Engage for Success (EfS) is pleased to offer the following five secondments which can be on a full- or part-time basis (minimum six-month term). Each placement offers huge scope for personal development and the opportunity to bring invaluable new insights and skills back to the secondees’ employer.
EfS works with private industry, the public sector and charitable organisations. It is part of the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD). This means that our secondments are a truly unique opportunity.
About EfS
EfS is the UK’s leading movement promoting the value of employee engagement. It was launched in March 2011 with the full support of the Prime Minister and collaborates with leading academics, consultants, think tanks and practitioners to offer practical guidance and support. It also tackles key issues such as the barriers to wider adoption of engagement, how to harness engagement for innovation and how to maintain and even strengthen morale through periods of ambiguity (for example, Brexit, devolution, company downsizing, market changes and so on).
A huge voluntary effort has been made by leaders of some of Britain’s biggest and most successful organisations across the public, private and third sectors to bring the EfS movement to life. More than a thousand individuals from hundreds of different organisations have contributed time, expertise and resources to help bring together examples of great practice and accessible tools and techniques. Since May 2018, EfS has become part of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, while still retaining its separate identity and structure.
Person Specifications
All roles are ideally suited for anyone on a career development or graduate programme in their home organisation. The roles can be tailored to ensure the secondments include any specific experience or up-skilling being sought. However, the roles are also suitable for any candidate seeking to boost their knowledge and skills as outlined below.
Secondment Terms
All secondments are offered on the following terms:
- Timeframe: Minimum of 6 months as agreed with applicant’s employer.
- Costs: Salary to be covered by secondee’s employer.
- Location: Largely home-based with meetings held in Central London.
- Position reporting to: Engage for Success Managing Director or an EfS Director.
Benefits for secondee and their employer
For a secondee seeking experience of an environment that provides an interesting contrast to most other organisations, EfS will be immensely appealing. It is small and dynamic with only minimal internal infrastructure.
There is a strong entrepreneurial culture and EfS is recognised as ‘punching above its own weight’. This means the successful candidates should develop great problem-solving skills through being resourceful, creative and tenacious. As the roles involve working as part of a ‘virtual’ team, there is a huge amount of autonomy and plenty of opportunities to develop and demonstrate confident decision-making.
The roles specifically demand the ability to deliver a range of outputs to a specific timetable. However, as this is wholly reliant on volunteers over which there are no sanctions for failure to deliver, candidates need to develop and apply people management strategies to overcome this. Successfully nurturing working relationships, honing influencing skills and subtle facilitation of others to deliver are key skills each postholder will need to develop.
In return, the secondee’s employer can expect its candidate to become highly developed in working with virtual teams to deliver, through creating positive and supportive organisational cultures.
While we are open to a range of candidates interested in these roles, preference may be given to those with experience in the relevant area.
Secondment 1: Research & Communities Director
Overall purpose: To oversee, coordinate, and facilitate the work of all the volunteer groups connected with Engage for Success (EfS). Promote and share their activities, outputs, and research to maximise the impact of Engage for Success. Maximise the impact of and opportunities for research on employee engagement.
The EfS volunteer groups fall under one of two categories:
1. Thought & Action Groups (TAGs): Research groups created to explore a topic related to employee engagement. Once the final output (report, online tool, conference, etc.) is delivered, the TAG is closed.
2. Regional Groups: Bringing people in the same geographical location together to promote and explore engagement themes through organising and hosting events.
Duties of the R&C Director:
- Facilitate the full range of EfS research through linking individuals, commercial organisations, universities etc, promoting the TAGs and influencing stakeholders to take part.
- Promote, market the outputs of the TAGs by facilitating events, use of social media, drafting press releases, working with media organisations.
- Horizon-scan for areas of public policy related to employee engagement and influencing these, e.g. responses to Green Papers, canvassing the views of the EfS community and drafting conclusions to ‘influencers’.
- ‘Soft-manage’ the work of the Steering Group which is EfS’s main source of thought and action ideas.
- Play a pivotal role as part of the EfS Core Team.
- Identify key stakeholders and build relationships within CIPD.
- Facilitate the creation of new Regional Groups and maintain the energy and motivation through chairing regular Regional Ambassador meetings.
- Represent EfS at events and meetings (government and commercial organisations, ISO, universities, etc.), using a network of engagement contacts to maximise these opportunities.
- Deputise for the EfS Managing Director.
- Lead the EfS team currently designing Engagement Assessment Framework intended for use initially across the Civil Service.
- Work closely with and influence relevant policy decisions of representative bodies such as the Federation of Small Business, trades unions, CBI, etc.
Secondments 2 and 3: Research Coordinator / Communities Coordinator
Overall purpose: To support the Research & Communities Director in facilitating the work of their respective volunteer group (either the Thought & Action Groups or the Regional Groups). This includes resolving day-to-day issues, facilitating group meetings, identifying resource gaps and proposing solutions, as well as being a member of the EfS Core Team.
Duties of the Research Coordinator / Communities Coordinator:
- There will be a great deal of overlap between the Coordinators’ duties and that of the R&C Director. The Director will be a more strategic role, whereby the Coordinators will focus on facilitation and tangible delivery of the volunteer outputs.
- This includes resolving day-to-day issues, facilitating group meetings, identifying resource gaps and proposing solutions, as well as being a member of the EfS Core Team.
Secondment 4: Social Media & Communications Lead
Overall purpose: To manage all EfS social media channels and campaigns to sustain an engaging audience experience and to increase audience satisfaction. Research and analyse social media trends, including web visitor data, to improve social media presence and campaign efficacy. Work with various EfS and CIPD colleagues to promote the overall brand through social media channels.
Duties of the Social Media & Communications Lead:
- Oversee and manage all EfS social media accounts.
- Develop engaging, creative, innovative content for regularly scheduled posts to enlighten audiences and promote EfS-focused messages.
- Use the EfS Communications Plan to coordinate social media messaging with the EfS Core Team, Thought & Action groups and the Steering Group.
- Audit and analyse EfS social media presence and campaigns to gather visitor data and determine efficacy and areas for campaign improvement.
- Train EfS colleagues to undertake occasional social media activities. Oversee their work and offer guidance or direction as required.
- Work with EfS and CIPD colleagues to develop social media timelines coinciding with new TAG outputs, campaigns, or other brand messages.
- Monitor and develop reports on competitor activity within social media spaces.
Secondment 5: Partner Relationship Manager
Overall purpose: To build upon existing relationships between EfS and external partners and organisations; and identify, instigate, nurture and develop new relationships where none currently exist.
EfS currently works with a range of organisations including the Cabinet Office, Royal Society of Arts, Be the Business, Ashridge Hult Executive Education, Bristol Business School, Nottingham Trent University, HM Revenue & Customs, Home Office, Federation of Small Businesses, CBI and a huge range of private sector organisations large and small.
This is a new role as in the current dynamic work environment, people frequently move forward and so organisational links with EfS can easily be lost. The Partner Relationship Manager will keep EfS sighted on activities and developments in external organisations where we can work together, along with keeping EfS’s profile high, so that it retains its position as the ‘go-to’ people for anything employee engagement-related.
Duties of the Partner Relationship Manager:
- Manage relationships with partners to build the EfS movement.
- Champion and manage activities with partners to ensure good relations are maintained.
- Liaise with partners to solve issues, communicate needs and create synergy.
- Identify and source partnership opportunities through inbound lead follow-up.
- Research partners, identify key players and generate interest.
- Collaborate with the Research & Communities Director and other EfS colleagues to align our internal goals with new and existing partner relationships.
- Assist senior colleagues to finalise partnership agreements in accordance with EfS’s policies.
- Analyse and report on partner initiatives and strategic changes.
- Keep a great ongoing relationships with current partners and offer new ways to grow the partnership.
Applying
To apply, simply send a CV (max 2 x sides A4) along with a covering letter (max 1 x side A4), detailing the skills and abilities you would seek to build upon, and how you envisage adding value to Engage for Success. Please also include the name of your organisation and which role you’re applying for. Make sure you’ve discussed and agreed the secondment with your line manager before applying. Please send your application to info@engageforsuccess.
