24 th June The Health and Safety Laboratory. Employee Engagement in a Shrinking World IOSH East Anglia Annual Seminar

Transcription

1 Employee Engagement in a Shrinking World IOSH East Anglia Annual Seminar 24 th June 2015 The Health and Safety Laboratory

2 Objectives Employee Engagement: Challenges posed by a shrinking world Employee Engagement: Potential Solutions? Employee Engagement: Good Jobs?

3 Objectives Employee Engagement: Challenges posed by a shrinking world Employee Engagement: Potential Solutions? Employee Engagement: Good Jobs?

4 Global H& S Challenge: Global Challenge Workshop GC1 focussed on: Safety culture-related issues: cultural diversity, workforce transience, persuading the boss (i.e. more senior management) Deliverables: Article in the Safety & Health Practitioner (Health & Safety in a Shrinking Word) s/features/full/health-and-safety-ina-shrinking-world

5 Safety culture throughout the supply chain: (a) Cultural diversity (national culture) (b) Workforce transience

6 (A) Cultural Diversity What is it? Variation in ethnicity, race, age (e.g. generation X & baby boomers and national culture etc. Hofsted s (2001) national culture dimensions Masculinity/femininity (MF) Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) Long-term orientation (LTO) Power Distance Index (PDI) Individualism-Collectivism (IDV) Maslow s (1944) Hierarchy of needs (Food/shelter first) Rapidly changing Collective programming (Hofsted, 2001) Common historical, political, survival, economic drivers

7 (A) Cultural Diversity Why important? * Link with workforce transience Migrant Workers* Multicultural teams Operating across national cultures Middle Management Bottleneck Variation in social security and legal frameworks, local politics)

8 (A) Cultural Diversity Actual Local determinants more powerful (e.g. snr management commitment) Convergence Hypothesis (macro factors more influential if increased globalisation) What impact? Harder to have shared values, norms, expectations, risk perceptions, understanding of the consequences, attitudes (e.g. fatalism/ sharing learning uniform safety climate/culture) Migrant Workforce (overlap with workforce transience) Short duration/ high turnover (e.g. >100% per annum; family member substitution) Economic motives Little knowledge of H&S, rights or law Limited comprehension of company s main language. Lack of opportunity to attend training Deferential/submissive to authority Unregistered/unskilled/unregulated work Eager to please (implications for H&S reporting) Hypothetical PDI: compliant but unwilling to challenge IDV: look out for self v other; group think M/F: Macho risk taking UAI: Compliant but inflexible. LTI: Short term over long term

9 Safety culture throughout the supply chain: (a) Cultural diversity (national culture) (b) Workforce transience

10 (B) Workforce Transience What is it? Fixed term/temporary contracts/workforce churn Types Visitors Workforce Patterns (can be..) Knowledge Flexible Isolated/remote/ mobile Seasonal /Rotas/High turnover ) Direct hire/agency Migrant Remote management

11 (B) Workforce Transience Why important? Intermittent support (peak loads/specialist skills) Increase in globalisation & IT advances Terms & conditions (less protected)

12 (B) Workforce Transience Permanent workforce buddying (divided attention) Monitoring Competency Management Knowledge Management Reduced faceface/2 way communication What impact? Worker Involvement Normal benchmark Motivation Isolation Small window of opportunity Reduced trade union representation Support Reduced emotional investment Reduced exposure to company H&S ethos Underestimation of H&S risks Eager to please to become permanent B hvrl Modificati on Solutions

13 Objectives Employee Engagement: Challenges posed by a shrinking world Employee Engagement: Potential Solutions? Employee Engagement: Good Jobs?

14 Top Tips: Cultural Diversity Have a strategy that anchors. E.g.: Values & Expectations Minimum standards Avoids assumptions Overcome language barriers. E.g.: Pictograms Company dictionaries Rules of thumbs Cultural Diversity (National Culture) Design in WI & Learning Motivate meaningful. E.g. Benefits for the family Local stories Create flexibility & consistency. E.g.: What not how Management rotation Cultural considerations

15 Top Tips: Workforce Transience Competency. Assurance E.g.: Monitoring Mentoring Inclusion/involvement E.g.: Statistics Voice Events/Training Workforce Transience Familiarise with contractors Understand motives Avoid third parties Using trusted sources Conditioning to company ways vs catalyst for change Induction Shadowing

16 Objectives Employee Engagement: Challenges posed by a shrinking world Employee Engagement: Potential Solutions? Employee Engagement: Good Jobs?

17 The conventional perspective Networks (quantitative & qualitative) Instrumental & emotional support Job Characteristics - Demands vs Control/autonomy - Mastery/person job-fit - Variety - Role clarity etc - Intrinsic motivation etc Social Capital Nature of the job Terms and conditions Working conditions Flexible working Quality of the relationship with the employer Effort-reward balance Participation/Voice/Inclusion Equity/fairness Prioirity given job quality etc

18 The Challenges (from the PEROSH Wellbeing Group) Homeworking/Nomadic Work Social Capital Broader age range working together Ageing workforce Sedentary work Knowledge Chronic Health Issues Nature of the job Technology/remote working Temporary/Transitional Working Relationships Quality of the relationship with the employer Boom/bust Globalisation

19 Implications? Social Capital Reputation? Nature of the job With who? How? Job crafting to keep good job? Incentives to keep jobs good? Quality of the relationship with the employer Reputation?

20 Global H& S Challenge: Upshot Flux and flexibility Resilience: Diverse skills sets; self-management Innovative communication images, pictures, not rather than words Anchors?

21 Thank you very much