Employee Engagement & Talent Retention

Course Outline

Session 1: From Task Manager to People Leader

• Recognise the manager’s influence on employee engagement, commitment and continuity.
• Understand how day-to-day managerial behaviour can contribute to disengagement and attrition.
• Shift focus from task completion alone to employee experience and people signals.
• Identify behaviours that strengthen employee commitment and positive team experiences.
• Balance people-focused leadership with performance and organisational expectations.
• Map the connection between manager behaviour, employee experience, commitment and retention.

Session 2: Building Psychological Safety & Employee Voice

• Recognise behaviours that encourage employees to speak openly.
• Identify behaviours that may silence employee voice or discourage constructive challenge.
• Respond constructively when employees raise risks, mistakes or concerns.
• Create a team climate where respectful challenge and open communication are possible.
• Understand how managerial responses influence trust and employee experience.
• Practise a high-stakes team-meeting simulation focused on psychological safety.

Session 3: Career Conversations & Growth Ownership

• Conduct meaningful career conversations beyond discussions about promotion.
• Understand employee aspirations and identify areas for growth.
• Explore growth through skill-building, exposure and stretch assignments.
• Use mentoring as a practical approach to employee development.
• Discuss realistic career pathways when promotions or budgets are constrained.
• Shift career development from an organisational responsibility to shared ownership between manager and employee.

Session 4: Stay Conversations & Retention Risks

• Understand the purpose of stay conversations in identifying employee aspirations.
• Explore what employees value about their current role and workplace experience.
• Identify potential retention risks through meaningful employee conversations.
• Listen for concerns related to growth, visibility, development and career direction.
• Respond constructively when employees raise concerns about their future with the organisation.
• Translate employee insights into practical managerial actions that support commitment and continuity.

Session 5: Individual Development Plans That Work

• Translate employee aspirations and capability gaps into practical development actions.
• Build Individual Development Plans around capability, exposure and visibility.
• Identify relevant stretch assignments that support employee growth.
• Explore appropriate mentors and sponsors for development and career exposure.
• Establish practical checkpoints to review progress and development.
• Create an Individual Development Plan for a real team member.

Session 6: Manager Energy & Sustainable Team Climate

• Identify managerial behaviours that create avoidable emotional load within teams.
• Recognise priority chaos, burnout signals and recurring energy drains.
• Understand how team operating norms influence employee experience and engagement.
• Set healthier team norms while maintaining accountability and performance standards.
• Identify practical manager behaviours that contribute to a sustainable team environment.
• Create a personal manager action plan to strengthen engagement and retention.