Creating a Culture of

Employee Engagement in Government

Bob Lavigna
Assistant Vice Chancellor - Human Resources
University of Wisconsin
rlavigna@ohr.wisc.edu
 What We’ll Cover

1. What is employee engagement –

and why does it matter?
2. How public sector organizations
have achieved engagement
3. Creating an engagement culture
4. Role of HR.
 Available through
Amazon,
Barnes & Noble
 Key Take-Aways
Improving
Engagement should
engagement not
be measured
just an “initiative”
Results must be or “program” –
acted on
Must be a culture

HR has critical role

Engagement – champion,
can be improved facilitator and
Employee role model
engagement
drives
performance
Context – Our Aging Workforce
50%
45%
40%
35%
30% Federal
25% State
Local
20%
Private
15%
10%
5%
0%
Under 30 30-39 40-49 50+
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
 What is Employee Engagement?

Heightened connection

Beyond satisfaction

Personal meaning
• Pride
• Value

“Discretionary energy”
 Engaged Employees …

 Goe for customers

 Volunteers ideas
 Works hard – and
 Have strong relationships in organization
smart
 Go extra mile for customers
 Volunteer ideas
 Doesn’t quit
 Work hard – and smart
 Calls in sick only
 Will stay – even for less money
when ill
 Recommend organization as good place to work
 Stays alert to safety
 Show up for work
hazards.
 Get things done
Why Does Engagement Matter?
 Engagement Drives Results
Key Performance Indicators
Top- and Bottom-Quartile Work Groups

Profitability

Productivity

Customer scores

Safety incidents

Lost or stolen inventory

Turnover (low-turnover orgs)

Turnover (high-turnover orgs))

Absenteeism

-70% -60% -50% -40% -30% -20% -10% 0% 10% 20% 30%
Source: Gallup
 Temkin Group
Highly engaged:
 480% more committed
to organizational success
 250% more likely to
recommend
improvements
 370% more likely to
recommend their
employer
What About in Government?
Better
program
results

Fewer EEO Higher

complaints retention

Less
missed time
Engaged public sector
employees:

 4 times more likely to

stay in current job
 5 times more likely to
recommend workplaces
 5 times more likely to be
very satisfied
Higher levels of
engagement in
government drive:
 Improved employee
performance to support
mission
 More collaborative and
innovative work
environments
 Lower costs of
disengagement
 Towers Watson
Statement  Highly Moderately Disengaged
engaged engaged (% agree)
(% (% agree)
agree)
I can impact quality 86 61 32

I can impact cost 59 37 21

I can impact customer 72 50 28

service
 It’s About Leadership
Percentage of employees answering “yes” to the question:
“If you could fire your current boss, would you do so or not?”
60%
51%
50%

40%

30%
23%
20%

10% 6%

0%
Engaged Not engaged Actively disengaged
 35% of U.S. workers polled…

… said they’d willingly forgo a substantial pay raise

in exchange for seeing their direct supervisor fired
 35% of U.S. workers polled…

… said they’d willingly forgo a substantial pay raise

in exchange for seeing their direct supervisor fired
 Poll Question

Does your organization have a

strategic initiative, program, etc.
specifically focused on improving
employee satisfaction and/or
engagement?

• Yes
• No
Engagement – U.S.

18%

32%

Engaged
Not Engaged
51%
Actively Disengaged

Source: Gallup
State and Local Government

53%

47%
Engaged
Not Engaged

Source: IPMA-HR
 How Do We
Know If

Our
Employees
are Engaged?
Ask Them!
 IPMA-HR Engagement Survey
 Job/role and overall working
environment
 Work tools
 Career development – tools
 Opportunities to learn and grow
 Communication
 Manager/supervisor
 Recognition
 Pay/benefits
 Working conditions
What Government Agencies Have Done
to Achieve High Levels of Engagement
 Building Engagement

Strategy

Leadership

Hiring

Onboarding
U. of Wisconsin Engagement Strategy
University Recruit and retain the best faculty and staff, and reward merit
strategic goal

Strategic Create an environment of respect and inclusiveness through

priority opportunities for employee engagement

Build, through thoughtful design, a more efficient and effective HR

HR vision system, to best serve the needs of the University, its employees,
and the citizens of Wisconsin

Engaged: Trusting and committed employees whose development is

21st century being supported
workforce Diverse: community that draws upon ideas, experiences, and
perspectives of a diverse workforce; inclusive culture
 Minneapolis

Goal: A City that works

 City government runs well and connects to the

community it serves
 Engaged and talented employees reflect our
community, have the resources they need to
succeed and are empowered to improve our
efficiency and effectiveness
 Oregon Metro – Values
Teamwork
 We engage others in ways that foster respect and trust
 Teamwork forms the essence of our work environment
 Through collaboration and commitment to common
goals, we achieve greater outcomes
 We value positive relationships and nurture them with
cooperation and honest communication
 Individually, we contribute to the greater whole by
being dependable and accountable for our actions
Onboarding Model
Building Engagement – Supervision

Manage performance effectively

 Make sure employees know what is expected and

how work links to mission
 Meet regularly with employees
 Provide opportunities to grow and develop
 Conduct at least semiannual discussions about
performance, strengths and developmental needs
 Hold employees accountable – deal with poor
performance.
Management/Supervision

Select supervisors to supervise – and can

Hold supervisors
build engagementaccountable for
and inclusion
Provide training, resources
Develop competencies
engagement and
around engagement
support
and inclusion
 Managerial Competencies –
Engagement/Inclusion
Provides strong and effective leadership to ensure work unit is high-
performing and achieves its mission
Creates positive climate – sets clear strategy, goals and expectations;
honors core values; provides regular feedback and support;
recognizes and rewards performance

Supports and assists employees in learning and development

Creates an inclusive work environment

Provides leadership and participates in hiring, staffing and

onboarding processes that contribute to engagement and inclusion
 Behavioral Examples
 Develops and communicates mission,
direction, priorities, goals and actions
that link to larger mission/strategy
 Establishes metrics to assess
individual/organizational performance
 Holds self/others accountable for high-
quality, timely, cost-effective results
 Communicates in a way that is
transparent, informative and clear
 Empowers others to make good
decisions
 Solicits feedback and creates
environment where others can speak
and act
 Deals effectively and fairly with
performance and personnel problems
 Sets employee expectations;
provides feedback, coaching and
evaluations
 Encourages risk-taking, supports
creativity and initiative
 Develops fair and transparent
recognition/rewards systems
 Facilitates learning and
development by assigning work
that enhances knowledge and
experience; provides access to
development resources
 Builds positive, cooperative, team
environment; helps teams succeed
 Shows care and concern for
employees.
 Behavioral Examples
 Develops and communicates mission,
direction, priorities, goals and actions
that link to larger mission/strategy
 Establishes metrics to assess
individual/organizational performance
 Holds self/others accountable for high-
quality, timely, cost-effective results
 Communicates in a way that is
transparent, informative and clear
 Empowers others to make good
decisions
 Solicits feedback and creates
environment where others can speak
and act
 Sets employee expectations; provides
feedback, coaching and evaluations
 Deals effectively and fairly with
performance/personnel problems
 Encourages risk-taking, supports
creativity and initiative
 Develops fair and transparent
recognition/rewards systems
 Facilitates learning and
development by assigning work
that enhances knowledge and
experience; provides access to
development resources
 Builds positive, cooperative, team
environment; helps teams succeed
 Shows care and concern for
employees.
 Building Engagement
 Make work-mission connection
 Appreciate/recognize
 Listen – “my opinion counts”
 Empower
 Support work/life balance
 Involve labor
 Communicate.
“I help send men to the moon”
Dimensions of Wellness

Physical
SocialEmotional
Financial
Spiritual
Career
and Cultural
E
n
v
i
r
o
n
m
 Improving Engagement in Denver
Increase employee familiarity with the Mayor’s priorities

Increase employee recognition and appreciation efforts

Provide employees with equipment and technology

Develop supervisor/leadership skills

Foster innovation

Increase retention efforts to reduce turnover

 Engagement Culture

Set of accepted
organizational
values, behaviors,
and practices
that promotes
increasing levels of
engagement as a
cultural norm
 Hallmarks of Engagement Culture
Engagement business case broadly understood

Leaders/managers work together to drive engagement

Engagement linked to mission, critical business outcomes

Engagement visible across organization (not just HR program)

Engagement regularly measured/analyzed – and action taken

HR components linked to engagement

Robust communication strategy, especially by leaders

HR’s Role in Building Engagement
Champion engagement
Facilitate the process
Identify organization-wide issues –
and lead action

Be a role model
Drive cultural change
 Key Take-Aways
Engagement should Long-term
be measured improvement =
Results must be Culture of
acted on engagement

Engaged employees HR role –

find personal champion,
meaning in their
Engagement facilitator and
work drives role model
performance
and other
positive
outcomes
 Building a Culture of
Employee Engagement

Bob Lavigna • rlavigna@ohr.wisc.edu • 608-890-3888