Breathe New Life Into Your Stock Plan Education Program Barbara Baksa Executive Director NASPP 510.493.7599 bbaksa@naspp.com
Agenda and Scorecard Pass the Buck Pts. 1. Leverage managers 2. Leverage peers 3. Focus groups 4. Get some help Rate Yourself: Already implemented, 2 pts Thought about, 1 pt Spruce Up Examples Pts. 9. Skip to the example 10.Don t split the diff. 11.Round it off 12.Assume the worst Method and Format 5. Preemptive strike 6. Enter the blogosphere 7. Get technical 8. The morning edition Self-Improvement 13.Cat video 14.Set goals 15.Have fun 16.Teach yourself
1. Leverage Managers Require managers to discuss stock awards with employees One-on-one and/or more general discussions at staff meetings Host train-the-trainer sessions to educate managers Keep it short! Managers are busy and don t need to know all the technical details Be careful about relying on managers to disseminate critical or legally required information Provide written talking points Include what to discuss AND what not to discuss with employees Helpful to have high-level executive support 2. Leverage Peers Use employee testimonials to promote the plan Publish short interviews with employees about the plan Have employees speak briefly about their participation at presentations, webcasts, etc. Include testimonials from employees in educational materials 3. Focus Groups Utilize an employee focus group Form an employee committee to help review and/or design program communications Use focus groups to review new educational materials and test new ideas Who to invite to the group: Employees that are particularly outspoken or that have demonstrated a strong interest in and/or understanding of the stock program Employees that show leadership and won t be afraid to speak up Ask department managers for recommendations Make sure a wide range of departments and job levels are represented But only invite employees that are eligible to participate in the stock plan Don t put your friends on the committee 4. Get Some Help Get some help from your service providers Many of your providers may have ready-made materials that can be distributed to employees Articles FAQs Some providers may even be able to conduct employee presentations Stock plan basics Tax considerations Financial planning Invite brokers and other providers that interact directly with employees to company benefit fairs, etc.
5. Preemptive Strike Anticipate most common questions employees are likely to ask and include in auto-reply to email Auto-reply is always on Sets expectation for a response Includes links to online resources Answers most common questions, e.g.: How do I get additional copies of statements? How do I reset my password to the website? Questions can change over time, based on needs E.g., if a merger, stock split, or other corporate transaction has been announced, update information in email to address questions about these events 6. Enter the Blogosphere Consider a blog If your company has an internal blog (e.g., an HR or benefits blog), ask if you can guest author an entry every few months If your company doesn t have an internal blog, see if your colleagues in HR, payroll, and benefits would join in helping you start one You might be surprised: If lots of people are involved, the burden on any one person isn t that great Writing blog entries is more fun than you might think 7. Get Technical Technology driven communication tools Provide online access to plan documents and other educational materials FAQs, plan prospectus, Pre-recorded presentations and computer-based trainings Combine recorded audio with text, graphics, and interactive activities Consider hiring a professional to develop training program for you Keep it short no longer than 15 minutes! Provide a quick snapshot and a reference for more information This goes for live and in-person presentations as well It may not be as hard or as expensive as you think Numerous off-the-shelf tools to help you create movies and animations (GoAnimate, Digital Films, Powtoon, Plotagon) Off-the-shelf videos and other resources (Guidespark, mystockoptions.com) 8. The Morning Edition Publish a periodic (e.g., quarterly) newsletter Your 401(k) plan probably has one, why shouldn t your stock plan? Provides a regular schedule for distributing new (or not so new) messages about the plan Ideas for content: Reminders of key deadlines (e.g., ESPP enrollment) and events (e.g., annual grants or award vesting) Interviews with plan participants Contests/giveaways (e.g., Question of the Quarter Challenge) FAQs Did You Know? column Keep it short one to two pages is great, no more than four pages Ask your marketing group to help you design a template Publish online or on paper or both, whichever is most appropriate for your culture
9. Skip to the Example A picture speaks a thousand words Sometimes it's best to skip the tedious explanation of the concepts and go directly to an example This can be especially helpful when space and time is limited (e.g., in presentations) 10. Don t Split the Difference Consider the following: An employee exercises an option with a price of $5 per share when the FMV is $10 per share, realizing a $5 per share gain. Don t do that! Employees can't tell if the gain is equal to the option price or the difference between the option price and the FMV. This example is much clearer if the option price is $4, the FMV is $10, and the gain is $6. 11. Round It Off Use round numbers in examples wherever possible If the math is difficult, it distracts from the concept you are trying to illustrate Unless the purpose of the example is to illustrate how amounts will be rounded or decimals just can't be avoided (e.g., in an explanation of a 1 for 11 reverse stock split) 12. Assume the Worst Include some examples that show what happens when the stock price declines Set appropriate expectations about stock price performance Unrealistic expectations on the part of employees can destroy perceived value; once lost, trust is very hard to regain Important to helping employees make smart decisions about their stock compensation
13. Teach Yourself 14. Cat Video Develop your own communication skills Consider taking a few courses: Public speaking Writing Developing trainings Practice makes perfect Always practice your presentations before giving them live 15. Set Goals Set manageable goals with reasonable deadlines For example, Reducing employee inquiries on a particular topic Updating the stock plan FAQ Increasing participation in the ESPP You don t have to do everything all at once Pick four ideas from this presentation that you d like to accomplish over the next 12 months (one per quarter) 16. Have Fun Learning through puzzles, quizzes and games Fun for employees AND fun for you! A great way to evaluate employee knowledge and to drive home key concepts Keep it short, 5 to 10 questions at most (true/false is ok this isn t a certification program) No trick questions it s okay if everyone scores 100% Provide feedback on wrong answers Use off-the-shelf tools available (e.g., SurveyMonkey)