Morning Workshop A: 9.00 - 12.00

The role of communication in building employer brands & employee engagement through change

Workshop Leaders:

Helen Rosethorn, CEO
Annette Frem, Head of Solutions Consulting
Bernard Hodes Group

This workshop will help participants understand the powerful role played by communication teams in building sustainable employer brands i.e. the ability to attract, retain and engage employees when an organisation experiences a major change. Change can come in many forms - merger, acquisition, restructuring and/or new leadership. You will gain real insight into how to positively manage this vital dimension of your brand and learn about research and best practices for moving employees through change, with an emphasis on the collaborative effort necessary between communication function and HR.

During this workshop, you will:

• Get a concise introduction to employer branding and the 'deal' between the employer and employee which sits at the very heart of it
• Gain insight and learning from organisations who have been through change
• Learn how your communication efforts can help building and maintaining employer brand strength and employee engagement
• Learn how to manage your alumni
• Experience the latest social media tools to help manage your reputation and build employee engagement
• Learn how to build a fruitful collaboration with HR
• Discuss and engage with fellow participants; sharing your thoughts, expertise and experiences

Afternoon Workshop B: 1.00 - 4.00

Practical tools and techniques to drive engagement

Workshop Leaders:

Michael Pounsford, Managing Director
Hilary Scarlett, Associate Consultant
Couravel

Most of us have felt engaged at some point in our working life. It is much more than a general positive glow towards colleagues, customers and employers. Engagement is a combination of emotional, physical and intellectual factors which together create the feeling that "I want to perform." This is a workshop that looks at the things that create this environment. It will explore personal and organisational drivers and provide practical approaches and tools used by leading organisations to create this.

Drawing on best practice from a wide range of different organisations and the experiences of participants, the workshop will reflect on steps to drive levels of engagement in different settings. In particular there will be a focus on some of the lessons from David MacLeod's work exploring engagement and global competitiveness.

The workshop will explore:

Engagement: What does engagement really mean to people and what impact does it have on performance? What causes it and what destroys it and how do you measure it and link it to outcomes?

Leadership: How leaders develop narratives to provide line of sight and clear direction, even in large, global and complex businesses. What they do to motivate and inspire their people and how they combine both tough and tender in their approach

Managers: How companies help managers create the right climate at work. What these managers do to energise and challenge others. What can every manager do to make a difference; what helps them and what stops them

Voice: What great companies do to make people feel their voice is being heard? How they create cultures in which everybody feels a participant

Measurement: How companies should track engagement, and how they can use measurement creatively to examine the impact of people management on business performance.