Employee Engagement & Business Outcomes

Employee engagement. Not a new concept in the ‘people’ realm of work. Employee engagement and employee engagement strategies have been a top priority for Chief People Officers, CHRO’s, and their teams for over twenty years. It has, however, historically been viewed by the executive suite as a nebulous “soft skills’ concept, birthed in academia and fed and watered in the fertile ground of management consulting firms.

Initiatives aligned to drive employee engagement are often one of the first to fall victim to budget cutting exercises and the last to be holistically embraced and lived by the organization. Yet, strategies targeted at improving employee engagement are some of the most overlooked opportunities to drive both top and bottom line growth. Why? Some organizations can’t produce the data in house to illustrate the correlation between engagement and business outcomes, making it hard to justify the investment. Others struggle to identify the key areas to measure and translate the concept of engagement into actions and behaviors that are effectively and consistently applied by leaders and employees. Some organizations don’t measure at all. As organizations balance many competing priorities and initiatives, these challenges are just enough to push employee engagement to the back corner of senior leaderships carousel of strategic planning initiatives.

Organizations that invest in defining, fostering, and measuring the ways employees connect - with their work, one another, and the organization - will realize lasting, measurable impacts on business outcomes.

There is no shortage of definitions of employee engagement. Most attempt to weave together psychological and business concepts, resulting in a maze of motivations, emotions, perceptions and understanding that are difficult to shift from words on paper to ways of being at work.

Author and consultant, David Zinger defines engagement as “. . . the art and science of engaging people in authentic and recognized connections to strategy, roles, performance, organization, community, relationships, customers, development, energy, and happiness to leverage, sustain and transform work into results.” Gallup’s definition of engagement is a bit more digestible but still riddled with the complexities of human emotion and subjectivity. “Employee engagement is the extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to the organization, and put discretionary effort into their work.”

A succinct and outcome oriented definition offered by   , employee engagement is, “how much an employee is committed to helping their organization achieve its goals. It’s demonstrated by how employees think, feel, and act, as well as the emotional connection employees feel towards their organization, their work, and their team.” In other words, if people feel connected – in a positive way - to the work they are doing and the people they are doing it with, they will perform better and so will the organization.

But how does employee engagement ‘show up’? How do engaged and connected employees act and behave at work? Although it isn’t safe to assume every engaged employee will display these characteristics, here are a few common and powerful characteristics that are easy to identify:

• Collaborators – natural connectors, engaged employees proactively work within and across the organization to problem solve and achieve goals and outcomes. They are strong communicators and navigators, tapping both organic and inorganic internal networks to expedite work, information sharing, and innovation.
• Growth mindset – employees who are engaged are optimistic about the work of their team and the organization. Setbacks and challenges do not deter but rather inspire them to put in the extra effort and go above and beyond.
• Curious and eager to learn – engaged employees seek opportunities to learn, grow, and expand their understanding and expertise. They want to expand their skills and knowledge to not only serve their own career development but the needs and goals of the organization.
• Agile change managers – viewing change as an opportunity versus a burden, engaged employees can adapt to organizational and market changes. Rather than being nah-sayers of innovative ideas and initiatives, they are willing to ride the waves of change, anchored to the bigger force that drives them: their connection with and belief in the organization.

Engaged employees think, work, and interact in ways that improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and overall success of their team and the organization. Like the “rising tide lifts all boats” metaphor, engaged employees are a surreptitious force that can help organizations not only achieve positive business outcomes but continue to navigate challenges and changes to not only survive but grow and thrive.

eBook Overview

Organizations that invest in defining, fostering, and measuring the ways employees connect - with their work, one another, and the organization - will realize lasting, measurable impacts on business outcomes. This eBook breaks down why employee engagement in the workplace is a business imperative and serves as a guide for how organizations can implement solutions that enhance business outcomes.

The Employee Engagement and Business Outcomes eBook explorers the following topics: 

• The Data Doesn't Lie: Engagement Drives Outcomes
• The Activation Conundrum: From Strategy to Activation
• Make Engagement a Business Priority

Download the eBook today!