What is Employee Engagement?
What is Employee Engagement?
“Employee Engagement (is) the ability to capture the heads, hearts, and souls of your employees to instill an intrinsic desire and passion for excellence.” -- Fleming and Asplund
The term Employee Engagement is one of the most widely used, yet widely misunderstood terms in the Human Resources field today. Yet, the relevance of this simple catchphrase to workplace managers is paramount to any organization’s success. Understanding Employee Engagement is key to powerful employee retention, productivity, and profitability.
The Human Factor
Employee Engagement is all about people; people who fulfill their workplace contract by fueling an organization’s successful operations.
Decades ago, employees were often considered part of a workplace “family”. An employee would find a position within a company and remain at that company throughout their entire career. However, even though the employee may have been secure and settled within his or her position, the company rarely put any effort into determining what made any of their workplace family happy and productive.
Performance was simply expected from every employee and was therefore freely given without question.
Loyalty
After donating most of their adult lives to an organization, each workplace family member was rewarded with a retirement dinner and a pension if they were lucky. The workplace exchange was simple. In return for their loyalty, defined as dependable service to the organization, employees could expect a steady paycheck and a secure position within the organizational family.
Globalization
In the latter part of the twentieth century, things changed. The workplace became a global environment in which employers found that they had a worldwide pool of talent from which to draw talented professionals.
The other side of this workplace globalization was that employees had a worldwide arena in which to market their skills.
Although employers had a larger pool of professionals to select from, they no longer held all the cards when it came to employee retention. The deck was actually stacked against them. Movement between employers became common as employees sought more from their jobs than a steady paycheck and a retirement dinner. Employees began to seek out the spoils of a career.
Engagement
Employers were facing a hard choice; bring more than the mere promise of employment to the bargaining table, or watch their most talented professionals leave for greener pastures. Organizations that were unable to retain their best employees found that they spent far more on recruitment and training than companies that were able to attract and hang on to workplace talent.
But what, exactly, is Employee Engagement?
As simply as possible, Employee Engagement is the level satisfaction that employees feel on the job. Satisfied employees are engaged and engaged employees are satisfied. The more satisfied the employee, the more engaged, or connected, they feel to the organization. And, connected employees are loyal employees.
Still, Gallup, Inc. (the purveyors of the poll), after conducting extensive research, found that most employees are neither actively engaged nor disengaged. They simply show up at work, do the job they signed on for, and go home at the end of the day. The danger in this cycle is that, with no active connection to the organization, employees don’t feel any remorse about finding a company in which they do feel connected.
Obviously something is still lacking at the core of most organizations.
Why is Employee Engagement Important?
“… A number of popular views of engagement suggest that engaged employees not only contribute more but also are more loyal and therefore less likely to voluntarily leave the organization.” -- Macey and Schneider
Fifty years ago, employers rarely gave significant thought to how happy their employees were. Happiness just wasn’t considered necessary for optimal performance. Additionally, happiness and job satisfaction was often intricately linked to what an employee was paid, not what satisfaction he received from his position within the company. But as the workplace changed and employers found that they not only had to prove their worth to potential employees, they also found that they had to prove their continued value in order to retain valuable employees.
Retention
Few organizations will declare that they enjoy the cost and inconvenience of recruitment. Although it keeps many HR professionals employed, recruiting is one of the least profitable aspects of business. Therefore, once a company locates, hires, and trains suitable employees, the goal is to keep them. So, at least for employers, it’s all about retention. And, engaged employees are retained at a far larger rate than their disengaged counterparts.
Engaged Employees Are Motivated
One of the most important factors that determine the level of Employee Engagement is the relationship that an employee shares with his or her manager. A good relationship leads an employee to feel connected to the organization. A less than satisfying relationship with a manager often leads to less than satisfied employees.
It is important that employers encourage managers to develop engaging relationships with their employees. A mutually satisfying relationship motivates employees to dedicate a significant portion of their energy into working toward the success of the organization, management, their coworkers, and, ultimately, themselves.
In almost a bottom-up fashion, the organization as a whole benefits from motivated employees.
Engaged Employees Are Involved, Passionate, and Enthusiastic
Organizations rarely benefit from employees that robotically perform their assigned tasks. Most research indicates that the more passionate an employee feels about his or her job, the more energy that employee is likely to invest into the performance of said job. And, in general, the more significant the emotional investment of the employee, the more successful the outcome for both the employee and the organization.
Many employees are enthusiastic during the initial days of employment. However, this enthusiasm may wane if an employee fails to connect, or become engaged, with management and the organization itself. It is important for employers to help employees maintain a level of passion and enthusiasm that makes a position rewarding.
In almost a bottom-up fashion, the organization as a whole benefits from employees that are involved, passionate, and enthusiastic.
Engaged Employees Are Active and Responsible
How many times have managers been frustrated by the “not me” syndrome? Employees who do not feel engaged and connected to the organization that they’re part of rarely go out on a limb in the performance of their job. But, employees that value their relationship as a member of the workplace family are more likely to consider themselves responsible for the success of the organization, will often value the organizations goals as their own, and are significantly more likely to actively work toward those goals.
In almost a bottom-up fashion, the organization as a whole benefits from employees that are active and responsible.
Engaged Employees Are Committed, Loyal, and Productive
Ah, maybe the days of employee loyalty are not as far removed from the present as was once thought. Employees might not consider the gold watch and retirement dinner the primary reward for service well rendered, and loyalty now has to be earned by an employer rather than assumed. Yet, organizations can still anticipate that committed and engaged employees will remain an integral part of the workplace family indefinitely.
Understandably, the most productive employees are those that are committed and loyal; those that are engaged.
In almost a bottom-up fashion, the organization as a whole benefits from employees that are committed, loyal, and productive.
Can Anyone Guarantee Employee Engagement?
“Employee Engagement can be linked to critical outcomes including absenteeism, turnover, customer satisfaction, operational performance, and financial performance. Employee Engagement is a vital driver of an organization's bottom-line performance.” -- Cornell University
Although it is nearly impossible to guarantee that every employee will be 100% engaged, there are strategies that an organization can use to ensure the most favorable outcome for their employees and the company.
Among these strategies, an organization might…
• Foster productive relationships with coworkers and management.
• Educate supervisors and managers in techniques that are most likely to make employees feel engaged.
• Consider professional development and continuing education an integral part of employee training.
• Require that engagement competencies are a crucial part of management training.
• Develop meaningful ways to measure employee engagement.
• Build employee engagement practices into the organization’s core values.
Successful organizations have well-thought-out programs that are designed to promote Employee Engagement. These programs present employees with the opportunity to make a difference within the organization and/or the surrounding community; connecting each segment to form a cohesive whole. Even during times of organizational or personal turmoil, engaged employees are the most likely to remain productive, responsible, active, passionate, enthusiastic, involved, and motivated; all adjectives that signify retention and success.
What is Employee Engagement - To learn more about this author, visit David Liddell's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
What is Employee Engagement?
“Employee Engagement (is) the ability to capture the heads, hearts, and souls of your employees to instill an intrinsic desire and passion for excellence.” -- Fleming and Asplund
The term Employee Engagement is one of the most widely used, yet widely misunderstood terms in the Human Resources field today. Yet, the relevance of this simple catchphrase to workplace managers is paramount to any organization’s success. Understanding Employee Engagement is key to powerful employee retention, productivity, and profitability.
The Human Factor
Employee Engagement is all about people; people who fulfill their workplace contract by fueling an organization’s successful operations.
Decades ago, employees were often considered part of a workplace “family”. An employee would find a position within a company and remain at that company throughout their entire career. However, even though the employee may have been secure and settled within his or her position, the company rarely put any effort into determining what made any of their workplace family happy and productive.
Performance was simply expected from every employee and was therefore freely given without question.
Loyalty
After donating most of their adult lives to an organization, each workplace family member was rewarded with a retirement dinner and a pension if they were lucky. The workplace exchange was simple. In return for their loyalty, defined as dependable service to the organization, employees could expect a steady paycheck and a secure position within the organizational family.
Globalization
In the latter part of the twentieth century, things changed. The workplace became a global environment in which employers found that they had a worldwide pool of talent from which to draw talented professionals.
The other side of this workplace globalization was that employees had a worldwide arena in which to market their skills.
Although employers had a larger pool of professionals to select from, they no longer held all the cards when it came to employee retention. The deck was actually stacked against them. Movement between employers became common as employees sought more from their jobs than a steady paycheck and a retirement dinner. Employees began to seek out the spoils of a career.
Engagement
Employers were facing a hard choice; bring more than the mere promise of employment to the bargaining table, or watch their most talented professionals leave for greener pastures. Organizations that were unable to retain their best employees found that they spent far more on recruitment and training than companies that were able to attract and hang on to workplace talent.
But what, exactly, is Employee Engagement?
As simply as possible, Employee Engagement is the level satisfaction that employees feel on the job. Satisfied employees are engaged and engaged employees are satisfied. The more satisfied the employee, the more engaged, or connected, they feel to the organization. And, connected employees are loyal employees.
Still, Gallup, Inc. (the purveyors of the poll), after conducting extensive research, found that most employees are neither actively engaged nor disengaged. They simply show up at work, do the job they signed on for, and go home at the end of the day. The danger in this cycle is that, with no active connection to the organization, employees don’t feel any remorse about finding a company in which they do feel connected.
Obviously something is still lacking at the core of most organizations.
Why is Employee Engagement Important?
“… A number of popular views of engagement suggest that engaged employees not only contribute more but also are more loyal and therefore less likely to voluntarily leave the organization.” -- Macey and Schneider
Fifty years ago, employers rarely gave significant thought to how happy their employees were. Happiness just wasn’t considered necessary for optimal performance. Additionally, happiness and job satisfaction was often intricately linked to what an employee was paid, not what satisfaction he received from his position within the company. But as the workplace changed and employers found that they not only had to prove their worth to potential employees, they also found that they had to prove their continued value in order to retain valuable employees.
Retention
Few organizations will declare that they enjoy the cost and inconvenience of recruitment. Although it keeps many HR professionals employed, recruiting is one of the least profitable aspects of business. Therefore, once a company locates, hires, and trains suitable employees, the goal is to keep them. So, at least for employers, it’s all about retention. And, engaged employees are retained at a far larger rate than their disengaged counterparts.
Engaged Employees Are Motivated
One of the most important factors that determine the level of Employee Engagement is the relationship that an employee shares with his or her manager. A good relationship leads an employee to feel connected to the organization. A less than satisfying relationship with a manager often leads to less than satisfied employees.
It is important that employers encourage managers to develop engaging relationships with their employees. A mutually satisfying relationship motivates employees to dedicate a significant portion of their energy into working toward the success of the organization, management, their coworkers, and, ultimately, themselves.
In almost a bottom-up fashion, the organization as a whole benefits from motivated employees.
Engaged Employees Are Involved, Passionate, and Enthusiastic
Organizations rarely benefit from employees that robotically perform their assigned tasks. Most research indicates that the more passionate an employee feels about his or her job, the more energy that employee is likely to invest into the performance of said job. And, in general, the more significant the emotional investment of the employee, the more successful the outcome for both the employee and the organization.
Many employees are enthusiastic during the initial days of employment. However, this enthusiasm may wane if an employee fails to connect, or become engaged, with management and the organization itself. It is important for employers to help employees maintain a level of passion and enthusiasm that makes a position rewarding.
In almost a bottom-up fashion, the organization as a whole benefits from employees that are involved, passionate, and enthusiastic.
Engaged Employees Are Active and Responsible
How many times have managers been frustrated by the “not me” syndrome? Employees who do not feel engaged and connected to the organization that they’re part of rarely go out on a limb in the performance of their job. But, employees that value their relationship as a member of the workplace family are more likely to consider themselves responsible for the success of the organization, will often value the organizations goals as their own, and are significantly more likely to actively work toward those goals.
In almost a bottom-up fashion, the organization as a whole benefits from employees that are active and responsible.
Engaged Employees Are Committed, Loyal, and Productive
Ah, maybe the days of employee loyalty are not as far removed from the present as was once thought. Employees might not consider the gold watch and retirement dinner the primary reward for service well rendered, and loyalty now has to be earned by an employer rather than assumed. Yet, organizations can still anticipate that committed and engaged employees will remain an integral part of the workplace family indefinitely.
Understandably, the most productive employees are those that are committed and loyal; those that are engaged.
In almost a bottom-up fashion, the organization as a whole benefits from employees that are committed, loyal, and productive.
Can Anyone Guarantee Employee Engagement?
“Employee Engagement can be linked to critical outcomes including absenteeism, turnover, customer satisfaction, operational performance, and financial performance. Employee Engagement is a vital driver of an organization's bottom-line performance.” -- Cornell University
Although it is nearly impossible to guarantee that every employee will be 100% engaged, there are strategies that an organization can use to ensure the most favorable outcome for their employees and the company.
Among these strategies, an organization might…
• Foster productive relationships with coworkers and management.
• Educate supervisors and managers in techniques that are most likely to make employees feel engaged.
• Consider professional development and continuing education an integral part of employee training.
• Require that engagement competencies are a crucial part of management training.
• Develop meaningful ways to measure employee engagement.
• Build employee engagement practices into the organization’s core values.
Successful organizations have well-thought-out programs that are designed to promote Employee Engagement. These programs present employees with the opportunity to make a difference within the organization and/or the surrounding community; connecting each segment to form a cohesive whole. Even during times of organizational or personal turmoil, engaged employees are the most likely to remain productive, responsible, active, passionate, enthusiastic, involved, and motivated; all adjectives that signify retention and success.
What is Employee Engagement - To learn more about this author, visit David Liddell's Website.
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