7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
1/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013
Employee Engagement Toolkitfor leaders
IMAGE IMAGE IMAGE
IMAGE IMAGE IMAGE
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
2/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 2
Leave blank
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
3/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013
Letter from Jim
3
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
4/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 4
Contents
1. Overview 5
2. Engagement Awareness Tools 6
2.1 What is Engagement? 7
2.2 Overview of Engagement Program 8
2.5 Your impact on Engagement 9
2.4 Engagement Roles and Responsibilities 11
2.3 Engagement Program FAQs 12
3. Engagement Readiness Tools 14
3.1 Commencing Engagement Activities 15
3.2 Communicating the Engagement Program 16
3.3 What makes your team engaged? 17
4. Engagement Enabling Tools 18
4.1 Communication Tips 19
4.2 Coaching Tips 21
4.3 Career Planning Tips 24
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
5/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013
The Engagement Toolkit for leaders has been created to support the Employee Engagement
Program, and you as a leader to have conversations with your teams about engagement,
what it means, and to determine factors which contribute to or decrease engagement levels.
The toolkit is broken into three components Engagement Awareness Tools, Engagement
Readiness Tools and Engagement Enabling Tools. These are described below.
As a leader, you play a vital role in driving engagement in your team. To get you started, this
toolkit outlines some key activities and tips. Supporting you will be a network of resources
including the Employee Engagement Project Team, a local Engagement Network, and your
local Business Support Team, who will guide you through the activities required and resolve
any issues or concerns.
The Employee Engagement Program is an exciting initiative that will bring about positive
change in the way we work, now and into the future. The program is designed by
employees, for employees, therefore embrace your role as a leader and encourage your
teams to get involved and contribute to shaping the culture of FACS.
For more information please visit the FACS Employee Engagement Program intranet site
here. If you have any questions about this toolkit, please contact a member of the Employee
Engagement Project Team, listed on the intranet.
5
1. Overview
Engagement
Awareness Tools
Engagement
Readiness Tools
Engagement
Enabling Tools
Tools to assist you andyour team understand
what engagement is,
what is involved in the
Employee Engagement
Program, and your
impact on engagement
as a leader.
Tools to support you inreadying your team for
the Employee
Engagement Program
activities, including
determining factors
which contribute to
engagement in your
team.
Some tips andinformation on key
activities where leaders
can impact
engagement
communication,
coaching and career
planning.
http://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/http://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
6/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013
EngagementAwareness Tools
IMAGE IMAGE IMAGE
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
7/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 7
2.1 What is engagement?
PREZI
ENGAGEMENT AWARENESS TOOLS
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
8/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 8
2.2 Overview of the Engagement Program
ENGAGEMENT AWARENESS TOOLS
Engagement at FACS
The definition for engagement is broad and has various interpretations as to its meaning across industries
what matters the most is what it means for FACS and its workforce. Post a series of workshops, FACS Executivestheir Leadership team and FACS employees agree that:An engaged workforce:
Speaks positively about the organisation (SAY)Remains with the organisation despite other opportunities that may exist because they connect with the
organisation (STAY)Exerts extra time, effort and energy to contribute to organisational success (STRIVE)
Having an engaged workforce is critical to our success. The FACS Leadership team and the NSW Government
have made employee engagement a priority for FACS. Not only will it help us to shape the culture of the
organisation and the way we work, it simply makes good business sense. High engagement levels will create a
high performing organisation and in turn improve the lives of our clients and the communities we work in.
FACS Engagement Strategy
The FACS Engagement Strategy has been developed with employees to achieve two things:
To create awareness about the concept of engagement amongst all FACS employees and get them
actively involved; and
Develop engagement initiatives that will improve levels of engagement across the entire organisation.
Seven key focus areas were identified by employees in developing the strategy:
You can view the FACS Engagement Strategy and a full list of initiatives here. The Engagement Program will
facilitate the implementation of this strategy over the next 12-18 months.
FACS Engagement Program
A set of engagement initiatives have been developed to improve engagement through the areas of focus above.
They will be driven through programs of work at a FACS-wide and District level, but will also require changes by
every team in the organisation.
Consistency of messages, varied channels and two-way dialogueCommunication
Teamwork, collaboration, accountability and trustOrganisation culture
Clear vision, mission and goals with the right level of visibility and supportLeadership
An appropriately aligned structure with clarity on roles and responsibilitiesOrganisation design
Robust frameworks, models and capability to deliver change initiativesChange management
Recognition, feedback and role capability matchPerformance development
Learning and development programs, coaching and mentoringCapability and capacity
Click here to print a handout for your staff
http://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/Overview%20of%20Engagement%20Program.pdfhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/Overview%20of%20Engagement%20Program.pdfhttp://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
9/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013
28%
20%
6%10%
7%5%3%5%3%3%
13%
7%
12%7%
8%7%
7%6%7%8%
7%
4%
11%11%9%
8%8%7%6%4%
Seni
orleadership
Directsupervisors
Opportunitiesforcareer
t
Beliefinorganisationdirection
"People-ce
ntric"culture
Trainingand
development
Formalinternalcommunication
Compensation
andbenefits
Consultation
ondecisions
Formalrecognition
Third most
important
Second most
important
Most important
9
2.3 Your impact on engagement
ENGAGEMENT AWARENESS TOOLS
The benefits of high engagementAs a leader, there is significant value in focusing on improving engagement levels. Even just some small
activities can create stronger working relationships with your team members, generate increased teamperformance, and help you to achieve your goals through alignment of your employees goals. There is an
abundance of studies, books and articles that describe the benefits of high engagement more discretionary
effort, lower turnover, reduced absenteeism, higher customer satisfaction the list goes on.
An individual equationThe Engagement Equation (Blessing White, 2012) defined engagement as the alignment of maximum
satisfaction for the individual with maximum contribution for the organisation. That is, employees are both
getting and giving the maximum. They are successfully performing tasks which are critical to the organisations
strategy, while also feeling their values, career aspirations and development goals are being achieved.
What is critical is that what makes one employee engaged is different to the next it is an individual equationtherefore as a leader you need to understand what each team members unique engagement drivers are.
There are, however, some common themes in any workforce.A representative group of FACS Employees identified the common drivers which impact on their engagement,
and as a result developed a vision which describes an engaged workforce. The employee vision for FACS is that
its workforce will be:Informed and knowledgeable about the FACS organisation and the clients that services are delivered to
across the Sector
Able to conduct 2-way communication across the organisation and feedback is acted on
Continually being developed to ensure the workforce has the capability to deliver effective services
Can adapt and manage in a changing environment
Supportive and trusting where there is trust between all levels of the organisation up and down, and
clients and employees share mutual trust
Your impact on the engagement of othersAll employees must accept responsibility for their own
engagement and take initiative to improve it. However
as a leader, it is important to understand how your own
behaviour impacts on the engagement levels of thosearound you. There have been numerous studies
identifying a wide range of factors, or drivers, which
influence employee engagement, and the behaviour of
senior leadership and direct supervisors is consistently
found to be at the top of the list.
Why do leaders have such a powerful effect on the
engagement levels of employees? By their very role,
people managers are in a position to help employees
understand how they contribute to the overall vision,
recognising and empowering employees to solveproblems themselves.See Roles and Responsibilities on page 11 for a complete
list of responsibilities for leaders.
Top 10 drivers of Employee Engagement
Employee Engagement, Melcrum Publishing 2012
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
10/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 10
2.3 Your impact on engagement
ENGAGEMENT AWARENESS TOOLS
You have to CARE
While you cant make your employees engaged, you can facilitate your team members engagement journeys.
You can drive engagement each and every day through the following:
(BlessingWhite, 2012)
It starts with you
It is important you begin to have conversations with your team now to prepare them for the changes ahead.
You will have a network of resources to support you in these conversations and your ongoing responsibilities
(see page 15 Employee Engagement Implementation Infrastructure).
But before you focus on your teams engagement, you must start with your own engagement. Changing the
engagement culture of FACS is a significant challenge, and you will need to energise and excite your team with
a sense of purpose. Without a passion and drive for engagement yourself, this will be an uphill battle.Engagement is contagious, so the best place to start is with yourself.
Take time out to reflect on your own engagement level, and the factors which most significantly affect it. What
are your most important values and how does your work help to fulfil them? What are your own career goals
and how are you working towards them? The activities linked below will assist you to do this.
The good news is as a people manager, you have better chances of being engaged as you have more control
over your work environment and power to make changes to support your satisfaction. This is why it is
important for you to go first and show your team members how every person can drive their own
engagement.
Activity 1 Self-reflection on engagement
Activity 2 Personal values
Align and consistently re-align individuals to the organisations strategy, mission and valuesA
Coach individuals toward maximum contribution and satisfactionC
Recognise attitude, effort and resultsR
Engage in dialogue about whats important to employees, at the same time engaging yourselfE
http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/4.%20Activity%201%20-%20Self%20reflection%20exercise.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/4.%20Activity%201%20-%20Self%20reflection%20exercise.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/4.%20Activity%201%20-%20Self%20reflection%20exercise.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/5.%20Activity%202%20-%20Personal%20Values.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/5.%20Activity%202%20-%20Personal%20Values.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/5.%20Activity%202%20-%20Personal%20Values.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/5.%20Activity%202%20-%20Personal%20Values.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/5.%20Activity%202%20-%20Personal%20Values.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/5.%20Activity%202%20-%20Personal%20Values.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/5.%20Activity%202%20-%20Personal%20Values.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/4.%20Activity%201%20-%20Self%20reflection%20exercise.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/4.%20Activity%201%20-%20Self%20reflection%20exercise.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/4.%20Activity%201%20-%20Self%20reflection%20exercise.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/4.%20Activity%201%20-%20Self%20reflection%20exercise.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/4.%20Activity%201%20-%20Self%20reflection%20exercise.docxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/4.%20Activity%201%20-%20Self%20reflection%20exercise.docx7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
11/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 11
2.4 Engagement Roles & Responsibilities
ENGAGEMENT AWARENESS TOOLS
Click here to print a handout for your staff
Roles and responsibilities for employee engagementYou (Line Managers) Create a climate of open communication
Help employee understand their role in the success of FACS Involve employees in decision making Empower employees to solve problems themselves Follow through on commitments Role model commitment to FACS goals Assist employees in setting their development plans Solicit feedback as required Recognise good performance Express genuine interest in employees as individuals Give employees the basic instruments to do their jobs Actively listen to employees problems Allow employees autonomy in how they do their job
Senior Leadership
Team
Set the overall tone and culture of the organisation
Communicate a clear vision and build trust within FACS Be seen to respond to feedback and involve employees in decision
making Demonstrate commitment to FACS values Demonstrate genuine commitment to the welfare of FACS employees
Individual Employees Understand and articulate the definition of engagement Take ownership for their own engagement
Understand their own engagement drivers and the FACS definition of
success
Take action on their own and, as appropriate , with the help of their
team, and management. (Engagement Equation, Blessing White 2012)Employee Engagement
Project Team
Implementation of the Employee Engagement Strategy Drive the changes to FACS, Divisions/Districts, and most importantly the
end users Assist in the development, management and monitoring of local
divisional change plans Regular status reporting to the Project Director
Employee Engagement
Network
Coordinate local workshops and identify people for the local Engagement
Improvement Teams Report on the progress of change activities within their division
Communicate progress and engagement updates within their Division
Raise any risks or issues tothe Employee Engagement Project TeamEngagement
Improvement Teams
Develop, own and monitor the change plan for their division Execution of change plan in their Division and raising any risks or issues to
the Employee Engagement Project Team Determine relevant people to undertake activities in the change plan Report on the progress of change activities within their division
Each and every employee has a role to play in building engagement at FACS.
http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/Engagement%20Roles%20&%20Responsibilities.pdfhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/Engagement%20Roles%20&%20Responsibilities.pdf7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
12/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 12
Click here to print a handout for your staff
2.5 Engagement Program FAQs
ENGAGEMENT AWARENESS TOOLS
The FAQs have been developed to answer the most common questions employees will ask.
What is employee engagement?The definition for engagement is broad and has various interpretations as to its meaning across industrieswhat matters the most is what it means for FACS and its workforce. Post a series of workshops, FACS
Executives their Leadership team and FACS employees agree that:An engaged workforce:Speaks positively about the organisation (SAY)Remains with the organisation despite other opportunities that may exist because they connect with the
organisation (STAY)Exerts extra time, effort and energy to contribute to organisational success (STRIVE)
Employees identified the drivers which impact on their own engagement, and as a result developed a vision
which describes an engaged workforce. The employee vision for FACS is that its workforce will, as a result of
the successful implementation of an evolving employee strategy, be:Informed and knowledgeable about the FACS organisation and the clients that services are delivered toacross the Sector
Able to conduct 2-way communication across the organisation and feedback is acted on
Continually being developed to ensure the workforce has the capability to deliver effective services
Can adapt and manage in a changing environment
Supportive and trusting where there is trust between all levels of the organisation up and down, and
clients and employees share mutual trust
What is the scope and rationale of the program?Employee engagement is a broad area; fundamentally it is about how employees contribute to, and gain
satisfaction from, their organisation. Not everything can be tackled at once, therefore FACS has decided tofocus on seven key areas. These are:
These focus areas were developed through feedback and input provided by employees on what matters most
to them, however engagement is a program of continuous improvement. Activities to review engagement
drivers, develop action plans and measure against those plans will become a permanent part of the FACS
operating model.
Why are we doing it?FACS will be undergoing a fundamental and significant cultural change in the coming years through Localisation
and the broader reform agenda, and engagement is pivotal to creating the culture we are striving for. We will
need all of our employees to be rowing in the same direction, and working together towards common goals.This will not only create a sense of purpose and meaning for employees, it will enable the delivery of service
excellence to our clients. High engagement levels will create a high performing organisation and in turn
improve the lives of our clients.
Consistency of messages, varied channels and two-way dialogueCommunication
Teamwork, collaboration, accountability and trustOrganisation culture
Clear vision, mission and goals with the right level of visibility and supportLeadership
An appropriately aligned structure with clarity on roles and responsibilitiesOrganisation design
Robust frameworks, models and capability to deliver change initiativesChange management
Recognition, feedback and role capability matchPerformance development
Learning and development programs, coaching and mentoringCapability and capacity
http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/Engagement%20Program%20FAQs.pdfhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/Engagement%20Program%20FAQs.pdf7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
13/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013
How will this affect me?
What is going to change?Initiatives will occur at a FACS-wide level, at a District level, as well as in your local team, and you will need to
provide input to help shape these initiatives. At first, these might simply be making changes to how your team
operates, such as a new team meeting structure or more frequent feedback discussions. Over time you will startto see more broader changes such as new processes or training programs.
How does this fit in with Localisation?Employee engagement is very closely linked to Localisation as engagement will help to create the culture that
FACS needs to support the new operating model. Moving towards a client-focused workplace where employees
work closely together within Districts to deliver coordinated services will require an entirely different way of
working. Engagement will be pivotal in shaping that way of working, identifying what matters most to employees
and enabling them to shape their own goals and behaviours.
What is senior management doing in regard to engagement?
The FACS Executive and their leadership team are dedicated to improving engagement and seeing real progress
happen. They have been closely involved in the development of the strategy and initiatives. They have had
engagement discussions with their leadership teams and have reflected on what engagement means to them.
Going forward, they will be closely monitoring the Engagement Program and the progress of initiatives and
action plans.
What is my role?Each and every employee has a role to play in improving engagement. There will be some larger, FACS wide
initiatives which will be ongoing for several months which you will have the opportunity to get involved in if you
are interested in that area. You will also need to take part in discussions with your teams and developing your
own local actions plans. In the coming months your leader will be conducting these engagement discussions and
will be assigning roles to implement your own initiatives. In this way, each employee will have the opportunity to
voice what matters most to them and shape the way they would like to work with their team.
What happens next?Town Hall meetings are going to be conducted across each District to introduce the Engagement Program and
provide employees to ask questions. These will be followed by focus groups where a representative group will be
asked to provide their input and ideas to create local engagement initiatives. As explained above, your manager
will also be holding a discussion with your team to discuss engagement further and identify what matters most to
your team.
Who can I contact if I have more questions?Your first point of call should be your manager. If they are not able to answer your question, you can contact a
member of the Engagement Project Team at . Up-to-date information will also
continuously be posted on the Engagement Intranet site here. Finally, if you cannot find the answer you are
looking for please contact a member of the FACS Executive.
Engagement
PMO
2.5 Engagement Program FAQs
FACS-wide engagement initiativesThis program is fundamentally about asking our employees
what you want to change to help you serve your clients better,
and then making that happen. We want our employees to bemotivated to reach individual goals as well as working
together to achieve FACS goals. We want our people to be
committed to improving our organisation for the better. Most
importantly, we want our employees to feel a sense of
achievement and satisfaction when they come to work.
Local engagement initiatives
District engagement initiatives
ENGAGEMENT AWARENESS TOOLS
http://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/http://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
14/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013
EngagementReadiness Tools
IMAGE IMAGE IMAGE
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
15/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 15
3.1 Commencing Engagement Activities
ENGAGEMENT READINESS TOOLS
Employee Engagement Implementation InfrastructureAn infrastructure has been established to support the implementation of engagement initiatives and to
support you as a leader in undertaking engagement-related activities with your team.
Engagement Agent NetworkEngagement Program Board
Program Sponsor(DDG)
TheEngagementProgram Board
is responsible
for end orsingthe employeeengagement
process
changesnecessary forthe
implementation
of employeeengagement
across FACS.
There is oneEngagement
Sponso rand
one
Engagement
Agentfor
each of the 15
loca l d istr ic ts.
All 15 LocalDistrict are
represented onthe
EngagementProgram Boardby the
Engagement
Agent Chai r
TheEngagement
Agent Network
is responsiblefor advocatingand delivering
engagement
initiatives tothe FaCS
districts.
Program Manager
(EE project
manager)
ePMO Change Le ad
Program
Engagement
Manager
Program Director
(Matthew Roberts)
Engagement Agent
Districts 10-15
Engagement
Sponsor
(District Director)
Engagement Agent
Chair
Engagement Agent
Districts 5-10
Engagement Agent
District 1-5
EngagementSponsor
(District Director)
Engagement
Sponsor
District Director)
Project Engagement
Manager
FaCS ePMO
FaCS CSG
Employee
Engagement
Program Team
Corporate Services Steering Committee
Deputy Director General
Strategic Human Resources Director
Workforce Planning Director
EmployeeEngagementIm
plementation
Corporate
Engagement
ProgramE
ngagement
Engagement Agent
Chair
Operational/DistrictEngagement
1
2
3
Corporate Engagement Function: provides strategic direction to the FACS Engagement Strategy and Program
and sets the FACS-wide engagement agenda. The group will assess the effectiveness of engagement
initiatives and provide direction, budget and resources where required.
Program Engagement Function: monitors the successful delivery of engagement activities against the plan,
resolves escalated risks and issues, endorses changes to plans or and makes organisation-critical decisions.
Operational Engagement Function: is the primary conduit between the Corporate Engagement Function,Engagement Program team and the workforce. The Operational Engagement Function is made up of frontline
staff such as Middle Managers, Team Leaders and employee representatives. This function is responsible for
rolling out engagement initiatives and providing engagement information specific to their area.
As a leader, you will be supported by your local Engagement Sponsor and Engagement Agent , who will also
be your first point of call for any engagement-related questions or concerns. Your local Business Support
Team will also be on hand to guide you through your responsibilities and how you can best support
engagement efforts.
TO BE
UPDATED
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
16/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 16
3.2 Communicating the Engagement Program
ENGAGEMENT READINESS TOOLS
The first team meetingYou will need to schedule a team meeting (or add onto the agenda of your
current team meetings) to discuss engagement with your team members, what
it means to you and how you will be contributing to lifting engagement levels.
Your local Engagement Agent and/or Business Support team will support you
to prepare for this meeting.
What to prepareYou will need to complete the reading and activities in the Engagement
Awareness Tools section of this toolkit. This will be important as you will
need to discuss your own experiences and reflections with your team.
Print the relevant materials as listed below
Organise a meeting venue and invitations (if not part of a usual teammeeting)
Contact your District Engagement Agent and/or Business Support team
to assist you to prepare for the meeting (if required)
Information to coverYou can decide how you would like to run the meeting and if you would like to
get other people involved (i.e. your District Director, local HR Manager or other
Business Support resource). Below is a list of information you should cover in
the meeting.Overview of the FACS engagement program (print handout from page 8of this toolkit)
Roles and responsibilities (print handout from page 11 of this tookit)
Key questions (select from FAQs on page 12 i.e. Why are we doing it?
What is going to change?)
Reflections on your own engagement and what you have done/will be
doing to maximise it
E.g. The time when I felt most energised at FACS was...
One of my personal values is ... and the way that relates to my role
is...
I discuss my career goals with my own manager every... months and
that helps me to determine which activities I need to focus on
Ask staff to complete the activities to reflect on their own engagement
and determine their personal values (print activity sheets from page 10
of this toolkit )
Ask staff to report back in the following team meeting on their
reflections and what they intend to change
Ask staff if they have any questions or concerns
Employees will naturally feelhesitant about change,
therefore it is important to
cover off all of the
information in the program
overview and FAQ
handouts, and ensure any
questions or concerns are
addressed. The program
requires each and every
employee to play a part,
therefore it is imperative
they are well-informed from
the start.
When reflecting on your
own engagement, tell a
story about what happened,
how you felt when you were
highly engaged, and what
the outcome of that was.
Engagement can seem likean abstract concept to
some, and talking about
how it feels to be engaged
will make it easier for
employees to relate and
recollect their own
experiences of high
engagement.
If employees have difficultquestions which you cannot
easily answer, refer them to
your own manager, a FACS
Executive or a member of
the Engagement Project
Team.
1
2
3
4
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
17/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 17
3.3 What makes your team engaged?
ENGAGEMENT READINESS TOOLS
The second team meetingThis meeting is to discuss your team members reflections on their own
engagement and what makes them engaged/disengaged. The purpose of this is
to look for themes and similarities across the team, so that you can collectively
devise actions and ways of working together. This is to start to improve
engagement levels at the local level, while the large FACS and District
initiatives are being rolled out. Again, your local Engagement Agent and
Business Support team will be on hand to assist.
What to prepareReview the agenda below and think about how you will pose these
questions to your team. Are there supporting examples you can provide?
Print the Team Engagement Priorities Poster (link below)Organise a meeting venue, whiteboard or flipchart and pens, and
meeting invitations (if not part of a usual team meeting)
Enlist the assistance of a team member to assist in preparing for the
meeting and capturing your team members feedback
Contact your District Change Agent and/or Business Support team to
assist you to prepare for the meeting (if required)
Information to coverYou can decide how you would like to run the meeting and if you would like to
get other people involved (i.e. the District Manager, HR Manager orEngagement Project Team member). Below is a list of information you should
cover in the meeting.Set the ground rules. Ensure team members that this is a safe
environment and anything that is shared is not to leave the room.
Ask team members to think about their answers from the reflection
activity.
Ask team members about their great day at work. What happened?
What adjectives or phrases did they choose to describe it?
Ask team members about the general reflections they had aftercompleting the activity and how their likes/talents/values/goals are
currently being met/achieved.
What would team members like to change to enable their
likes/talents/values/goals to be more closely met?
What do they intend to change themselves to enable these to be met?
Capture the most common points (for the Team Engagement Priorities
Poster) and state that all team members should think about what they
will change day-to-day to meet these priorities
Ask staff if they have any questions or concerns
Team Engagement Priorities Poster Template
Things to keep in mind As discussed in Your Impact
on Engagement,engagement is an individual
equation, and each team
member will have different
ideas about what
engagement means to
them. Essentially,
engagement is what people
feel matters most to them
personally, their careers and
the organisation. This mayinstigate some challenging
discussions on personal
experiences, issues and
grievances. It is important to
keep the discussion future-
focussed and when
employees note a driver of
disengagement, ask them to
flip it round to state what
they would change to makeit a driver of engagement.
It is important employees
feel the meeting is a safe
environment to share their
thoughts and concerns. If
they are hesitant to speak,
instigate conversation with
your own experiences or
questions to specific team
members who are likely tobe more comfortable
speaking in front of the
group.
Print and display the Team
Engagement Priorities
Poster in prominent places
such as your office, team
meeting rooms and
kitchen/breakout areas. The
more often people see thepriorities displayed and/or
referred to, the more likely
they will act to achieve
them.
1
2
3
4
5
http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/Team%20Engagement%20Priorities%20Poster.pptxhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3//au.anz.ey.net/Sydney/SYDNFPM/Clients/A-M/Dept%20of%20Family%20and%20Community%20Services%20(FACS)%20NSW/05.%20Employee%20Engagement/Working%20Documents/Toolkit/Handouts%20&%20Activity%20Sheets/Team%20Engagement%20Priorities%20Poster.pptx7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
18/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013
EngagementEnabling Tools
IMAGE IMAGE IMAGE
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
19/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013
Ted Talks Video
19
4.1 Communication tips
ENGAGEMENT READINESS TOOLS
Why is communication important for engagement?
FACS employees and Executives determined their key engagement drivers in a series of workshops, and
communication was consistently rated as a top driver, both for positive and negative reasons. Communicationis consistently rated at the top of engagement drivers in the research. (Employee Engagement, Melcrum
Publishing 2005).
While most leaders would say they are strong communicators, employee feedback shows us that
communication commonly falls short of expectations. To create more engaged employees, leaders need to
capture hearts as well as minds, framing messages through inspiration instead of facts. They need to not only
create understanding amongst employees, but cause them to care enough to take action.
Several initiatives to improve communication across FACS are being developed as part of the FACS Employee
Engagement Program, including developing a FACS wide communications policy and processes. While these
will take time to implement, there are some practical steps you can take now to start improving your
communications with your team.
Communication mistakesTo create an engaged workforce, leaders need to capture hearts as well as minds. You must make
communication a daily priority, inspiring employees to come on the journey. Unfortunately, many leaders fall
into the common pitfalls of successful communication.
Communication tips
Most employeesdo not think communications are inadequate because they receive the wrong information, it
is because they dont receive any information at all. Regular updates about organisational performance, clientsatisfaction, environmental changes etc. are vital for employees to understand where the organisation is
headed and how they fit into that picture. Further, match theright communication channel with the right
message. There are many channels outside of email, which may be more time consuming, but can have a
much more powerful effect. Posters, videos, team huddles, webcasts, podcasts, video conference, social
media, town halls the list goes on. Whatever channel you choose, communicate consistently and often.
While most messages focus on the what, employees need to know the whyif you are truly going to drive
behaviour. This is because the part of the human brain that makes decisions is not the rational, language-
based neo-cortex, but the ancient limbic system which is responsible for feelings and actions.It is why people
say decisions dontfeelright.They need to believe what you believe to behave differently. This is where
storytelling comes in. It helps bring intangible concepts alive through personal connection and feeling. And
that is how you will get employees to act. Click the TED TALKS link below for more information.
Not often enough
Leaders are great at making decisions
and setting direction, but not onsharing it throughout the
organisation. It may be announced
when the decision/plan is first made,
but is quickly forgotten.
Too much information
There is only so much information the
human brain can take in at a given
time, yet all too often leaders speed
through presentations full of complex
points to fit into the hour theyve
been allocated, leaving a room full of
confused and bewildered employees.
Not relevant
Inspiration is key to engagement, yet
key organisational decisions arecommonly justified through research,
statistics or dry logic. The whats in it
for me should be core to every
message.
Communicate deliberately and often1
Communicate the WHY2
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.htmlhttp://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
20/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 20
4.1 Communication tips
ENGAGEMENT READINESS TOOLS
This has been identified as the most important engagement skill for line managers (Employee Engagement,
Melcrum Publishing 2005). Engaging in honest and open two-way dialogue with your team will help to create
trust and respect, and in turn generate greater levels of engagement. This includes listening to your team
members, without jumping into problem solving. It is just as important for your employees to feel heard as it
is for them to understand what you are telling them.
Direct conversations between you and each of your team members should be an ongoing, year-round
activity. They may be in the form of performance reviews, career discussions, onboarding or just general
check-ins. These conversations are critical to strengthen working relationships, understand what motivates
your employees, develop mutual trust and demonstrate commitment to your employees success. This means
both sharing your own personal motivation and learnings, as well as getting to know your direct reports goals
and values. More detail is provided for specific conversations in the next sections of this toolkit.
Tips to develop successful messages
Prepare understand the context and stakeholders and prepare a communications plan
Active commitment from leadership gives credibility to communications
Ensure balance between tell, sell, consult and deliver (see diagram below)
Communication must be transparent, showing the math behind the decision
Involve the audience two-way communication enables feedback
Target the audience what is compelling to one employee group may be disregarded by another
Keep it simple and clear long winded descriptions will lose interest
Messages should be consistent, leading to a united effort towards a common cause
Listen and act on feedback to generate trust
Respond to employee pull for information, rather than repeatedly pushing out information
Evaluate effectiveness and adapt approach in future
DegreeofInvolvement
Time
Tell Awareness
Articles
Intranet Meeting minutes
Factsheets
Emails
Sell - Understanding
Open forum
Brochures
Emails
Seminars
Lunch and learnsFAQs
Consult - Engagement
Briefings
1:1 discussions
Workshops
Focus groups
Feedback loops
Town hall meetings
Road shows
Leadership walk
arounds
Deliver - Action
Staffing packsManager guides
Toolkits
Face-to-face
briefings
Workshops
This is where behaviour
change is most likely totake place
Levels of Communication
Communicate deliberately and often3
Talk one-on-one4
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
21/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013
What is coaching?Coaching is not a commonly used term at FACS, but employees told us they
want their leaders to be more visible, give them more feedback and help them
to develop their skills. These are key components of coaching. Coaching ishelping another person figure out the best way to achieve his or her goals,
build skill sets or expertise, and produce the results the organisation needs,
Coaching Conundrum 2009, BlessingWhite.
Why is coaching important?Coaching helps employees to understand how to effectively address barriers
to success and achieve higher levels of performance. It assists employees to
solve problems for themselves so they feel a greater sense of achievement
and ownership over their work. As part of the FACS Employee Engagement
Program, a FACS-wide leadership program, including coaching skills, will bedeveloped over the coming months. Below are some helpful tips to get you
started in building your coaching skills in the mean time.
Coaching tips
Get clarification now if you do not know how your teams priorities fit into the
organisations larger goals. And pay attention to what coaching is not; listed
later.
Successful coaching is a partnership. Explore coach-ability in selection
interviews, finding out from candidates pst experiences with coaching. Where
did it have the most impact? When and why did it not work out previously?
You may also want to include questions that uncover how candidates feel
about challenging situations and learning new skills.
Every employee comes to work with unique values, aspirations, experiences
and talents. Andrew Coven, director of engineering at Adobe Systems,
emphasised the need to tailor coaching approaches based on what you know:I treat everyone differently. I want to capitalise on peoples strengths.
Coaching also has to have a relevant context. It is very specific to the work
that employees are doing. One size does not fit all when it comes to
coaching.
This is aslight variation on the preceding comment. Generational data is
useful for understanding the different lenses through which the workforce
sees life and work. But when it comes down to coaching, an employees values
and goals are influenced by more than their age; coaching relationships arebuilt on one-on-one pairings, not aggregate trends.
Thriving coaching partnerships require joint accountability. Employees need to
ask for help, listen to feedback and follow up on commitments.
21
4.2 Coaching tips
ENGAGEMENT READINESS TOOLS
Most important coachingactions Communicating clearly and
candidly.
Establishing clear
performance objectives and
milestones.
Delivering on promises
made.
Recognising the employees
outstanding contributionsand achievements.
Taking action to ensure that
the employee feels
important, trusted, and
valued as a member of the
team.
Being available when the
employee needs advice,
information, decisions or
problem solving.
Respecting the employees
ability to make decisions.
Be clear on your goals and your role
Hire coach-able, stretch-able employees
Get to know each team member
1
2
3
Coach the individual, not the demographic4
Tell team members what you expect of them5
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
22/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 22
4.2 Coaching tips
ENGAGEMENT READINESS TOOLS
Specific is it clear? Is there
any doubt as to what has tobe achieved?
Measurable how is the
target outcome defined?
What needs to be
measured? Is there a system
in place to measure
progress?
Achievable do you have
skills and resources to dothis? With a reasonable
amount of effort and
stretch, can this be
completed?
Relevant Is your goal
relevant to the business
plan? Do you have
necessary knowledge, skill
and authority to make an
impact on the situation?
Timely when will it be
achieved? What are the
milestones along the way?
You can and should keep both satisfaction and contribution in mind
as you coach your team members (the proverbial win-win solution).Angie Brayshaw, worldwide employee engagemetnt director in London
for American Express Technologies Group, explained that her firm, which
had a strong focus on performance coaching, has tried to focus more on
engagement to sustain their success: It is not just enough to coach for
performance against the companys goals. We want our managers to
coach around career goals and be more in tune with the personal
aspirations and interests of individuals.
The more questions you ask, the less likely you will fall into
micromanaging or irrelevant advice. Questions help you provide a
sounding board for employee ideas. They can also provide the stretch
that employees want from coaches. Questions can unlock potential, as
Maria Del Busto, global chief HR officer for Royal Carribbean Cruises Ltd
suggests: Were all creatures of habit. Asking questions is a great way to
help people identify and work on areas that are holding them back
often things that theyre not even aware of.
PaulKonstantos, national work cover manager at integrated facilities
management organisation, Sodexo Australia, made this point: In recentmonths I have made a concerted effort to focus on delegating tasks to
allow time dedicated to coaching. The benefits are not only realised in
bottom-line results and an improved culture. I help individuals achieve
personal growth. Another reason to delegate: it sets clear expectations
and goals. It is a lot more motivating to help employees learn how to best
reach an agreed-to destination, rather than having to clarify what you
wanted in the first place.
Do your coaching actions help or annoy your team members? You cannotuse performance as your only metric. It is possibly that your efforts are
damaging employee morale. Tom Pucciarello, a program management
authority and BAE Systems, described such a situation: In talking to one
manager and direct report, I learned that the manager thought he was
doing a great job coaching adding a lot of value. Unfortunately, the
direct report felt it was a waste of time and that the manager was only
interested in giving advice.
Whether you think of this as looking for coaching moments or employinga coaching leadership style, the message from successful leaders is to
coach continuously. If you have established individualised, trusting
partnerships, coaching conversations become easy.
Excerpt from The Engagement Equation, BlessingWhite 2012
Coach for increased engagement6
Ask more questions7
Delegate effectively8
Ask for feedback9
Dont take that coach hat off10
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
23/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 23
4.2 Coaching tips
ENGAGEMENT READINESS TOOLS
Goal SettingGiving FeedbackProviding employees with immediate and specific feedback is an important driver of engagement, yet for many
leaders it is the hardest part of the job. The SBI-BI method focuses on facts rather than emotions, making it
easier to reach a solution that works for all involved. It introduces alternative behaviours and the positiveoutcomes they will lead to.
Positive Reinforcement Process
Select the behaviour to reinforce
Define the behaviour in observable and measurable terms
Corrective Action Process
Make notes of the points you wish to cover
Have examples of specific behaviours or incidents you wish to discuss and make sure your facts are
accurate
Try to balance the conversation by focusing on some positive behaviour
Consider how you to manage different responses:
Angrylet the team member vent and make sure you dont get angry yourself Upset listen without interrupting while the team member explains their point of view
Dismissive review the team members understanding of what is expected of them
If the team member remains emotional throughout the meeting, reschedule to another time
Context Situation FactsImpact & Corrective
ActionAlternative Impact
Discuss the
circumstances/situation or
task in question
Discuss the behaviour that
was displayed
Discuss the impacts of the
behaviour (congratulate if
effective) and explain why
you feel it was
effective/ineffective
Discuss together why the
alternative action would
be more effective for all
involved
E.g. Yesterday I went with
you to meet the client and
complete an assessment
E.g. You had not prepared
the assessment and
confused the clients
history
E.g. This made the client
uneasy and we were not
able to get all of the
information we needed
E.g. In future I would like
you to spend more time
reviewing the clients case
history prior to an
assessment
Context Situation Behaviour Impact Congrats
Discuss the
circumstances/situation or
task in question
Discuss the behaviour that
was displayed
Discuss the impacts of the
behaviour and explain why
you feel it was effective
Congratulate on the
positive behaviour and
how it relates to their
personal development
E.g. Yesterday I went with
you to meet the client and
complete an assessment
E.g. You were well
prepared for the meeting
and immediately put theclient at ease
E.g. This allowed us to
complete the assessment
quickly and effectively
E.g. I am pleased at how
you have developed your
client relationship skills,
and would like you to takeon more clients in future
Communicate praise for the behaviour
Immediately
Frequently
Enthusiastically
Using eye contact
Giving examples
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
24/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 24
4.3 Career development tips
ENGAGEMENT READINESS TOOLS
What is career planning?
Career planning is the process of defining what an employee wants in their
career, and formulating a plan to achieve that within our organisation.
Why is career planning important?
FACS employees said that knowing what their future is in the organisation, and
accessing development to build the skills they need for future roles, have a direct
impact on their engagement levels. Career planning is also consistently found to
be one of the top drivers in engagement studies. If employees dont perceive a
clear direction for their career within the organisation, they will inevitably end up
on a path to exit. Career planning is also a critical piece of an overall talent
management strategy, ensuring FACS has the people and skills it needs to
perform effectively.
But career development is difficult. Career definitions are increasingly hard to pin
down, workforce expectations are constantly shifting and the ever-changing
public environment make it challenging for FACS and employees to align our
goals. A formal career planning program is being developed as part of the FACS
Employee Engagement Program, and below are some tips to help you start
having career conversations with your team members.
What are employees looking for?
While career is a personal journey that is about what employees want; their
hopes, passions, dreams and aspirations. Yet many leaders shy away from havingconversations about career for fear of not having opportunities available, how
career moves will look to other team members, or simply not having the
answers. To make matters worse, most employees dont actually know what
they want their next career move to be, and feel their employer doesnt provide
a clear career path for them (57% according to a BlessingWhite study).
So what are employees really looking for? To start, they need help to find clarity
around their career aspirationswhile leaders cant do this for them, they can
support their team members in the process. Second, employees are looking for
personal growth. This is not necessarily in a new role they can be happy stayingin the same job as long as they can try new things to develop their skills. Third,
promotion is not always the goal. Employees identified interesting work as four
times more important in looking for their next position as opportunity for
promotion (BlessingWhite, 2012).
A journey, not a destination
There is a wide-open network of options when it comes to career, and
employees can take their career down any of these options. What is important is
identifying their strengths, capabilities and engagement drivers, and putting in
place a plan to build on these. This can involve a range of options, including skills
development, stretch projects, secondments, moves into newly created roles, as
well as promotions. The following tips will guide you in assisting employees to
identify these opportunities and forge a career at FACS.
83% of organisations found
career opportunities is oneof the top three drivers of
engagement
Opportunities for career
advancement was found to
be the third highest
engagement driver, after
senior leadership and direct
supervisors
43% of survey respondentssaid helping employees
understand their role in the
organisations success was
critical to build engagement
Employee Engagement,
Melcrum Publishing 2005
Connection between work
and organisational strategyis the number 1 lever of
discretionary effort (32.8%
impact)
Career advisor effectiveness
is the number 2 lever of
intent to stay (36.8%
impact)
Driving Employee Performance
and Retention throughEngagement, Corporate
Leadership Council 2004
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
25/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 25
4.3 Career development tips
ENGAGEMENT READINESS TOOLS
Career planning tips
Employees need to identify their personal values, and their passions and aspirations, before you can help them
to define a career path.
As a leader, you need to share responsibility with your team members, exploring what opportunities exist and
how they can move towards them. You need to get your employees to take control of their own career
prospects and what direction they are heading in.
Reinforce that FACS wants to provide long-term career opportunities for our employees, and review the FACS
strategic priorities to identify work required to achieve organisational success.This willhelp them to find roleswith meaning and purpose.
Do your research to understand team members individual abilities and interests, as well as where the
organisation is going and what skills will be important in the future. If you feel you need support or coaching,
speak to your HR contact.
Not all employees will see a long-term career path within FACS. The question may be if not, why not, and
what can we do that might change their mind? Are their roles elsewhere in the organisation they have not
considered?
Part of your role is to check the reality of your employees perception about their career path are they
thinking broad yet realistic? Is their desired timeframe accurate? Do they accurately self-assess their current
skills?
If you cant answer a question, seek assistance from your own manager or HR contact. If employees identify a
role theyre aspiring to that you are not familiar with, get in contact with that team and ask them what skills or
capabilities are needed.
Link employees career aspirations to their development plans, identifying learning opportunities which will
enable them to gain the skills they need for their next role.
Career plans are not static, they adapt and change over time. Have regular check-ins with your team members
to review their career goals and if/how they have shifted.
Not every persons career ambition can be matched exactly or to their desired timeframes. Our commitment isto explore their career path with them and wherever possible facilitate opportunities.
Help employees clarify what they want1
Career planning is a two-way street2
Link to organisational priorities3
Be confident in talking about career4
Dont judge5
Challenge your team members6
Gather information7
Think about skill development8
Have regular conversations9
Be clear about the parameters of the conversation10
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
26/27Employee Engagement Toolkit June 2013 26
4.3 Career development tips
ENGAGEMENT READINESS TOOLS
History Future Direction Career Planning
Meaningful experiences in
their current or past roles
Impactful learning courses
Growth opportunities
Outside interests
Role models
Personal brand
Competencies assess
skills against those
required for their future
desired role.
Aspirations what do
they want from their
career in the next 3 years?
Direction type of work
they want to be doing and
preference towards
certain roles.
Goals
Experiences
Coaching
Learning
Roles
Where have they been? Where are they going? How will they get there?
Discussion questions
HistoryWhat have been your career highlights to date? Why was that point in time so successful for you?
When have you felt you were advancing your career most effectively? What processes/ resources/
opportunities assisted you to do this?
Why has your career gone in a certain direction to date? Did you consciously choose this direction or did it
evolve? Were you satisfied with this direction?
When you look at your career history, are there things you have done (study/ mobility /engagements
/different roles) which gave you skills that you are yet to apply within FACS? Will bringing those skills into
your career path give you greater satisfaction?
Future directionWhen you think about the future what kind of work do you see yourself doing? What are you interested
in? Consider clients, Agencies, leadership roles.
If you could have one persons role within FACS, whose would it be?
What are your lifestyle aspirations (family, study, external activities, overseas work opportunities, travel)?
Have you considered how you might best balance your career aspirations and lifestyle aspirations within
FACS?
Which values did you rate as your top 5 in the personal values activity? How do you think these align with
your desired future role(s)?
How does your career aspirations align with FACSs strategic direction? Do you know what ourorganisational priorities are?
History
Future Direction
7/30/2019 Engagement Toolkit v0.5
27/27
4.3 Career development tips
ENGAGEMENT READINESS TOOLS
Discussion questions continued
Career planningThis discussion is about your skills against those competencies for the role you wish to aspire to. It is NOT
your present role.
Overall skills: Do you feel you have the capabilities you need for your future role? What are your strongest
areas of performance? What do you need to improve?
Technical skills: What skills will you need to develop for your future role? Will this require specific training
or development activities?
Calibration: How would you rate your performance in comparison with your peer group?
Ability to build relationships: How strong is your internal network? Who do you consider your strongest
supporters and how do they support you?Leadership: How effectively can you manage difficult staff and do you inspire others?
Business case for role change: The business case will always include an analysis of whether you are
consistently displaying the competencies for the role you are striving for. What tangible examples could
you provide in a business case now? What additional on the job experiences do you need in order to have
tangible examples to demonstrate those competencies?
What developmental roles might you undertake that support achievement of your preferred career
destination?
Wrap up
Do you now have greater clarity around your longer term career path with FACS? Are there still questionsyou need to ask of different people to gain clarity?
I will discuss your career aspirations with the relevant stakeholders. However, every career plan is a living,
dynamic document - how do you want to follow up on your career plan?
Career planning