What is Employee Engagement? Definition, Drivers, Strategies, Measures and Technologies

SAN FRANCISCO - April 16, 2019 - PRLog -- The concept of employee engagement was first introduced in 1990 by Dr. William Kahn. He suggested that people are involved in their work at three levels – physically, cognitively, and emotionally. However, employees may be engaged at fewer levels, or even disengaged or actively disengaged.

We spoke to Jim McCoy, Chief Revenue Officer and General Manager at Scout Exchange, who shared some of the character traits engaged employees exhibit: "Highly engaged employees are typically high energy people that have close relationships with their colleagues, including their direct manager or supervisor. They have a clear sense of commitment to their organization. They are excited to take on new challenges, embrace change, and welcome solving tough problems. They also tend to be curious by nature, continually learning, and regularly seeking new ways to broaden their existing skill sets. They effectively are ambassadors for the organization, continually looking for ways to promote the organization and further the organizational mission."

As opposed to engaged employees, disengaged employees simply put in their specified hours at work and leave. They do not involve themselves in activities beyond their standard jobs, and they value the job just enough to ensure that they get their paycheck at the end of the month.

A level above disengaged employees are actively disengaged, employees. Such employees are not only unproductive, they also undermine the work engaged employees do. Their negative attitude may create a toxic workplace and they essentially become a burden on the business.

II. Why is Employee Engagement Important for Business?

A Gallup study states that "the behaviors of highly engaged business units result in 21% greater profitability." In addition, employees appreciate a work culture that enables engagement. This means organizations that prioritize engagement are more likely to attract and retain talent.

III. Who Is Responsible for Employee Engagement?

The onus of planning engagement activities and executing them is not on HR alone anymore. HR plays an active role in executing employee engagement strategies, but the planning and execution requires involvement from leaders and managers in the organization as well. The success of an employee engagement program depends on employees' receptivity to it. Employee engagement, then, is an organization-wide collaborative function.

IV. At What Point Does Employee Engagement Begin?

Engagement begins at the beginning of the employee lifecycle, from recruitment, and continues through onboarding, career planning, learning and development, leadership and succession, and retirement or exit from the organization.

However, it must be stated that employee engagement is a two-way street. Even if organizations follow the best practices in employee engagement, there is a certain personality that employees must either possess or inculcate in themselves to be a good cultural fit for the organization. Individuals who display optimism, hard work, and positivity are more likely to be engaged in their work than those who don't.

Also Read: 3 Ways AI is Impacting Company Culture and Ideas for AI-based Hiring (https://hrt.media/kzp09)

Section II: What Are the Drivers of Employee Engagement?

I. Seamless Onboarding

Employee engagement truly begins when the employee is recruited and begins the onboarding process. However, even before being hired, a candidate at the very least gets a glimpse of the communication culture of the organization. Once hired, the onboarding process gives employees an idea of whether they want to continue in the organization for the long term. One way to ensure employee engagement during onboarding is to give employees enough time to master their job before they hit the floor. This means that when they do, they will be ready to take on the job with confidence and build a lasting career in the organization.

In a unique initiative, in 2017, L'Oréal built an employee onboarding app that is only devoted to helping new recruits understand and embrace their company culture. By introducing gamification and delivering key information in small, retainable chunks, L'Oréal has made it clear that engagement begins at the start of the employee lifecycle.

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