Employee Engagement in Strategy

HR: Employees are leaving jobs. CFO: Do we have data on why they’re leaving? HR: Yes. 70% of our turnover is tied to unmet needs like growth, recognition, and flexibility. CEO: But how much does it actually cost us when they leave? HR: Each lost employee costs 1.5x their salary to replace, not to mention the productivity gap. CEO: We need to reduce spending. We can't spend on engagement programs. CFO: What’s the impact of these engagement programs on retention? HR: Programs focused on growth and recognition have reduced turnover by 25%, saving us $3M annually. CEO: Are there other benefits to meeting employee needs? HR: Absolutely. Employees who feel valued are 30% more productive and report higher satisfaction. CFO: What about profitability? CHRO: Engaged teams generate 21% higher profitability. It’s not just about keeping them. It’s about keeping them productive and motivated. CEO: So cutting back on programs that meet employee needs could cost us more? CFO: The data shows there’s a significant financial impact. HR: Meeting employee needs isn’t just an expense. It’s an investment in retention, productivity, and profit. The lesson? Employees quit when their needs go unmet, whether it’s for growth, recognition, or flexibility. Invest in your employees.

Let’s face it - current headlines spell a recipe for employee stress. Raging inflation, recession worries, international strife, social justice issues, and overall uncertainty pile onto already full work plates. As business leaders, keeping teams motivated despite swirling fears matters more than ever. Here are 5 strategies I lean into to curb burnout and boost morale during turbulent times: 1. Overcommunicate Context and Vision: Proactively address concerns through radical transparency and big picture framing. Our SOP is to hold quarterly all hands and monthly meetings grouped by level cohort and ramp up fireside chats and written memos when there are big changes happening. 2. Enable Flexibility and Choice: Where Possible Empower work-life balance and self-care priorities based on individuals’ needs. This includes our remote work policy and implementing employee engagement tools like Lattice to track feedback loops. 3. Spotlight Impact Through Community Stories: Connect employees to end customers and purpose beyond daily tasks. We leveled up on this over the past 2 years. We provide paid volunteer days to our employees and our People Operations team actively connects our employees with opportunities in their region or remotely to get involved monthly. Recently we added highlighting the social impact by our employees into our internal communications plan. 4. Incentivize Cross-Collaboration: Reduce silos by rewarding team-wide contributions outside core roles. We’ve increased cross team retreats and trainings to spark fresh connections as our employee base grows. 5. Celebrate the Humanity: Profile your employee’s talents beyond work through content spotlight segments. We can’t control the market we operate in, but as leaders we can make an impact on how we foster better collaboration to tackle the headwinds. Keeping spirits and productivity intact requires acknowledging modern anxieties directly while sustaining focus on goals ahead. Reminding your teams why the work matters and that they are valued beyond output unlocks loyalty despite swirling worries. What tactics succeeded at boosting team morale and preventing burnout spikes within your company amidst current volatility?

I’ve run over 200 all-hands meetings in my career. It took me years to fully appreciate their value but I ultimately found them to be one of the most effective ways to drive alignment, motivate teams, and improve execution. After plenty of trial and error, here are the elements of a great all-hands: Cadence is crucial. Your all-hands meeting should be recurring and follow a consistent schedule. Avoid cancellations or rescheduling whenever possible. I’ve tested different frequencies—weekly, biweekly, and quarterly—but found that a monthly cadence works best. It’s sustainable, provides enough time for valuable updates, and doesn’t become a burden. In terms of duration, I’ve experimented with 30, 45, and 90 minutes, and I’ve found that one hour strikes the perfect balance. You can cover enough while at the same time keeping people engaged. A structured format keeps things efficient. Using the same agenda every time makes preparation easier, eliminates confusion, and ensures consistency. An agenda I’ve seen work well includes: Welcome (work anniversaries, birthdays, new hires) - 2 min Company Vision & Mission - 1 min State of the Business (highlights/headwinds) - 5 min Key Metrics (scoreboard of KPIs that tell the health of the business) - 5 min Celebrating Wins (customers/products/features/adoption/fundraise)  - 7 min One or two Strategic Topics - 24 min Open Roles - 1 min Q&A - 10 min Top Performer Recognition - 5 min Rotate presenters to keep engagement high. Hearing the same voice—especially the CEO’s—over and over can cause messages to lose impact. Involving different speakers not only keeps things fresh but also gives team members a platform to showcase their work and leaders a chance to give shoutouts to their teams. Another game-changer: inviting external speakers who can share insights about your industry, growth stage, or the real-world impact of your product or service. Communicate for clarity, not complexity. Early on, I made the mistake of assuming everyone knew as much as I did about the business. I’d use acronyms without explaining them and skip over background information, forgetting that not everyone was at the company when those topics were last discussed. A good rule of thumb: Always spell out acronyms the first time, provide quick context for key topics, and repeat the ‘why’ behind decisions—even if it seems obvious. “Produce” the meeting for maximum impact. Great all-hands meetings aren’t just informative—they’re energizing. Presenters should be well-prepared, and handoffs between speakers should be seamless. Small touches make a big difference: play high-energy music as people join, create excitement around wins, and make top-performer shoutouts meaningful. The energy you bring to the meeting doesn’t just impact the next hour, it can set the tone for days or weeks to come. All-hands meetings can be one of the most powerful tools in your CEO toolbox—but only if you invest the time, energy, and focus to make them great.

The "war for talent" continues, but many companies are stuck using the same hiring and retention strategies they've relied on for decades. These methods might keep employees a bit longer, but they still leave. Why? Because it's not just about perks or compensation—it's about the experience. A recent, thought-provoking Harvard Business Review article by Ethan Bernstein, Michael Horn and Bob Moesta suggests that employees crave meaningful work, to feel valued, trusted, and have room to grow. After studying job switchers for 15 years, they identified four key reasons for why employees leave: 1. Get out: They're in a toxic environment or feel stuck in a role that doesn’t align with their strengths. 2. Regain control: They need more flexibility or predictability in their work-life balance. 3. Regain alignment: They’re seeking a job where their skills and talents are fully utilized and appreciated. 4. Take the next step: They’re ready for growth and new responsibilities after reaching a milestone. So what can leaders do to create the experiences people actually need? Here are three specific strategies the article suggests: (a) Interview people early: Don't wait until employees are leaving. Have regular, meaningful conversations about their career goals and motivations. (b) Develop “shadow” job descriptions: Go beyond vague or outdated job descriptions—focus on the real day-to-day tasks and experiences that make the role fulfilling. (c) Collaborate with HR: Work with HR to design roles that align both the organization's needs and the employee's personal growth goals. By addressing these deeper factors, companies can reduce costly turnover and build workplaces where people thrive and want to stay. How is your organization aligning employee experience with retention strategies? #leadership #talentdevelopment #employeeexperience #retention #growth #workplaceculture https://lnkd.in/dJzU2aTm

Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets, and we’re running out of buckets. If you're leading teams through #AI adoption, navigating #hybrid work, or just steering through the tempest that is 2025, there's a crucial factor that could make or break your success: #trust. And right now, it's in free fall. Edelman's Trust Barometer showed an "unprecedented decline in employer trust" -- the first time in their 25 years tracking that trust in business fell. It's no surprise: midnight #layoff emails, "do more with less," #RTO mandates, and fears of #GenAI displacement given CEO focus on efficiency are all factors. The loss of #trust will impact performance. The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) research shows high performing organizations have 10-11X higher trust between employees and leaders. Trust impacts #engagement, #innovation and #technology adoption, especially AI. My latest newsletter gets beyond the research and into what leaders can do today to start rebuilding trust You can't command-and-control your way through a complete overhaul of how we work... Trust is a two-way street. Leaders need to go first, but we also have to rebuild the gives-and-takes of employer/employee relationships. Three starting points: 1️⃣ Clear Goals, Real Accountability. Stop monitoring attendance and start measuring outcomes. Give teams clear goals and autonomy in how they achieve them. 2️⃣ Transparency with Guardrails. Break down information silos. Share context behind decisions openly - even difficult ones. Establish guardrails for meaningful conversations internally (instead of rock-throwing externally). 3️⃣ Show Vulnerability. Saying "I don't know" isn't weakness–it's an invitation for others to contribute. The word “vulnerability” seems anathema to too many public figures at the moment, who instead are ready to lock themselves in the Octagon with their opponents. But what’s tougher for them: taking a swing at someone, or admitting to their own limitations? This isn't just about CEOs. Great leaders show up at all levels of the org chart, creating "trust bubbles:" pockets of high performance inside even the most challenging environments. If you're one of those folks, thank you for what you do! 👉 Link to the newsletter in comments; please read (it's free) and let me know what you think! #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Management #Culture

Five Ways to Keep Employees from Job Hunting Q. Hi Liz, I have a great team and I’m grateful for them. Several of our employees have been with us for 10 years or more. We have a big (although challenging) year coming up and I want to keep everyone happy and on board. Can you recommend some steps for me to take? A. Great question! Here are five steps to keep your employees feeling valued and on your team this year: 1. Boost Flexibility At the top of the list right after pay and benefits, employees value flexible work - meaning both their work hours and where the work gets done. If you value retention and engagement, now is the time to add flexibility to your employees’ schedules and embrace work from home as much as your business allows. 2. Add Visibility & Input These are scary times for a lot of working people. They wonder how their employer’s business is doing and whether their job is secure. Fill them in on your business results. Let them know what the year ahead looks like, what your challenges are, and how they can help reach your goals. Make it easy for them to have input into your plans. The old top-down management style doesn’t work anymore. You need all available brain cells, heart cells and good energy to get where you’re trying to go. 3. Honor Their Commitment Turnover is low in your shop, so you must be doing a lot of things right. Hats off to you! You want your teammates to stick around for the long haul, but if there were a downturn and you had to lay people off they might struggle to pay the rent next month. Honor their commitment to you by committing to them with a severance policy that pays at least a couple weeks of severance per year they’ve been with you. Your lawyer can draft simple agreements that make your severance policy a real commitment your employees can rely on. Taking this step will buy you more commitment and engagement than any pizza party, company outing or teambuilding event. If you want your employees focused, make sure they are covered if things don’t go as planned. 4. Define Career Paths Internal career growth has plummeted in large and small organizations - one reason many people change jobs every two or three years. Sadly, some organizations would rather keep high performing employees stuck in their roles than promote them into more responsible, higher paying jobs. That is short term thinking. To keep employees focused on the future, define career paths with them. Let them know that an entry-level customer support rep can grow with the company into an inside sales or marketing assistant job, and then to a marketing analyst or manager job. 5. When We Win, We All Win When you lay out the plan for 2024 and the challenges ahead, let everybody know that if you win, they win. That could mean chunky bonuses, stock options or something else folks will stick around for. Get creative. You need your team focused on the win, so make them part of it!

Hybrid Meetings ≠ Inclusive Meetings. I’ve lived it - and here’s 5 practical tips to ensure everyone has a voice, regardless of location. I spent more than 10,000 hours in hybrid meetings while as a remote leader for The Clorox Company. I was often the 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 remote attendee - while the rest of the group sat together in a conference room at HQ. Here’s what I learned the hard way: 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲... ...by showing who gets heard, who feels seen, and who gets left out. If you're leading a distributed or hybrid team, how you structure your meetings sends a loud message about what (and who) matters. 𝟱 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 1️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 – who will actively combat distance bias and invite input from all meeting members 2️⃣ 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗿 – to monitor the chat and the raised hands, to launch polls and to free up the facilitator to focus on the flow 3️⃣ 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗶𝗻 - so that there is equal access to the chat, polls, and reactions 4️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 – pair remote team members with in-room allies to help make space in the conversation and ensure they can see and hear everything 5️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘂𝗽 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 – be ready with a Plan B for audio, video, or connectivity issues in the room 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳? 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗮 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹-𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. If even one person is remote, have everyone log in from their own device from their own workspace to create a level playing field. 🔗 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 for creating location-inclusive distributed teams in this Nano Tool I wrote for Wharton Executive Education: https://lnkd.in/eUKdrDVn #LIPostingDayApril

Your employees have wishes. Not for ping-pong tables or pizza Fridays, but for a small shift in your leadership. Unfortunately they probably aren't going to tell you what they really need. According to research, 58% avoid giving honest feedback to their boss—because they don’t believe it will make a difference (SHRM, 2023). Their silence isn’t compliance, or lack of engagement. It’s protection. Fear of retaliation, power dynamics, or simply not wanting to "rock the boat" prevents employees from speaking up. How you can grant your employees' wishes without magic wands? Here are five powerful shifts. 🌟 1. Lead from clarity. When priorities shift weekly, employees get lost in the fog. They don’t need the full strategy brief—but they do need to understand the why behind the change. 👉 What to do: Pause before pivoting. Write out your reasoning. If you can’t explain it clearly, the team won’t follow it confidently. Clarity fuels progress. 🌟 2. Keep your promises. Even small promises—“I’ll get back to you next week”—carry weight. When those are forgotten, trust begins to unravel. 👉 What to do: Calendar your commitments. Follow through, or circle back if something shifts. When your word holds weight, so does your leadership. 🌟 3. Invite their perspective. Your employees have insights you can’t see from the top. But if disagreement feels dangerous, those insights stay buried. 👉 What to do: Normalize feedback. Encourage respectful dissent. Create safe ways to speak up. Your best ideas might be stuck behind a culture of silence. 🌟 4. See them and the value they bring. People want to contribute more than what's in their job description. They want to make a difference, but you have to pay attention. 👉 What to do: Ask for their ideas. Celebrate them when they step up. Example: At Diageo, a multinational beverages giant, employees saved $7.8M just by sharing what they already knew. 🌟 5. Build trust with your actions. Trust doesn’t come from slogans or values painted on the wall. It comes from the way you show up—especially in the small moments. 👉 What to do: Be present. Listen more than you speak. Acknowledge gaps. Every interaction is a chance to either build trust—or burn it. ✨ Conclusion According to Gallup, companies that actively seek employee feedback experience 14% higher productivity and 21% higher profitability. No fairy dust required. One small but powerful action is more sustainable than Ping Pong Tables and Pizza. Do you have more to add? Let’s learn from each other 👇 #LIPostingDayApril  #Leadership  

In 2025, Gen Z and Millennials will make up nearly 75% of the global workforce. The leadership playbook that worked for us won't work for them. They’re not the ‘young blood’ in the office anymore - they have serious experience and are moving into leadership roles. If you're an entrepreneur, this shift will challenge the way you’ve been running things. Here’s how to adjust and grow as Gen Z and Millennials take charge: 1. Redefining metrics of success Track employee engagement, retention, and well-being through data like surveys, turnover rates, and wellness program participation. These can no longer be measured by just the usual KPIs. 2. Move past performative diversity It’s no longer enough to just tick boxes. Move past surface-level diversity initiatives by actively involving different voices in product development and leadership roles. 3. Decentralized decision-making For younger leaders, autonomy isn’t a luxury - it’s a necessity. Give teams autonomy - let interns lead small projects, team leaders manage budgets, and employees make key decisions. 4. Championing mental health and well-being Prioritize well-being with mental health days, therapy access, wellness challenges, and team retreats - building an open, supportive culture. 5. Blending work and learning For younger generations, growth happens in real-time. Offer course perks, mentorship programs, and in-house workshops to make professional development part of everyday work life. - The leadership landscape is changing. By adjusting to these shifts now, you can be prepared to lead effectively in 2025 and beyond. What’s your take on this new generation of leadership? #leadership #workculture #genz

Rebuilding a High-Performing Team in an RTO World: A Client’s Success Story When my executive client was tasked with bringing his 650-person department back to the office after four years of remote work, we knew the challenge wasn’t just logistical—it was strategic - and his concern wasn’t just about getting people back to their desks but ensuring he had the right people in the right roles to drive business success. Through our collaboration, we decided to develop a two-phase approach that allowed him to manage change effectively while restructuring his team for optimal performance. Phase 1: Managing the Change of RTO (Months 1-3) Rather than rushing into assessments and restructuring, we agreed that it was best to focus on re-acclimation first. 🔹 Gradual Reintegration: He implemented a structured return—starting with three days in-office before scaling up—giving employees time to adjust. 🔹 Listening Sessions: My client led discussions with teams to understand concerns, workflows, and career aspirations post-remote. 🔹 Cultural Reset: He modeled the company values, reinforced the why behind RTO, and reinforced the culture in every meeting. Phase 2: Assessing & Restructuring the Team (Months 3-6) Once stability was established, the next step was restructuring the team for the future. 🔹 Skills & Contribution Audit: Partnering with HR and others, my client assessed whether each role still aligned with business needs. He found that some functions were now redundant, while others required a new skill set after four years. 🔹 Team Effectiveness Review: He restructured teams to improve efficiency and positioned high performers in roles that leveraged their strengths. 🔹 Strategic Reassignment & Exits: Some employees transitioned into new, more fitting roles. Others, who struggled to adapt or no longer aligned with the business, were respectfully transitioned out. Still others were supported in their current roles with new training to equip them to succeed in the future. Messaging the Changes: Transparency & Stability 🔹 Communicating the Vision: Early on, we knew framing the restructuring as an opportunity was important. 🔹 One-on-One Conversations: My client ensured employees moving into new roles—or out of the company—had clear, respectful conversations about their next steps. 🔹 Rebuilding Trust: By reinforcing that changes were intentional and strategic, employees recognized the thoughtfulness that had been invested in the changes. The Outcome? He's rounding out his six month and says his department is performing at a higher level than pre-pandemic. It's not been easy and there have been a few surprises, but he knows his team is set up for long-term success. What my client learned was that returning to the office wasn't the real challenge - rebuilding the right team was. If you’re navigating RTO and need to reassess your team for long-term success, let’s connect.👇