Getting Creative with Stakeholder Engagement

Joel Metlen is a pioneer of the state facilitated retirement savings space, joining OregonSaves in September of 2016. That was just after the program had issued its administrative services RFP, and nine months before the targeted go-live date of July 1, 2017.

We talk here about Joel’s experience and thinking about engagement.

Stepping into a very entrepreneurial space within the Treasurer’s office, Joel helped establish the program’s marketing plan and direction, shaped its outreach and engagement approach, and worked tirelessly in the early days to ensure the program would get off the ground in good shape with both employers and employees. Joel is one of our Senior Associates, joining us as a regular columnist starting this month. Let’s talk about best practices around outreach and engagement!

Joel Metlen, you led public engagement for the country’s first Auto IRA program. How did you think about it?

Great question. Well, any program meant to serve the community can only truly succeed if the community has a say in its development and implementation. While I wore many hats during the startup of the first state-sponsored retirement plan, OregonSaves, my initial title was “Public Engagement Manager,” because it was clear that the program wouldn’t work if we created it in a silo, without the help of stakeholders and potential participants.

You had a small budget and a big state to cover. What was your strategy?

You’re right! The key to working with stakeholders is to engage folks early and often, mapping out who is interested and figuring out inroads to start the right conversations at the right time. Within just a few months of starting, I put thousands of miles on my car and made hundreds of presentations. I sat down with workers, business owners, chamber of commerce directors, financial services professionals, community partners, financial literacy organizations, and anyone else willing to let me in the door or pick up the phone. I met folks in coffee shops, automotive garages, golf clubhouses, and factory floors, and for the most part, I just listened.

“For the most part I listened” – how did those conversations go?

Some folks were thrilled by the idea of a new retirement option. Others were skeptical or opposed the concept. I distinctly remember one phone call where a business owner spent over an hour raging about government mandates, minimum wage, lack of personal responsibility and every other topic that concerned him. At the end, he suddenly became quite calm. He apologized for getting so worked up and thanked me for listening. He was genuinely surprised that I hadn’t hung up and had stayed on to hear what he had to say.

That’s impressive.

I’ve learned that sometimes your detractors provide some of the most useful information, which can help you strengthen your program and identify risks and issues early on. Engaging folks consistently, openly, and respectfully makes sure they feel heard, and in some cases, former opponents can turn neutral or even become supporters over time.

Tell us about the outcomes from those early conversations.

The most enthusiastic workers and employers we met during that design phase of OregonSaves later joined our pilot program. They helped us test and improve almost every aspect of the program, and many of them went on to become the most vocal advocates for OregonSaves and for saving for retirement in general.

That’s terrific – any other positive outcomes?

We did find these conversations and the genuine support they generated helped with some of the opposition voices. It’s harder to argue that a program is a bad idea if you have a chorus of voices from the community extolling the ways that it has improved their lives.

It takes the arguments out of the theoretical and shows something tangible – real money socked away in a retirement account for the first time in someone’s career. That’s the sort of measurable outcome community wants, and you can’t know how to achieve it without having community by your side each step of the way.

We agree! Joel – final fun question - What do you expect some of your highlights to be from the Summer of 2021?

Our family loves the outdoors – we’re hoping to get in a little hiking on Mount Hood and some water time here in the Northwest. We’re off to a great start!

Joel Metlen, we appreciate your distinctive insights. Thank you! For more of Joel’s perspectives, stay tuned as he joins us as a regular columnist right here in Retirement Security Matters.

This piece was featured in the July 1, 2021 edition of Retirement Security Matters. For more fresh thinking on retirement savings innovation, check out the newsletter here.