Adventures in Staff Engagement
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Adventures in Staff Engagement Susanna Dinnage, EVP & MD of Discovery Networks UK and Ireland, explains to Mary-Anne Baldwin how swimming with sharks is all part of Discovery Communications’ creative employee satisfaction scheme usanna Dinnage’s CV reads like a stint as an actor in a children’s theatre come in full of passion but if they meet Swish list for anyone in the creative while travelling in Australia after a brick wall or a boss who’s jaded, that industries. She began her career at MTV, university. “I played various different enthusiasm dies off pretty quickly,” later moving to Channel 5 where she characters in all the famous fairytales, Susanna explains. helped launch their digital channels, and switching between costumes that were is now EVP & MD of Discovery Networks pretty old, smelly and moth-eaten,” Keeping staff energised and passionate UK and Ireland. she reveals. is a priority for Susanna, particularly as the company adapts to an increased call In Susanna’s current role she manages “I thought I could bring it to life for the for online TV and content streaming. 12 TV brands including the Discovery children, but the guy who ran it was very Channel, TLC, Animal Planet and jaded. He’d probably been in his job a bit Still, business is good. Its US-listed parent Eurosport, which collectively are watched too long and wasn’t interested in new company, Discovery Communications, by over 23 million viewers a month. But ideas. I was really disappointed with his showed a 13 per cent revenue increase what’s missing from the pages of her CV lack of passion. I think I lasted two weeks.” (rising to $6.2 billion) in its most recent is her worst job, and it’s an unlikely one. year-end results; operating income This brief blip in an otherwise enviable before depreciation and amortisation Having always been interested in career carried an important lesson about (OIBDA) climbed four per cent to storytelling, Susanna took a short staff engagement. “A new employee can $2.4 billion. www.criticaleye.net Adventures in Employee Engagement 1 Recently, Discovery diversified into sport, staff member learnt to sign so that they which is an exciting new area for the could communicate with a deaf relative, company. As well as winning the rights It’s very while other activities included diving to broadcast the Olympics Games in with sharks and learning to fly a plane. Europe from 2018 to 2024 (from 2022 important in the UK), Discovery announced that it for staff to “I’m very interested in biodiversity and would take full ownership of the sports this year want to spend a day at Kew network, Eurosport. understand Gardens, which has stored hundreds of what the future thousands of seeds,” she explains. “I want Susanna reflects that it’s crucial the to understand the impact humans and culture evolves after any big acquisition looks like changing biodiversity have on the planet. and it can be an opportunity for people Maybe our shrinking biodiversity isn’t to develop new skills and knowledge. “It’s as worrying as I think, but I want to very important for staff to understand company. “You’ve got to build respect know more.” what the future looks like,” she explains. both ways and make sure there’s fairness and parity across the whole group,” It’s been a shrewd way of getting staff to not “With any change comes opportunity Susanna offers. “Learn who the influencers only learn the company ethos but embed it but that means encouraging your team are in that organisation, engage with them into their most cherished memories. While to look beyond their existing roles and and understand what they’re seeing and some companies may only boast a good responsibilities and think about how their fears.” pension scheme, Discovery enables staff they can adapt; perhaps moving into to swim with sharks. a new role in a growth area for the While engagement is important during business. Change can be unsettling and periods of change, Discovery takes a The take home for its employees is it’s vital that leaders introduce it as a holistic approach. Indeed, it tries to that aside from being fun and creative, natural part of working life,” she says. capture the spirit of its own programmes, Discovery is committed to their personal such as those with Ed Stafford, whose happiness. And, who wouldn’t want a For an acquisition to succeed, you adventures in places like remote West piece of that? must appreciate the culture of the other Papua or the Danakil Desert are Susanna’s favourite thing to watch. © Criticaleye 2015 COMPANY BENEFITS “He’s incredibly in tune with how something makes you feel. As a viewer, Discovery Communications offers a the experience is so visceral you feel like Susanna Dinnage number of employee benefits such as you’re living it with him,” she enthuses. EVP & MD enhanced maternity and paternity Discovery Networks UK & Ireland leave, free mindfulness coaching, In May 2014, Discovery rolled out Discovery Communications fitness bootcamp and yoga classes, a brand promise in its new tagline – Susanna heads Discovery Networks flexible-working hours, and care for ‘Make Your World Bigger’ – which was in the UK and Ireland. She joined children and elderly family members. designed to forge a closer bond with in 2009 and was promoted to the It also has an onsite medical its audience. With it came a scheme role of UK business head in October centre at its London Headquarters under which each employee was given 2010 where she is responsible for which offers 360 degree health a day to ‘live the brand’ by expanding the company’s growth strategy for its largest market outside the US. assessments, vaccinations, onsite their own knowledge or experiences. laboratory testing and a London- Contact Susanna through: wide prescription delivery service. In the first year, Susanna took part in a 24 www.criticaleye.net kilometre boat race for charity. Another www.criticaleye.net Adventures in Employee Engagement 2.