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Keeping your employees engaged in tough times 
- with keynote speakers from Yell Group (Yellow Pages, Yell.com), Vodafone and Innocent Drinks
How do you know if your employee engagement strategy is clearly defined and robust enough to sustain itself for the long term? How can you maintain your employees’ engagement in times of change or during touch economic climate? How can you ensure that your whole workforce is engaged and it is not the privilege for those at the top of your organisation? What can you do to engage Generation Y so they achieve their full potential.
The answers to these and more can be gained from our one day conference which provides a unique opportunity to hear from key influencers in the filed, practical case studies, inspiring stories from leading organisations and pick up ideas to turn your engagement strategies into success.
Conference Agenda
08:30 – 09:00 Registration and Coffee
09:00 – 09:15 Welcome and Overview of the Day
Chairman – Gary Miles, Principal Consultant, Roffey Park
09:15 – 10:00 Keynote 1- Jo Hennessy, Director of Research, Roffey Park
Understanding Engagement in a Complex Business Environment
New research for Roffey Park’s The Management Agenda 2008 – an annual survey of UK managers revealing current trends and issues – suggests that employee engagement is running high, but mainly for those at the top of the organisation. So, how can this be transferred to the rest of the workforce? This session will look at the latest research findings, and reflect on changes over the last 11 years since the study was launched, to better understand:
- The balance between morale, stress and engagement
- Different organisational perspectives – things look and feel different from the top
- What can be triggered by “aha moments” or “moments of enlightenment”?
10:00 – 11:00 Workshop Sessions:
Gas Strategies – Pat Breen, Chief Executive, Gas Strategies Group Ltd and Adrian Lock, Senior Consultant, Roffey Park
The Strengths-based approach in practice
Over the last ten years, a Strengths-based approach to engaging and releasing the talents of the workforce has been gaining momentum and has been producing dramatic bottom-line results. Challenging our traditional mindsets of employee development and talent management, more organisations are beginning to benefit from the levels of engagement achieved through this approach.
Attending this session will give you:
- An understanding of the roots of this approach in Positive Psychology research
- An insight into the kind of management culture that delivers results
- A chance to hear from Pat Breen, Chief Executive, Gas Strategies Group on how Roffey Park has worked with him to apply the strengths-based approach, with dramatic results
Engaging Generation Y – Helena Clayton, Director of Open Programmes and Events, Roffey Park
Commonly accepted as a group born between 1978 and 1998, Gen Y has a reputation for being different – in terms of their skill sets, their high expectations of themselves and their employers, what interests them and motivates them, what they look for in a career…all of which create challenges in attracting, retaining, motivating and, more importantly, engaging this group.
Attending this session will give you:
- An understanding of what defines this generation
- Practical strategies for what you need to do differently to engage this growing population
- Insight into how to really capitalise on the enormous potential of this group
11:00 – 11:15 Break
11:15 – 12:00 Keynote 2 - Karen Callaghan, Innocent Drinks
The Story of Employee Engagement at Innocent Drinks
12:00 – 12:30 Discussion
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
13:30 – 14:15 Keynote 3
Nikki Hood, Head of Learning and Development, Yell Group
Maintaining high levels of employee engagement in turbulent times
Yell (provider of Yellow Pages, Yell.com and 118 24 7) has a track record of considerable success and has also developed high levels of employee engagement. More recently, like many other businesses, it has encountered turbulence in its business environment – and has still managed to maintain its high engagement levels. Philip Barr, explains how this has been achieved.
14:15 – 15:15 Workshop Sessions:
Keeping the workforce engaged during major organisational upheaval – Mark Watkins, Former Head of Organisational Communications, Nycomed
Last year, pharmaceutical company Nycomed acquired the much larger Altana Pharma. This case study will examine the various stages of the integration process, the challenges faced and the communications approaches used. Mark will also discuss the lessons learned, what worked well, and what they would do differently next time
Four Paths into Employee Engagement – Jo Hennessy, Director of Research
Based on Roffey Park’s research and practical experience, this session explores four paths to employee engagement:
- Identity with the organisation
- Relationships with colleagues
- Engagement with the job role/work
- Reciprocal relationship with the organisation
Discover how your organisation supports these four vital elements of engagement and take part in the Roffey Park Engagement Diagnostic Tool to find out your personal engagement profile.
15:15 – 15:30 Break
15:30 – 16:15 Keynote 4 - Lorna Farrar, Head of employee experience, Vodafone UK
Using Entertaining Experiences to Engage Employees
Hear how Vodafone UK - winners of the Personnel Today Employee Engagement Award 2007 - are seeking new ways to exploit their own sponsorship and brand assets to engage employees.
From a mobile recording studio to hunting out local talent to a five-a-side football challenge with the Board, Vodafone involve employees by staging entertaining experiences.
Find out more
16:15 – 16:45 Final discussion and close
Who should attend:
This conference is essential for anyone who is committed to increasing levels of employee engagement in their organisation, particularly:
- HR Directors and Managers
- Leaders and senior managers
- Directors of Employee Relations
- Directors of Communications and internal communications specialists
Speaker profiles:
Lorna Farrar, Head of employee experience, Vodafone UK
Lorna leads the employee experience team at Vodafone. The team use their understanding of demographics, engagement climate and external trends to spot fresh and proprietary opportunities for Vodafone to appeal as an employer.
Nikki Hood, Head of Learning and Development, Yell Group
Nikki is UK Head of Learning and Development at Yell, responsible for thedevelopment of the 4500 employees. She oversees the development of all talent within Yell including IT skills, induction and development programmes across sales & corporate functions. She is responsible for IIPs, employee engagement and leadership development within the business.
Prior to joining Yell in July 2007, Nikki was Learning and Development Manager for Thomson Directories, where she also held various other management positions in sales and learning and development in her 8 years with the company. Nikki originally began her training career at Thomson Holidays Head Office.