Defining Employee EngagementA number of definitions exist; however, they all sharethese common elements. Engaged employees will:

• Feel satisfaction with their work.• Take pride in their organization.• Enjoy and believe in their work.• Understand the link between their job and the• organization’s mission.• Feel valued by their employer.• Fully commit to their employer and their role.• Exert extra effort to contribute to business success.

• “The essence of competitiveness is liberated when• we make people believe that what they think and• do is important—and then get out of their way• while they do it.”• Jack Welch, former CEO, General Electric

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Business consultant and former General Electric CEOJack Welch cites employee engagement as the most crucialmeasure of a company’s health—more important thancustomer satisfaction or cash flow. Engaged employeeswill “go the extra mile” to serve customers and to be anadvocate for the organization. Focus on increasing employeeengagement first, and customer satisfaction and bottom lineresults will follow.

Employee commitment is related to engagement.Commitment is a willingness to devote time and energy tofulfill job responsibilities and usually includes the investmentof both intellectual and emotional energy in the workplace.The greater an employee’s engagement and commitment,the more likely he or she is to deliver excellent—rather thanordinary—performance.

Employees rate effectiveness of employers’ engagement activities• Offering promotions or bonuses to highperforming employees36• Providing a comfortable and stimulating work environment30• Encouraging employees to share their ideas and opinions 28• Investing in employees’ careers through training, professional

development or continuing education28• Having a formal system in place to recognize/reward top employees

21• Providing regular performance reviews16• Hosting social or team-building events10

Most common activities employers use to engage employees• Provides regular performance reviews46• Encourages employees to share their ideas and opinions45• Invests in employees’ careers through training, professional

development, or continuing education38• Provides a comfortable and stimulating work environment37• Has a formal system in place to recognize/reward top employees28• Offers promotions or bonuses to highperforming employees 27• Hosts social or team-building events 26

1. Job and task design. Provide enriched work—jobs withhigh meaningfulness, variety and autonomy to build trustand worker engagement.Both job enlargement (broadening the scope of anemployee’s tasks) and job enrichment (providing morecomplex, enriching tasks) are important to motivatingemployees and keeping them engaged. Jobs that havevariety, significance, autonomy and performance feedbackwill promote internal motivation, personal responsibilityand job satisfaction—all of which increase employeewillingness to pursue both prescribed and voluntary work.Researchers have also identified social traits of work that helpmotivate employees. These include feedback from others,interdependence and willingness to get good feedback andsupport from co-workers.

2. Recruiting. Whenever possible, recruit currentemployees for new, more desirable jobs, rather than goingoutside the organization.By drawing on available workers who are already loyalto the firm and understand its mission, a good fit is morelikely, thus enhancing employee engagement. For example,the Randstad Engagement Index found that 61 percent ofemployees expect to grow their careers with their currentemployers and just over one-third plan to seek a new positionwithin their current company. Clearly, if opportunities foradvancement exist, many employees would prefer to remainwith their current organizations. When it is necessary torecruit outside candidates, promote features of the job thatare likely to spark engagement and commitment quickly. Forexample, if candidates have family obligations, highlightingthe firm’s family health benefits, on-site daycare or flexiblework policies could cement a strong commitment fromapplicants.

3. Employee selection. During the selection process,present some tough hurdles that candidates will have tosurmount as employees. This will give them a sense ofaccomplishment even before they are hired. Look forcandidates who will not only perform their duties well,but will also be willing to “go the extra mile” and performvoluntary tasks.

4. Training and development. Offer professionaldevelopment opportunities for your employees. Considerleveraging digital technology and online training to reducetravel expenses and provide more flexible training schedules.Offering good training is among the best ways to ensureemployee productivity and dedication. Employees whoenhance their skills through training are more likely toengage fully in their work because they derive satisfactionas they master new tasks and increase future employability.As Figure 1 shows, “investing in employees’ careers throughtraining, professional development or continuing education”was ranked by employees as the fourth most effectiveengagement tool. Plus, increasing engagement throughtraining also decreases turnover.

development opportunities for your employees. Considerleveraging digital technology and online training to reducetravel expenses and provide more flexible training schedules.Offering good training is among the best ways to ensureemployee productivity and dedication. Employees whoenhance their skills through training are more likely toengage fully in their work because they derive satisfactionas they master new tasks and increase future employability.As Figure 1 shows, “investing in employees’ careers throughtraining, professional development or continuing education”was ranked by employees as the fourth most effectiveengagement tool. Plus, increasing engagement throughtraining also decreases turnover.

5. Compensation. Provide competitive total rewardscommensurate with employee contributions. Ensure thedesign of your compensation plan—including pay, benefitsand nonfinancial perks—reinforces the organization’sstrategic objectives (innovation, teamwork, etc.)Pay and benefits that are perceived as fair andcompetitive will motivate employees to be more committedbecause the organization is signaling its own commitmentto them. Options for supporting specific objectives includeincentive pay to reward outstanding individual or teamperformance, competency-based or skill-based pay toencourage continuing education and development of skills, and flexible benefits and retirement plans to promote work/life balance and long-term commitment to the organization.

6. Performance management. Link job objectives tothe organization’s objectives and priorities and includeemployees in the goal-setting process, because theircommitment increases if they help define the goals. Don’tneglect positive feedback, including praise for voluntarywork.Find ways to recognize contributions that exceedexpectations. Being compensated for a job well done fostershigh engagement, particularly for high performers. Figure1 shows that “offering promotions or bonuses to highperformingemployees” was ranked by workers as the mosteffective engagement tool. In the same survey, more thanhalf of employees (54 percent) ranked “feeling their efforts are recognized and valued” as one of the most importantfactors affecting their attitude toward their job. To assistemployees, managers should provide ongoing feedbackrather than waiting for the annual review. Providing specific,constructive feedback will help employees understand howto be successful in the organization and let them know thattheir contributions are valued.

Creating a Culture of EngagementEstablish a receptive foundation for your engagementinitiatives by creating an “engagement culture.” Communicatethe value of employee engagement and instill a senseof purpose through your company mission statement andother executive communications. For example, the BrightHorizons mission statement (see sidebar) helps employeesfeel they are doing something important: making adifference in the lives of children and families. This missionstatement helps them to believe in their work and to takepride in their organization, therefore fostering engagement.

ConclusionFostering a more engaged workforce will help yourorganization achieve its mission, execute its strategy andgenerate positive business results. The specific ways in whichyou choose to define and invest in engagement, however,will vary depending on your company’s strategy, objectivesand workforce. Carefully crafted HR practices—such as jobdesign, recruitment and training—can be key drivers toincrease employee engagement and commitment.