On the occasion of Manchester United’s pre-season exhibition match in China, representatives of Aon plc, the principal partner and global sponsor of Manchester United, and the Manchester United Foundation met with members of the media in China to share common insights, values and expertise on employee engagement, teamwork, and building a winning employer brand. Spokespersons included John Shiels, Chief Executive Officer of the Manchester United Foundation, and Rick Payne, Talent & Rewards Practice Leader for Aon Hewitt in Asia Pacific.
At the event, Rick Payne underlined the fundamentals of the partnership: “Aon and Manchester United share similar values of teamwork, integrity and the pursuit of excellence. Teamwork is essential for both organizations -- whether with clients or on the football pitch - and both are focused on winning, innovation, integrity and community involvement. Manchester United provides Aon with one of the greatest platforms to grow globally.”
"I have been involved with Manchester United for more than 30 years, said John Shiels. During that time there have been great changes. The one thing that has remained constant is how the club respects, nurtures and develops its staff, so that all are engaged, equipped and empowered to continue our relentless search for excellence."
As part of Manchester United’s visit to China, Aon is holding a series of events that include an Engagement Symposium to showcase best practices in Engagement and People Management from Aon, from Manchester United, and from Best Employers China winners. Best Employers is a study run by Aon Hewitt globally and in Asia Pacific every other year that measures the levels of employee engagement in an organization.
China’s average staff turnover rate of 15.9% in 2011 is one of the highest in the world and the main business challenges are attracting strong talent, retaining high performers and engaging employees.
Aon Hewitt data and research demonstrate that one of the three key drivers to attracting, retaining and engaging employees in China is to offer competitive retirement/benefits packages (the other two drivers are career opportunities and compensation). According to Sun Fan, Benefits Practice Leader for Aon Hewitt in China: “A competitive and well designed benefits plan contributes to improved employee engagement and ultimately a company’s overall performance”. He added that Aon Hewitt can tailor a benefits plan to meet the demands of different employees and different organizations.
Rick Payne said, “Aon Hewitt’s research shows that employers with higher levels of employee engagement achieve double the growth in profit levels compared to other firms. Companies with high engagement levels have lower employee turnover and a significantly higher percentage of all employees, particularly managers, are internally promoted. Our study provides insights into how organizations can create real competitive advantage by better engaging their people.”
Payne announced that the new edition of Aon Hewitt Best Employers – China 2013 Study is set to start in August 2012, with country results and best practices reports scheduled to be released in April 2013 together with the announcement of the 2013 winners. “With the Best Employers study, Aon Hewitt not only helps participating organizations measure and benchmark their employee engagement levels, but also provides strategic and implementable advise on their journey to high performance”.
For more information on the Aon Engagement in Action Symposium, agenda and speakers, please visit: http://www.aon.com/engagementinaction
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