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Feature Story - Archives
Employee Engagement: The ace up your sleeve
Organizational Development and Training departments in gaming play a strategic role in supporting an organization’s growth through the development of their most valuable asset – their employees. Lately, there is a lot of talk about the importance of ensuring our employees are truly connected or engaged with their work and with the organization as a whole. But what is employee engagement, how do we get there, and what is the impact?
The Conference Board of Canada has conducted research around employee engagement and concluded that “business leaders genuinely want and need people who are mentally and emotionally connected to their jobs and willing to apply the effort to help their companies succeed” (John Gibbons, 2006). So when we talk about employee engagement, we are referring to a framework of actions and strategies designed to build the heart and soul of a two-way relationship that fosters commitment in both employees and the organizations for which they work. Further research through all business sectors confirms that an engaged workforce is a key factor in a business’s success, from improved customer service all the way through to an improved bottom line. An engaged workforce provides innovative ideas, solutions to complex issues, builds quality customer relationships, increases employee retention, and plays a critical role in helping an organization remain competitive.
Employee engagement is complex. It is not enough to simply hire talented people; gaming organizations have to continually find ways to capture the hearts and minds of their employees throughout their employment. There are many approaches to discussing employee engagement, but through both formal and informal discussions, a number of common factors or drivers are identified as keys that produce positive employee engagement results.
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The casino business in Canada is under pressure to provide innovative entertainment options, higher levels of customer service and state of the art technology solutions to meet demanding customer needs. Engaged employees provide the strategic advantage to achieving these goals. Casino properties across Canada were asked what types of strategies and initiatives their organization supported that led to increased employee engagement and how they evaluated their success. This article provides a snapshot of employee engagement initiatives in leading Aboriginal, private, and public gaming organizations.
Organizational communication
The first driver of employee engagement, organizational communication, encompasses a broad set of knowledge, from an understanding of company vision and current organizational happenings to the critical day-to-day knowledge at departmental levels and between frontline staff and their managers. Without question, this driver ranks as extremely important across all gaming organizations. Brent Fleming, Vice President HR & Organizational Development, Paragon Gaming said it clearly: “We believe that Organizational Communication is the most important tool we have in the engagement toolbox. A smart organization facilitates two way communication from all levels, frequently . . .”.
All the casinos we spoke with emphasized how important it is that employees know not only the ‘what’ of what is going on in their organizations, but also the ‘why’ to enable them to better connect with customers, suggest solutions for issues, and clearly see how they fit in the framework. The majority of organizations use communication techniques that include print media such as handbooks, payroll stuffers, and bulletin boards; electronic media including intranets, websites, email, and electronic message boards; and in-person communication strategies at various levels of the organization. These include town hall, pre-shift, and individual one-on-one meetings between employees and supervisors. In our discussions, we also gathered strategies with a twist, such as Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s (OLG) Annual Site Employee Visits by Larry Flynn, Senior Vice-President; and Saskatchewan Gaming’s (SaskGaming) Coaches Notes, which is a weekly primer distributed to senior leadership to support “what employees need to know” discussions. Other unique initiatives include Casino Nova Scotia’s GM Coffee Breaks, held three times a year, Paragon Gaming’s monthly Tea with the GM, Aseneskak’s twice yearly Manager’s Cook Breakfast Event (for staff), and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries monthly Lunch with the President (for frontline staff).
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Without exception, all the casino properties consulted felt that understanding the mission and vision of the organization, and having the ability to provide input to the direction of the organization, went a long way toward building employee engagement. Strategies such as Grey Eagle Casino’s open door policy allow employees to ask questions, provide suggestions, and share information on a timeframe that works for them.
Performance, clarity, and feedback
The second driver is performance, clarity, and feedback, and it appears to be well entrenched in gaming organizations across Canada. While annual performance appraisals are the norm, the focus is also on providing positive reinforcement of work well done and ensuring concerns are addressed at the earliest opportunity. Gaming organizations also say they count on strong compliance training to ensure employees are aware of what’s expected of them. Grey Eagle Casino and Aseneskak Casino support regular, one-on-one employee and supervisor coaching sessions, while SaskGaming and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries ensure performance appraisals are customized to positions. Elsewhere, Casino Nova Scotia uses checklists in the on-boarding process to help employees realize what is expected of them.
Rewards and recognition
The third recognized driver of our employee engagement discussion, rewards and recognition, includes the positive feedback reinforcement mentioned above, but also encompasses a variety of specialty reward programs designed to support particular positive behaviours such as attendance, customer service, and health and safety, to name just a few. Many properties have developed unique and specific recognition programs at both corporate and departmental levels. For example, Grey Eagle’s Employee Wellness Program provides monetary support to employees competing in sporting or cultural events in the province of Alberta and OLG’s Corporate OPAL Event recognizes individuals or teams for outstanding achievements aligned with the organization’s core values. SaskGaming’s Security Dollars program recognizes positive behaviours exhibited by security staff, and Great Canadian Gaming has developed the Peernominating GEM Awards (Great Experiences & Memories). Aseneskak Casino provides Christmas hampers and logoed jackets to all employees and an Aseneskak Days event with a fishing derby and walkathons in the spring. Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries puts on a Family Holiday Party for employee families that sees 1800 in attendance, plus a unique Our Babies R Best program that supports staff on maternity leave.
Career development opportunities
Of all the drivers discussed, career development opportunities appeal to the greatest number of employees and build the foundation for attracting or developing high potential employees that will help the organization grow into the future, as well as support the community at large. Suzanne Barbeau-Bracegirdle, CEO of Aseneskak Casino, stated that, “We look at the casino as a training centre to develop our workforce and even if they move into different employment, we are happy to support their development.”
All casino properties recognize the need to provide some direction for career growth. There were both formal and informal approaches to addressing this engagement driver. A number of organizations offer some type of tuition reimbursement for employees wishing to take formal academic training. Succession planning and talent management initiatives are growing and now play a significant role in preparing for the future. This is accomplished through one-on-one career development conversations at Grey Eagle Casino and through more formal programs such as OLG’s Career Pathing (training, tools and resources to support lateral or upward moves) and Skills Enhancement Training Program (training and non-training solutions to support site-specific strategic plans).
SaskGaming provides signif icant resources in training and the results speak for themselves – 50% of administrative, professional and management positions were promoted from within the in-scope ranks of the organization (November 2013). Aseneskak supports employee development at a variety of levels and has worked with University Nevada Reno (UNR) to ensure a large portion of management staff have achieved the Certificate in Gaming Management. Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries has a number of robust, in-house development programs including Essential Skills for Gaming courses, and houses the Canadian Gaming Centre of Excellence, which provides training in both the Athabasca University Pre-MBA Gaming Leadership Certificate and the UNR Certificate in Gaming Management.
Employee Engagement Surveys
Lastly, these organizations have identified that employee engagement surveys are one way to take the temperature of an organization to see if employee engagement initiatives are reaching the goals of the organization. Some of the organizations we spoke with use a less formal approach to measure results. Of those who conducted surveys, follow up was identified as key. Paragon Gaming ensures results are distributed to executive and then cascaded through the organization, followed by action plans to address concerns. This process is echoed by organizations conducting surveys, and lauded as a positive tool in building employee engagement. Employees are able to provide input to the organizational plan and take the lead in developing action plans to address problem areas.
As gaming continues to compete for the Canadian entertainment dollar, gaming organizations that focus on employee engagement will have the house advantage. In discussions with various employers across the country, the Conference Board of Canada (2012) repeatedly heard that, “Employee engagement matters to the people working in our companies and it matters to the bottom line”. Gaming properties will see their employee engagement investments translate into cost containment through decreased employee turnover, improved customer satisfaction scores, higher employee performance and productivity and subsequently stable or increased revenues. With entertainment dollars in high demand from a wide array of consumer choices, fully engaged employees are clearly any gaming organization’s in-house advantage.
If you would like to join the National Gaming Training Advisory Committee and share strategies from your casino property, please contact Canadian Gaming Centre of Excellence (www.gamingcentreofexcellence.ca).
Judith Hayes is Director (judith.hayes@mbll.ca), and Dayna Hinkel is Business Manager (dayna.hinkel@mbll.ca), at the Canadian Gaming Centre of Excellence, a subsidiary of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.
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