Engagement

What is engagement?

Engagement is when workers enjoy and feel connected to their work and feel motivated to do their job well. Worker engagement can be physical, emotional and/or cognitive. Physical engagement is based on the exertion a worker puts into their job. Physically engaged workers view work as a source of energy. Emotionally engaged workers have a positive job outlook and are passionate about their work. Cognitively engaged workers devote more attention to their work and are absorbed in their job. Whatever the source, engaged workers feel connected to their work because they can relate to and are committed to their organization’s overall success and vision.

Engagement should be seen as a result of policies, practices and procedures that protect a worker’s psychological health and safety. Engagement is like, but is not to be mistaken for, job satisfaction, job involvement, organizational commitment, psychological empowerment and personal motivation.

An organization with good engagement can state:

  • Workers enjoy their work.
  • Workers are willing to give extra effort, if needed.
  • Workers describe work as an important part of who they are.
  • Workers are committed to the organization’s success.
  • Workers are proud of their work.

Why is engagement important?

Worker engagement is important for individual satisfaction and psychological health, as well as for an organization’s success. Research indicates that shareholder returns for companies with engaged workforces can be double that of the average company. Employee engagement is shown to increase customer satisfaction, task performance, morale and motivation.

On the other hand, when workers are disengaged, it can cost organizations a lot. Productivity drops, turnover goes up, and people are more likely to miss work or get into conflicts. Disengagement can also lead to psychological and medical issues that can further increase costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Create a sense of community at work. Provide team-building opportunities.
  • Provide opportunities for staff to socialize and participate in community events (staff lunches, holiday parties, fundraising efforts, volunteer activities, etc.).
  • Commit to “people-first” values at all organizational levels (hire managers with the right skills, lead by example, etc.).
  • Recognize and appreciate staff willingness to make the extra effort at work (helping others during illness/absence, taking part in optional job-related activities or special committees, etc.). Proactively monitor staff engagement levels. Ensure regular check-ins between leaders and direct reports to identify changes in engagement.
  • Foster conditions to allow team members to fully use their talents.
  • Create a pleasant and welcoming work environment (plants, artwork, natural lighting, etc.), including a common room where staff can gather.
  • Train leaders to be competent in skills and strategies that build staff engagement.
  • Focus on talent development and coaching to help team members grow.
  • Train and support staff to be the organization’s ambassadors. This can enhance hiring and help build and sustain a positive public profile.
  • Communicate your organization’s vision, mission, values and ideology to staff and the public. Ensure your team understands the core values that drive your workplace.
  • Publicly acknowledge individual, team and organizational accomplishments and successes.
  • Ask workers for input on things that can increase their engagement.
  • Ensure that staff have a voice in creating organizational goals.
  • Ensure leadership accountability for retention and engagement (use metrics to document leaders’ impact on retention and morale among their teams).
  • Provide monetary and/or non-monetary incentives tied to years of service.
  • Support staff who may be in temporary or unstable positions (such as contract staff or those who may be affected by upcoming layoffs or restructuring). Ask them what supports would help.
  • In the hiring process, offer an opportunity for a job preview to increase job satisfaction and retention.

Action

Next steps: Cultivating worker engagement

▸ Objective

A work environment where workers feel connected to their work and are motivated to do their job well.

▸ Benefits
  • Enhanced performance and productivity
  • High worker morale and motivation
  • Enhanced recruitment and increased retention of existing employees
  • Improved customer and client relations
▸ Reflection Questions
  • Do issues related to engagement pose a greater risk to certain groups of workers (new workers, certain jobs, shift workers, young workers, etc.)?
  • What are your workplace’s strengths in terms of engagement? (What do you do well and what should you continue doing?)
  • What could your workplace do to improve in this area? (What could you do more of and what could you do less of?)