10 Proven Strategies to Boost Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is a critical factor in the success and growth of any organization. Engaged employees are more committed, productive, and likely to stay with the company long-term. However, fostering employee engagement requires a thoughtful and proactive approach. In this blog post, we'll explore ten proven strategies to increase employee engagement in your organization.

Foster a Positive Work Culture:

Create a positive and inclusive work culture where employees feel valued and appreciated. Encourage open communication, provide constructive feedback, and recognize achievements regularly. When employees feel supported and respected, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated.

Set Clear Expectations and Goals:

Ensure that employees understand their roles and responsibilities, as well as the goals they are expected to achieve. Clear expectations help employees align their efforts with the organization's objectives and feel a sense of purpose in their work.

Offer Professional Development Opportunities:

Invest in your employees' growth by providing relevant training and development programs. Supporting their career advancement and skills enhancement demonstrates that the organization cares about their long-term success, leading to higher engagement levels.

Recognize and Reward Performance:

Implement a robust recognition and rewards program that acknowledges employees' efforts and contributions. This can be in the form of verbal appreciation, public recognition, or tangible rewards such as bonuses or gifts. Regular recognition boosts morale and reinforces positive behaviors.

Promote Work-Life Balance:

Encourage work-life balance to prevent burnout and improve overall well-being. Offer flexible work arrangements, promote taking breaks, and provide access to mental health resources. Employees who feel their personal lives are respected are more likely to be engaged and committed at work.

Empower Employees:

Give employees autonomy and authority to make decisions related to their work. Empowerment fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility, leading to increased motivation and engagement in their tasks.

Create Opportunities for Collaboration:

Promote a collaborative work environment where employees can work together and share ideas. Encourage cross-functional projects and team-building activities to strengthen relationships and boost engagement.

Conduct Regular Employee Surveys:

Gather feedback from employees through regular surveys to understand their concerns, needs, and suggestions. Use this data to make data-driven decisions and show employees that their opinions matters.

Improve Internal Communication:

Ensure transparent and effective communication throughout the organization. Keep employees informed about important updates, changes, and company news. Use various communication channels, such as emails, meetings, and digital platforms, to reach all employees.

Lead by Example:

Leaders and managers play a crucial role in shaping the work environment and employee engagement. Ensure that leaders exemplify the desired behaviors and values, as this will inspire employees to follow suit.

Increasing employee engagement requires a holistic approach that focuses on fostering a positive work culture, empowering employees, providing growth opportunities, and recognizing their contributions. By implementing these ten strategies, your organization can create a thriving and engaged workforce, leading to improved productivity and overall success. Remember that employee engagement is an ongoing process, and consistent efforts will yield the best results.

Want to learn more? Contact Us today!

How to Plan a Hybrid Meeting

by Carl Mavromichalis

How can I set up a hybrid meeting? Hybrid meetings are hot, and we see the appeal. 

Many organizations are saying “We are ready to get back to in-person.” Lots of us miss the camaraderie or even travel that in-person meetings offer. Real live human beings! Old friends! Smiling faces! Shaking hands or bumping elbows. It feels great. 

Some of you got better participation online than you ever had in person, and it’s hard to give that up - No need for parking or childcare, and no limits from geography. 

There’s also the challenge of planning in-person events in these uncertain times. Will your in-person meeting get canceled?

Enter the latest craze - hybrid meetings. 

Do you want to plan a meeting that accommodates in-person and online attendance, but wonder how to do that successfully?

All participants deserve the same access. Every step has to be considered. If you don’t do it right, you might get people once, but they may never take part again.

My first hybrid meeting was in 2013 when I paired our telephone town hall system with an in-room event. It was a more complex setup for sure, but it went smoothly because we spent the time necessary to consider all the variables.

Today, the online virtual portion of the hybrid meeting is all about video. The experience for those online has to be at least as good as it would be if the whole event was only online.

If you want some help thinking this through, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Below are a few questions to help you start planning your hybrid meetings.

What is a Hybrid Meeting?

From our perspective, a hybrid meeting is one where you have an audience in the room as well as an audience remotely. Having speakers in the room and streaming the video is not a hybrid meeting, in our view. A true hybrid meeting has people in the room in-person and people online or on the phone.

Can online participants see the speakers up-close, or is there one camera aimed at the panel from the back of a hall?

Having a camera at the back of a room with a bunch of heads facing the panelists, and the panelists far away, is not engaging for the those online. 

We recommend that each speaker has their own computer with their camera on, as well as a camera and mic (or two ideally) for those in the audience. You have to be extra careful to ensure speakers on their computers use the mute button each time. External mics controlled by an A/V team helps prevent feedback.

Can online participants speak live to ask questions or make comments the way the in-person participants can? Or are the online participants stuck with typing questions only?

If you get the right setup, bringing remote attendees live on a big screen should be doable, as well as having their audio play through the speaker system in the room. 

Can the online participants hear the questions and comments from the in-person audience, or will they be muffled and impossible to hear?

Make sure the room has a sound system with a mixer. Audio is more important than video, and if people can’t hear they will become more frustrated than if they can’t see.

The people in the room should be visible and audible to the people online. That means a portable mic and video camera.

Do you need the ability to manage an online question queue? How will you integrate the online questions with the in-person lineup at the mic?

If you want to bring live questions on-screen in the room, you’ll have to think through the logistics of identifying and bringing them on live. We have a meeting system that can help with that. The simplest way is to alternate in-room and online questions, but this should be thought through in advance and rehearsed with your moderator.

How can I avoid ear-splitting feedback?

There is nothing more important than a clear audio connection between the online and in-person participants. Muffled voices or feedback will ruin your hybrid meeting. Avoid feedback by having the A/V team be in control of all the mics in the room, even if you have all the speakers on their laptops. There are ways to ensure you still avoid the feedback. There are a few levels of production. Which one is right for you?

Like a two-way tv show. Requires multiple cameras, video mixing, and a production team.

1. The virtual people could be audible to the room but not visible, and vice-versa.

2. If the logistics are simply too complicated or expensive, consider doing two separate meetings – one live and one virtual.

Want to learn more? Contact Us today!

Is DIY-ing your important virtual meetings a good idea?

By Carl Mavromichalis

Can someone just do this meeting for me? Can I just hire someone to run this virtual town hall? Almost two years into remote meetings, staff are learning the limitations. Sure, people use Zoom and Teams day in and day out. But when you have a major planning day, or an announcement from the VP, a slide show to present and a video montage for someone’s virtual retirement party - that is not the time you want your computer to glitch out. Will someone run your virtual meeting for you?

The answer is yes. We can run your virtual meeting or town hall for you. The very reason we started offering managed Zoom calls (and Teams) is because of the horror stories we were hearing. The retirement video that wouldn’t play is probably still causing nightmares for the person who had organized it and was frantically trying to play it while the honoured retiree sat there amidst a sea of cringing faces. When you want to focus on your content, and your message, let an expert handle the technology.

A conscientious provider will work on a run-of-show with you, and do a dry-run with your team. They will also walk through each step, make sure everyone know how to use the technology - and tests it out - and playback any videos or presentations in advance.

We even helped some clients pre-record important speeches or presentations to make sure they flow smoothly or to cope with time zone challenges. And we’ve actually run videos during meetings that brought tears to the honouree’s eyes.

One of the biggest losses in many virtual meetings and webinars is networking. We have solutions that allow you to speak privately (1-to-1) with another participant, much the way you would while grabbing a coffee or muffin in person.

There are some meetings you can run yourself, and there are others you don’t want to risk. DIY-ing your critical virtual meetings isn’t a good idea. When it’s on the line, having a seasoned support team in place can make all the difference.

Interested in learning more - click here to book a meeting or a demo with me!

How a Great Moderator Can Make your Telephone Town Hall Speakers Shine

Converso producer and moderator Vieri Berretti

At Converso, we create events that are reputation-enhancing for the people and organizations we work with. Having produced hundreds of events, we know a great moderator when we see one. Want to improve your own moderating? See our top tips below.

But first, let’s get practical.

Telephone town hall moderators should:

• Greet the audience

• Introduce speakers

• State the purpose of the meeting

• Explain how a telephone town hall works

• Tell participants how to get in line to ask a question

• Introduce participants going live on air

• Read out poll questions

Is there more to it? Yes!

Your moderator sets the tone. Most of the time, a moderator should have a calm, respectful tone.

 What’s in your back pocket?

Participants get bored by serial monologues. Prepare 5-10 questions to create a conversation between your moderator and guest speakers. This way your key messages are chunked into digestible bits and more participants will stay on the call. Prepared questions also provide back-up to keep the conversation going if participants are slow to raise their hands.

 Internal or external?

While an experienced host can add polish, we find that knowledgeable members of the organization make the best moderators . Plus, moderating is a great way to showcase your organization’s talent and elevate a leader’s profile. A board chair, elected official, or president can use the moderator’s role to demonstrate commitment to a project while hosting the subject matter experts.

Consider someone who:

• Is used to public speaking or chairing meetings

• Has a genuine interest in the topic

• Has credibility with the audience

 “Um, uh…” and “stuff like that”

A telephone town hall is not the time to wing it. Even experienced speakers can find themselves at a loss of words. Give your clients a script template so they can conduct the meeting smoothly.

Another thing:  Don’t assume your moderator knows the guest speakers’ names and titles with proper pronunciation - double check and include these in the script.

Pop quiz: Can your moderator read the remarks? Encourage them to practice with an audience and tweak the script until it sounds natural.

 Slow down

A great moderator speaks slowly and clearly. Converso producer/moderator Vieri Berretti recently coached a client to slow down by saying, “You know how the camera adds ten pounds? An audio event adds speed.” Give your participants time to understand what you are saying.

 Empathy, even if a shoe squeaks

An empathetic tone is critical for creating an atmosphere of respect and trust.  In meetings dealing with pandemic response and extreme weather emergencies, participants are vulnerable or can share sensitive information. “Put your empathy hat on,” Vieri tells clients.

Another thing: No matter what happens behind the scenes, never laugh. The good will you created by hosting your event will be lost if the moderator or speakers seem contemptuous or uncaring, even by mistake.

With thoughtful planning and practice, your moderator will help create a great town hall experience for everyone.

Top Five Things to Consider in choosing a Virtual Town Hall Service

We’ve all had to pivot. The pandemic has forced us all to adjust how we do things and look for alternatives we may not have had to consider before. Here are the top 5 questions to ask yourself so you can choose the best virtual meeting service or technology that will meet your needs and ensure a good experience for all concerned:

1. What’s your comfort level with technology?

Many video conferencing apps require hosts to download and operate software, which takes some technical aptitude. Getting participants into the meeting, sharing your screen, knowing which settings will meet your security needs, and presenting videos or music seamlessly all require preparation and practice in advance.  Telephone town halls are cloud-based, and a good provider will manage the meeting so you can focus on your message. Self-service video conferencing apps do not provide support, but there are producers who will run your meeting for you. 

2. Who is your Audience?

Are participants large in number, or small? Tens, or tens of thousands? Many video conferencing platforms have caps of a few hundred people. A live stream is great for viewing and sharing information but is not a tool for consultation and two-way dialogue.  A telephone town hall allows for information sharing and consultation and unlimited participation (with a suggested cap of 100,000 per session).

What about high-speed internet access -- don’t assume all stakeholders have it.  There are dead zones, particularly in rural areas, where broadband is insufficient for streaming online meetings.

Age is another consideration.  Many people 65 years and older do not use computers or digital devices.  Video conferencing relies on computers or smartphones, which leaves some stakeholders in the cold. A telephone town hall is accessible and overcomes the digital divide.

3. What’s your budget?

Budgets can sometimes be loosened in a crisis, but if it’s tough asking for a few hundred dollars more, the self-service online options are lower cost.  Live streaming a video conference to YouTube or Facebook Live is free, but the comment section is visible (a double-edged sword), and participants can’t go live on air in their own voices.  You also tend to get viewers who are already invested in an issue, as opposed to the wider audience gained by phoning participants directly.

If reaching a maximum number of diverse stakeholders is top priority, a telephone town hall will get results for $0.30 - $1.20 per participant.  The cost is worth the high participation when you need it. Converso’s analytics show 910% greater participation when stakeholders are called directly rather than having to dial-in themselves, and 2,400% more engagement for those dialled than those who join the meeting online. 

4. How much control do you need?

In-person town hall meetings usually have an open mic, and anyone can say their piece, which is risky at best.  Even the more personal open house format can be disrupted by hostile participants.  A telephone town hall with a managed question queue and producer controlling the mute button creates a productive conversation for all points of view. 

What if your session is Zoom-bombed?   Consider the implications of a security breach on your reputation.  Video conferences sacrifice security to enable stakeholder participation. That works for internal or trusted stakeholders, but allowing participants to unmute themselves in a contentious public video conference is unwise.  A telephone town hall achieves the strongest security while allowing vetted participants to speak live during the meeting. 

5. How important is collecting data?

The data from a virtual meeting can give you valuable insight into your stakeholders.  Both video conferences and telephone town halls have instant polling features.  A telephone town hall captures up to 16 data points on each participant and compiles all questions and comments from the audience into a report. 

By asking these questions before you start looking, you’ll find the service best suited to your needs. We at Converso offer different options when it comes to virtual meetings – both small and large scale. 

Converso is Canada’s premium provider of dial-out virtual meetings called Telephone Town Halls, now bringing our best practices to manage video conferences. Reach out to us at www.converso.co/contactus.

Sharing Experiences and Calling for Action: Durham’s Anti-Black Racism Meeting

Elected officials, municipal administrators and special guests from the Region of Durham hosting a Telephone Town Hall on Anti-Black Racism.

It was a stark reminder of how rare it is to have a safe space to share deeply personal and traumatic experiences with those who can make a difference. 

On August 6, the Region of Durham held an unusual Telephone Town Hall for residents of its eight large municipalities to share experiences of anti-Black racism in the Region.  Converso and Environics Research partnered with the Region to produce the town hall.  Converso dialled thousands of landlines and cell phones, streamed the event online, and integrated with YouTube Live to give participants the chance to raise awareness on the issue.

Those of us working the technical side of the event sat quietly listening in the council chambers alongside the panel of speakers -- municipal officials and members of the Black community.

It was emotional. Shocking. Humbling.  Painful stories of the abuse inflicted by elementary school teachers, employers, co-workers, and others.

For some of us, the evening gave us a chance to reflect on our own similar experiences. Simmering, long buried. For others, it was an awakening that they have been living in a parallel universe.  One 30-year Whitby resident shared that she had no idea such things had been happening in her neighbourhood. 

An astonishing 7,000 people took part that night by phone, online and on YouTube Live. 

It was unforgettable, and a privilege, to help the Region’s leaders hear the unfiltered voices of their residents, correct misinformation, and share messages of support.  Most importantly, we gave people a voice who would not otherwise be heard. 

Simi Junior - Converso Associate

"But doesn't everyone have internet access?"

At Converso, our dial-out Virtual Town Halls help our clients reach the hard to reach participants - people who would like to be more informed and involved, but who face barriers to participation. The governments, elected officials and member-based organizations we work with recognize their responsibility to include people who are being left out of a lot of community engagement because they do not have internet, tech skills or tech access. 

But doesn't everyone have internet access?

One of Converso's clients asked our operators to invite their Virtual Town Hall participants to provide an email address to sign up for the office e-newsletter. Several participants told our operators that they don't have an email address and don't use computers. 

If our client hadn't reached out to their residents with a dial-out Town Hall, these participants wouldn't have known the event was happening, wouldn't have had access to the important information being shared, and wouldn't have been able to have their voices heard by asking questions or answering keypad polls. 

If you are reading this, you have internet access. It's easy to take for granted. So many times we are referred to get more information from a website, tune in to a webinar, or watch a Youtube video. However, Many Canadians can't afford smart phones, computers or internet in their homes. Many Canadians rely on public libraries for free wifi or computers, and currently the libraries are closed. Many Canadians live in areas with low-speed internet that is unsuitable for web streaming and video conferencing. Should these voices be ignored? Of course not.

Every Virtual Town Hall we produce gives us a window into the ways we are helping our clients reach out to, and hear from, their stakeholders.

"I really appreciate this conversation we've had for the last hour, and that it's not on the computer, but on the phone. That was wonderful. I had two calls from the emergency department to remind me to tune in. I was very glad that they called and reminded me to tune in. So thank you for doing that. I hope we can do it again sometime." - Virtual Town Hall participant voicemail, May 2020

When we hear participants thank our clients for doing an event, we are renewed in our commitment to public participation through the humble phone system.

- Christine Kemp, Partner

Top 5 Reasons Mass-Scale Conferencing Should be Part of Your Crisis Response Plan

What if I told you that there is technology available that can handle a live, 2-way conversation with hundreds or thousands of participants at once without hearing everyone talking at the same time? And what if I told you that you could call them all, rather than them having to call in? This does exist and it has been an incredible tool when used in a major crisis.

The city of Fort McMurray was evacuated May 4, 2016, just before a massive forest fire hit the city. The damage caused by the fire became Canada’s costliest natural disaster ever, with approximately 2,200 structures within the city destroyed. The total is estimated to have cost C$3.5-billion.

The forced evacuation of 90,000 people with no casualties directly related to the fire was truly miraculous. But the government then faced an enormous communications challenge – how exactly does one communicate with that many people who have dispersed across the province and the country to provide critical information? Add in the fact that many people needed support accessing basic human necessities, and the situation again had the potential to be catastrophic.

Government leaders were communicating through traditional channels, like the media, to inform the evacuees of the latest developments, the status of the fire and plans for re-entry. The government was also very active on social media. But all of these channels did not enable a means by which the government could speak directly, and only, to evacuees. So the government turned to Converso’s Virtual Town Halls, a mass-scale conferencing technology that essentially turns the phone system into a live talk-show.

The system proved so useful that the government ran 17 events in 30 days during the evacuation period, leading up to re-entry. Each session was 90-minutes long (rather than the normal 60 minutes) and had extremely high participation and engagement rates compared to non-crisis events. The government’s priority was to allow evacuees to ask questions of the nearly 15 government officials and partner organizations (e.g. Canadian Red Cross) who gathered for each call. And ask questions they did – over 8,000 through 17 events.

This is an extraordinary example, and it clearly illustrates the point that a direct channel to tens of thousands of people impacted by a disaster is a remarkably powerful tool. And the participation rates prove it was invaluable to evacuees as well.

The top five reasons you should consider mass-scale conferencing technology as part of your crisis management plan are:

1. There is no replacement for a direct information channel to your most important stakeholders during a crisis. 

• Evacuees heard directly from government officials with the most up-to-date knowledge of the situation, including status of the fire, location of evacuation centres, how to access emergency funding, etc.

2. Helping people understand what is happening and resolving their issues is critical.

• Through the question asked by evacuees, the government and Red Cross were able to start resolving individual cases that participants raised. For example, accessing emergency funding from Alberta while not in the province.

3. Ensuring you get the right information out quickly.

• Having all of the government leaders responsible for the crisis response on the town hall meant that the most accurate and timely information available was received by evacuees in an unfiltered way. These were the same leaders speaking with the media to provide updates, and evacuees had a direct channel to them.

4. Dispelling misinformation.

• On nearly every event, evacuees brought up matters that they had heard on social media or through friends and family. If the information was inaccurate, the government was able to clarify and correct it for everyone on the town hall. For example, people had been hearing rumours that looting was happening in the city, but the police, who were on the call, corrected the information and confirmed there were no break-ins.

5. Understanding clearly what issues or challenges stakeholders are struggling with during the crisis.

• There is a massive need for information in any crisis, particularly the kind that threatens the well-being of stakeholders. With 1,000 question requests in the first event (about 35 were answered), evacuees were in acute need of information. By capturing the questions and forwarding a file the next day to the government, highly-targeted FAQs were created and guided messaging for media activity and call-centre briefings.

As with most matters, preparation is everything in a crisis. The Government of Alberta had experience using this technology during non-crisis times, which made its application during the crisis so successful. Such tools are designed to facilitate communication during crises. Therefore, organisations considering this technology must ensure they are familiar with it before the crisis strikes – because during is the wrong time to learn.

While this example demonstrates how a government very effectively handled a disaster response situation, this technology would be equally valuable to companies experiencing a crisis.

• Employee Communications – engaging with hundreds or thousands of employees across vast geographies in a controlled, live, two-way conversation during a crisis would enable the response team and company leadership to ensure accurate information is disseminated in very quickly.

• External Stakeholder Communications – should a crisis impact a community (think a train derailment or chemical leak) or key segment of your business (think VW and its dealers during the diesel emissions scandal), the technology would enable an immediate and live connection with those impacted. This would reduce rumours, demonstrate the company is taking the issue seriously and, long-term, protect brand and reputation.

• Post-Crisis Business Continuity – once the crisis is contained and the company stabilized, how do you get everyone back on track? How do you rebuild trust and reputation? Connecting with employees and external stakeholders to explain what exactly happened, how things have changed and what the company’s plans are in the future to manage crisis situations, which would have been a great tool for BP following the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

CS&A would be delighted to speak with your organization about how Converso’s Virtual Town Hall technology can help you manage the critical flow of information during a crisis, within your company or in your community. Please contact us to set up a call or demo.

Carl is an Associate with CS&A based in Toronto, Canada. He owns Converso and is a leading authority on the use of Virtual Town Halls during disaster response situations. 

Government of Alberta wins IPAC Award for Fort McMurray Response.

I should have posted this a while ago, but better late than never. The Government of Alberta won an award from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (2016) for its response to the wildfire last year. Here is the link: http://www.leadershipawards.ca/en/winners/Pages/2016-winners.aspx

Here is a great video the government put together to support their submission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz8Cns7Vgk4&feature=youtu.be