitates career
development

here.
Builds a shared vision

Sets clear goals and
objectives
Facilitates change
sensitively
Resolves complex issues

here.
Type here
Note here where the best

behaviours are occurring.
Why do they occur here and
not everywhere?
Type here
2
Type here
Type here
Type here

not everywhere?
Type here
2
Type here
Type here
Type here

not everywhere?
Type here
2
Type here
Type here
Type here

not everywhere?
Type here
2
Type here
Type here
19 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

In addition to building on areas of strength, you can use this second activity to identify management
behaviours that need attention. In addressing these questions you may wish to consider:
To what extent are managers currently supported to develop the skills and behaviours that encourage
engagement?
If new learning and support opportunities to develop engaging managers are needed, what methods
would be most appropriate?
Engaging behaviours
What areas need

attention?
How can HR help?
What support is
required?
Type here
Type here
Type here
Interpersonal
style and
integrity
Shows genuine concern

Is accessible
Encourages questioning
Acts with integrity
Is honest and consistent
Is decisive
Treats employees fairly
Challenges the status quo
Communicates effectively
Type here
Type here
Type here
Teamworking
Inspires others
Focuses team effort
Networking
Collaborating
Manages time and
resources
Effectively understands,
follows and explains
processes and procedures
Type here
Type here
Type here
Supporting
employee
growth
Supports a developmental
culture
Gives positive and
constructive feedback
Empowers employees to
problem-solve and make
decisions
Offers help and advice to
employees
Encourages innovation
Facilitates career
development
Builds a shared vision
Sets clear goals and
objectives
Facilitates change
sensitively
Resolves complex issues
Type here
Type here
Type here
Focusing on
the future
20 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Developing engaging managers: action planning

Note down the action planning implications of your responses to the questions in both parts of this instrument.
Type here
What you enter into this box will be automatically transferred to the action planning section towards the end
of this tool.
Use this link to find out how developing

engaging managers has been tackled by a
leading professional services organisation,
featured in the MacLeod report.
21 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Instrument 4: The nature of engagement in

your organisation
Overview
Some people find they feel engaged through the need to think hard about their job and how to do
it better; others may find opportunities to work with others a key characteristic of their
engagement. The CIPD Shaping the Future research highlights an important distinction between
transactional and emotional engagement. Both elements are likely to be present in feelings of
engagement in organisations.
Transactional engagement is contractual in nature. It leads people to fulfil basic expectations

of getting the job done and promoting the interests of the organisation. Transactional
engagement is grounded in what needs to be done: to stay in employment; to be promoted
to the next level; or to fulfil ambitions outside of work through the extrinsic rewards involved.
However, peoples willingness to perform and their prioritisation of the interests of the organisation
may be short-lived if the extrinsic factors involved come under threat or if they identify opportunities
to pursue elsewhere.
Emotional engagement is more deep-seated and occurs when people identify positive feelings
with their work and are motivated by the desire to do a good job, to work with valued
colleagues or to do the right thing.
22 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Figure 5: Transactional and emotional engagement
Transactional
(rational)
engagement
Emotional
(relational)
engagement
Characteristics
Characteristics
Outcomes
Outcomes
Although both forms of engagement are likely to feature in most peoples work experience
(illustrated in Figure 5) emotional engagement is the more crucial for the achievement of
discretionary effort over a sustained period. Research supported by the CIPD has suggested that
emotional engagement accounts for four times' the commitment engendered by transactional
attachments. Research from the CIPD Next Generation HR project emphasises the role of engaging
managers in engendering the trust required for emotional engagement. This is particularly
important given that our quarterly Employee Outlook survey has consistently highlighted a lack of
employees trust in senior leaders.
Find out about the different forms of

engagement that employees discussed at
Birmingham City Council and Big Lottery Fund.
23 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

What is the nature of engagement in your organisation?

This instrument comprises two steps and requires quite a deep level of thinking. Step 1 asks you to consider
factors that encourage both emotional and transactional engagement in your organisation. We then ask you
to consider which form of engagement is most prevalent and the implications of this. Step 2 builds on your
reflections in Step 1, helping you to construct an inventory of engagement variables that already exist in your
organisation as well as those you might consider implementing.
Step 1
Engagement, both emotional and transactional, is a two-way and dynamic process; people can engage (and
disengage) in ways that senior managers and HR leaders may not always realise. Therefore, rather than using
a checklist approach Step 1 consists of open questions, helping you to get under the skin of engagement.
It encourages you to identify:
what processes and practices you promote to encourage both transactional and emotional forms of
engagement
the extent to which your perceptions of the value of these processes and practices are shared by those
on the receiving end
the extent to which you have sufficient information to establish the fit between organisational
intentions and employee perceptions.
Use the prompts in Figure 5 relating to transactional and emotional engagement to get you started.
Factors leading to transactional

engagement in your organisation/
department/business unit
To what extent are these valued

by those on the receiving end?
Do you have sufficient information

about the fit between
organisational intentions and
perceived value by staff members?
1 Type here
Type here
Type here
2 Type here
Type here
Type here
3 Type here
Type here
Type here
Factors leading to emotional

engagement in your organisation/
department/business unit
To what extent are these valued

by those on the receiving end?
Do you have sufficient information

about the fit between
organisational intentions and
perceived value by staff members?
1 Type here
Type here
Type here
2 Type here
Type here
Type here
3 Type here
Type here
Type here
24 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Should you be promoting transactional or emotional engagement?

Both transactional and emotional forms of engagement are important. However, when an
organisation relies on transactional engagement there is a risk that, when challenges occur, people
may shift their allegiance, resulting in lower levels of commitment and higher levels of staff turnover.
Emotional engagement underpins discretionary behaviour and is crucial for sustained organisation
performance. However, emotional engagement can rise and fall in response to a range of different
triggers. Therefore it needs to be complemented by more stable forms of engagement that are
often linked to transactional forms of engagement.
In many organisations, the HR function focuses considerable attention on transactional features of
the employment relationship and an equally hard and robust assessment of emotional
engagement issues would be beneficial. Therefore, you may like to ponder the questions in Box 2.
Box 2
Getting the transactionalemotional engagement balance right
1 Is the balance right between the degree to which you are promoting transactional and emotional
engagement? Is one part of the table more populated than the other?
Type here
2 What are the implications of the transactional engagement you have noted?
Type here
3 What are the implications of the emotional engagement you have noted?
Type here
25 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Step 2
Step 2 of this instrument helps you build on your reflections and construct an inventory of variables
of engagement in your organisation and ideas about other actions you may consider. This list is not
exhaustive, but a suggestion of useful ideas to help build engagement. First, take stock of current
practices that affect engagement. In order to complete the next column about the extent to
which employees value these you may need further information from employees themselves.
Many organisations gather this information from focus groups of employees, through regular
dialogue with staff associations or representative bodies, or through staff surveys. When
considering the actions you could take, bear in mind whether you think they will promote
transactional or emotional engagement.
The
organisation
has this
Variables of engagement
Yes
No
We might
introduce this
Resources or
support that would
be required to
implement this
Yes No n/a
Engagement with the business
Type here
Strong company mission and vision
Type here
Values that employees can identify with
Attractive financial incentives (for example pension, medical

package, education benefits, life insurance, travel insurance,
discounts off goods and services)
Type here
Type here
Flexible leave arrangements (for example additional unpaid
holidays, sabbaticals, special leave)
Type here
Strong leadership reputation
Continued
26 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

The
organisation
has this
Yes
No
We might
introduce this
Resources or
support that would
be required to
implement this
Yes No n/a
Engagement with the people
Type here
Engaging managers
Type here
Reputation for valuing its employees
Type here
Family-friendly practices, for example maternity/paternity
benefits beyond statutory ones, childcare, family leave
Type here
Wellness programmes, for example gym, company medical
services, time for sports or outside activities
Type here
Concierge services
Type here
Variable pay pay for objectives, team bonus
Type here
Attractive office location
Type here
Dress-down days
Continued
27 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

The
organisation
has this
Yes
No
We might
introduce this
Resources or
support that would
be required to
implement this
Yes No n/a
Engagement with the work
Type here
Base pay: fair pay for a fair days work
Type here
Meaningful work
Offers different forms of flexible working
Type here
Engagement beyond the immediate

Training and development options
Type here
Career progression
Type here
Green image and actions
Type here
Supports local community or charity initiatives
Type here
28 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Once you have completed this activity, identify three to five priority areas where some new actions
would be worth investigating or where you need more information about the potential benefits of
such activities.
The nature of engagement: action planning

Priorities for future action or information-gathering:
1
Type here
Type here
Type here
Type here
Type here
What you enter into this box will be automatically transferred to the action planning section towards the end of this tool.
29 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Your action plan

Here, you can review your responses to the activities in this online practical tool and plan your next steps.
If you have not already added ideas for action elsewhere in this tool, you can add your ideas here.
Engagement check-up
Type here
Building engagement
Type here
Developing engaging managers

Type here
30 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

The nature of engagement: action planning

1
Type here
Type here
Type here
Type here
Type here
Having considered the information above, my immediate priorities for action are:
Priority for action
Support/resources needed for effective action
Type here
Type here
Type here
Type here
Type here
Type here
31 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Useful related CIPD resources

CIPD. (2004) Reflections on employee well-being and the psychological contract.
CIPD. (2006) How engaged are British employees?
CIPD. (2006) Reflections on employee engagement.
CIPD. (2008) Engaging leadership: creating organisations that maximise the potential of their people.
CIPD. (2009) Employee engagement in context.
CIPD. (2009) An HR directors guide to employee engagement.
CIPD. (2010) Next Generation HR: time for change.
CIPD. (2010) Employee engagement factsheet.
CIPD. (2011) Management competencies for enhancing employee engagement.
CIPD. (2010) Employee Outlook: year review.
CIPD. (2011) Employee Engagement toolkit.
CIPD. (2011) Shaping the Future: sustainable organisation performance: what really makes the difference.
CIPD. (2010) Kingston Employee Engagement Consortium Project. Creating an engaged workforce:
findings from the Kingston Employee Engagement Consortium Project.
32 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Further reading and references

MACLEOD, D. and CLARKE, N. (2009) Engaging for success: enhancing performance through employee
engagement. London: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
MACEY, W.H. and SCHNEIDER, B. (2008) The meaning of employee engagement. Industrial and
Organizational Psychology. Vol 1, No 1, March. pp330.
PINK, D.H. (2009) Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us. New York: Riverhead Books.
ROUSSEAU, D. (1995) Psychological contracts in organisations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
WAGNER, R. and HARTER, J.K. (2006) 12: the elements of great managing. New York: Gallup Press.
WATKINS, J.M. and MOHR, B. (2001) Appreciative inquiry: change at the speed of the imagination.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.
Useful websites
Employee engagement in the Civil Service
The Institute for Employment Studies
Employee engagement Gallup
OCR International Employee Engagement Research
33 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Appendix
What do we mean by engagement?
The CIPD Research Insight Employee Engagement in Context highlights how: engagement is about
creating opportunities for employees to connect with their colleagues, managers and wider
organisation. It is also about creating an environment where employees are motivated to want to
connect with their work and really care about doing a good job. It is a concept that places flexibility,
change and continuous improvement at the heart of what it means to be an employee and an
employer in a twenty-first-century workplace.
Engagement is not the same as satisfaction or even commitment. Satisfied employees may be
happy but they may also be making little contribution to the organisation. CIPD advice to HR
directors highlights how some committed employees may be focusing on the wrong objectives. The
concept of engagement is hard to pin down, involving a complex mix of attitudes, behaviours and
outcomes, but it is present when people willingly contribute effort and experience positive
emotions in relation to their work and those they work with.
Figure 6: Components of engagement
Attitudes
Behaviours
Outcomes
Having engaged employees is important for sustained organisational performance as they are more
likely to go the extra mile or put in extra effort. CIPD research has found that people who are
absorbed in their work and committed to completing work tasks are significantly more likely to
have positive emotions at work, such as: enthusiasm, cheerfulness, optimism, contentment and a
calm and relaxed outlook. In contrast, those who are less engaged are likely to report negative
emotions such as: feeling miserable, worried, depressed, gloomy, tense or uneasy. Engagement
matters, therefore, and that is why many organisations now see the value of regular engagement
check-ups.
We hope this tool is useful in helping you to unpick the complexities of engagement within your
organisation and devise a plan of action to drive long-term performance.
34 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Case study
The Shaping the Future research found that employees can be engaged on multiple levels:
for example, with the organisation as a whole, with their line manager, with their team,
their job role or their profession.
Figure
2: Components
of engagement
Birmingham
City Council
(BCC) is the largest council in Europe, employing 60,000
people. In April 2006, they embarked on the largest business transformation programme in
UK local government a programme that is set to revolutionise the way the council delivers
services to people who live, learn, work in or visit Birmingham. In BCC, engagement with
the service user and to ones immediate team is strong, with a typical response from
managers to the question about what you are engaged with being, my staff and delivering
services. Managers feel that employees develop a particularly strong emotional
engagement with service users in times of uncertainty, especially when there are questions
over how the service might be provided in the future. This is manifested in a strong desire
to maintain the quality of the care provided.
I think they are engaged with the service that they are providing to the service user and I
guess to some extent they are also engaged with their line managerWhilst I am not sure
that they are necessarily engaged in the whole organisation if you like, that is their focus
and that is what they do.
The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) was established in 2004 following a merger of the New
Opportunities Fund and the Communities Fund. BIG currently distributes around
600 million of lottery funds to projects connected to health, education, environment and
charitable purposes.
The organisations vision is to channel funding into areas that will bring real improvements
to communities and the lives of people most in need.
At BIG Lottery people tended to report engagement with the nature of their work but to
find some of the work processes frustrating:
BIG, as an employer, is right up there in terms of engagement. However, some of the
bureaucratic processes they have to follow are down there, so yes peoples
engagement will vary depending on their activity or what they are doing .
You can read more about these organisations in the CIPD Shaping the Future report.
CLOSE
35 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Case study
NHS Dumfries and Galloway employs 5,000 people and provides health care and
promotes healthy living for the 149,000 residents of Dumfries and Galloway across an
area of 2,400 square miles. The board has undertaken a number of major change
initiatives, including significant restructuring of job roles and responsibilities, and has
Figure
2: Components
engagement
taken
a lead role in of
innovation
to address organisational issues. Its innovative Delivering
Dynamic Improvement (DDI) programme, investigated by the CIPD as part of the
Shaping the Future project, is a case in point. This programme was designed to equip
managers and clinical leaders with the knowledge and skills to build shared
responsibilities for delivering dynamic continuous improvements in the services
provided to patients.
There has been a huge amount of work into driving employee engagement, as this is
seen as critical for long-term performance. The organisation as a whole scored well in
the last Scottish Government-initiated employee survey, which compares employee
attitudes across health boards in Scotland. The results from this survey are actively fed
back to staff through presentations and workshops. Issues are identified, tested with
staff groups and acted upon.
You can find out more about these and other cases from the Shaping the Future report.
CLOSE
36 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Case study
Standard Chartered Bank has a history of more than 150 years in banking. Its Hong
Kong operation has made advances in driving employee engagement even in
challenging external circumstances. Employees appreciate the importance of being
engaged, advocating its benefits for both short-term and long-term performance. They
have
interpreted its of
worth
for themselves, internalising the value of engagement, which
Figure
2: Components
engagement
was demonstrated by the range of answers employees gave when asked why the bank
endeavours to engage staff. The engagement process itself is purposefully loose and
simple, which are its strengths. The engagement survey that Standard Chartered uses is
short and easily understood, which contributes to its high response rate. The impact
planning process that follows the survey results is owned by individual teams, who are
able to tailor the process to their particular needs, which in turn feeds their enthusiastic
adoption of engagement.
CLOSE
37 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Components of the IDEAL engagement

framework
Employee involvement, voice and participation are frequently used terms that can be
differently interpreted. The CIPD defines employee involvement as: a range of
processes
designed of
to engagement
engage the support, understanding and optimum contribution
Figure
2: Components
of all employees in an organisation and their commitment to its objectives. We can see
involvement contributing towards the creation of an environment in which people have
an impact on decisions and actions that affect their jobs.
Involvement processes are closely linked with employee communication both downward
and two-way. The two subjects clearly have a lot in common. Another term used in
some organisations is employee voice. Like involvement, employee voice is
characterised in terms of two-way communications, an exchange of information
between managers and employees or having a say' about what goes on in the
organisation. Organisations who promote communication, voice or involvement
recognise that much of the knowledge required for businesses to be competitive is
actually in employees heads.
The CIPD Shaping the Future research has found that meaningfulness, and designing
meaningful work roles, is a vital driver of engagement for employees, with most
workers finding meaning in their work. Employees who believe that their work is
important and that they can make a difference have much more positive perceptions
about their work and their work environment.
Meaningful work roles contain:
skill variety: the number of different activities the job requires
task identity: the degree to which a whole and identifiable piece of work is involved
task significance: the jobs impact on the lives of others.
The leaderfollower relationship characterised by authentic leadership is initiated by
the leadership attributes of genuineness, trustworthiness, reliability, compassion and
believability. When espoused messages and behaviours are displayed in real life,
followers are likely to feel engaged.
CLOSE
38 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Case study
Telefonica O2 (UK) employs around 13,000 people in the UK and is a leading
provider of mobile and broadband services to consumers and businesses. In 2008 O2
was ranked as the sixth best place to work in the Sunday Times Best Companies to
Work For list. The Government-endorsed MacLeod report highlights steps that
Figure
2: Components
of engagement
Telefonica
O2 (UK) has
taken to increase engagement through a commitment to
creating the best possible employee experience. This includes: a warm welcome
through effective induction; opportunities for development and career discussions with
line managers at least twice each year; opportunities for skills and personal
development and investment in the development of leadership skills at all levels of
management; and a culture of trust where people are encouraged to suggest new
ways of doing things through a variety of different forums, both face to face and
online. This people focus is being maintained in spite of tough economic conditions
through enhancing some flexible benefits, building on employee well-being initiatives
and introducing a broad range of discounts with high street retailers. In addition
people are encouraged to volunteer for charities and can apply for small grants for
community projects all over the UK.
O2s Head of Employee Involvement and Experience, Kay Winsper, says: We want to create
an employee experience that appeals to peoples emotional and rational commitment. So
not only will our people feel proud to work at O2 and part of something really special
theyll know it makes financial and professional sense to stay here.'
You can read more about this case and other organisational examples in the MacLeod
report (MacLeod and Clarke 2009).
CLOSE
39 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Case study
The Government-endorsed MacLeod report highlights the case of a large UK
professional services firm providing financial and advisory services, employing several
thousand staff. Employee feedback revealed that managers did not have the capability
(skills, time, attitude) to fulfil their role in developing their staff, contributing to high
Figure
2: Components
ofthe
engagement
turnover.
In response
organisation developed a change management and
engagement programme for managers. This programme transformed the way the
organisation manages its people and, in particular, has elevated the status and focus
on effective people management.
A key innovation was in the development of the role of the people management
leaders (PMLs), which was introduced across all business areas. Talented individuals
were identified as great people managers and given full accountability for people
management activities for specific groups of people. They were supported in this by
one-to-one coaching, annual conferences and development centres. Now this role has
a high profile; it is valued as a form of career development and is ensuring an effective
and authentic management approach.
You can read more about this case in the MacLeod report (MacLeod and Clarke 2009).
CLOSE
40 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Case study
In 2006 Birmingham City Council, the largest council in Europe, embarked on a
large-scale transformation programme, aiming amongst other things to become an
organisation where people feel free to use their talent, creativity, energy and
commitment to serve the public and improve services. Managers discovered that
Figure
2: Components
engagement
employees
develop of
a particularly
strong emotional engagement with service users in
times of uncertainty, especially when there are questions over how the service might
be provided in the future. This is manifested in a strong desire to maintain the quality
of the care provided to service users. Front-line staff are keen to go the extra mile to
ensure that a good-quality service is maintained, despite fewer resources being
available. Elsewhere, engagement with the whole organisation is of a different, more
transactional nature, with people asking for more attention to be given to upward
communication.
At BIG Lottery Fund the organisation established in 2004 to co-ordinate distribution
of lottery funds to health and education engagement is seen to be a major driver of
sustainable individual and organisational performance. Feedback at BIG showed that
people feel that there are different levels of engagement in different areas of the
business. In some areas, emotional forms of engagement are dominant but a more
transactional engagement with other features of the work is prevalent in other areas.
CLOSE
41 of 41
CIPD 2011
Help using
this tool
Your
feedback
Previous
page viewed
Next
page

Shaping The Future Engagement Tool 5526 PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Shaping The Future Engagement Tool 5526 PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Engagement for sustainable

This tool will help you:

Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

Help using this tool

Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

Who is this tool for?

Benefits of using this tool

For your organisation:

For your people:

Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

Benefits of using this tool

Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

Engagement is a key driver of sustainable organisation performance

Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

Figure 1: Key issues for sustained organisation performance

Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

Whats in this Engagement for Sustainable Organisation Performance tool?

Instrument 1: Locus of engagement

Engagement for sustainable organisational performance

Instrument 1: Locus of engagement

Figure 2: Locus of engagement

The Shaping the Future research found that:

Read about employees locus of

Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

Getting under the skin of engagement: going beyond the surveys

Find out how NHS Dumfries and

Find out how Standard Chartered Bank

Your engagement check-up

Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

Your engagement check-up

Locus of engagement: the organisation

Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

Engagement check-up: action planning

Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

Instrument 2: Building engagement

Figure 3: The IDEAL engagement framework

Find out more about the components of

Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

Engagement for sustainable organisation performance

Building engagement assessment

Involvement and communication

We provide employees with

Reactive decision-making occurs

We regularly review organisational

We have low levels of advocacy,

Workers feeling well informed

There are low perceptions

We keep employees in the picture

Lack of fluidity in communications

We use all available media to beat

Many employees find out most

We brief line managers in full on

There are strong perceptions that

We make use of diverse media,

We only plan communications

We support line managers and

There are inconsistent management

We feed engagement scores into

We present engagement scores to

We think about creative, nonfinancial ways of motivating

We rely on a command and control

The senior management team live

Builds a shared vision