Engaging Employees with Purpose
The idea that a highly engaged workforce is important for the health of a business is not new. It’s a highly researched area, and the research points...
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Video: The Meaning of Employee Engagement
by Jacque Patterson
Organizations who implement employee engagement programs and campaigns see less turnover, increased sales, higher levels of profit – the list goes on. At August Jackson, we help our clients align their people practices to their purpose in a way that drives a stronger culture and business outcomes. This is our definition of employee engagement and why it is so important, crucially linked to business success.
Learn more about our Employee Engagement Practice and meet Jacque Patterson, Employee Engagement Practice Leader.
The Meaning of Employee Engagement
At AJ, our definition is rooted in the scientific research that defines engagement as vigor, dedication and absorption. So what that means for us in our own words is that engaged employees are (1) dedicated to the purpose of the organization, (2) that they’re participating in the culture in a positive way, and (3) that they’re in the right job for their skills and styles.
How are organizations today handling employee engagement?
Organizations today are still struggling to get employee engagement right. Only about a third of American workers are engaged according to lots of research that’s out there. Employee engagement can be very illusive when there are mergers and leadership changes and reorgs and technology changes happening constantly. There’s also the future of work that is causing all of us to question our assumptions around where work gets done, who does the work, and what work can be automated. With all of this complexity in the world, sustaining employee engagement can be really, really difficult for organizations.
Why employee engagement is important
Employee engagement is good for everyone. For employers, it’s linked to outcomes like financial performance, growth, collaboration, innovation, customer loyalty, even workplace safety. For employees, it’s great because it lends to better job satisfaction, less burnout, better career progression and more learning opportunities, and even just general employee well-being. But for customers, it’s also really important. So we know that those companies that are leading the way in customer experience tend to have employees with about 60% more engaged than those that are lagging in customer experience. So employee engagement can be a real differentiator for customers as well.
