The Why Factor

Is Engagement Really the Magic Bullet?
So the topline feedback from the annual survey was emailed out to all managers today.  Your company had an engagement score of 4.0 out of 5.  Everybody is celebrating and the Communications Department is alive drafting Press Releases announcements to the population-at large.  
 I got a little curious so I went back into my data banks and pulled the last three engagement surveys.   One of the surveys had 64 questions, another 32, this year’s survey has 12 questions.  They each presented an overall engagement score and even provided a benchmark against other companies in the industry.  
I have to admit I am a little confused.  You see even though 80% of employees were engaged, 30% of those that were engaged also indicated they would likely be leaving the company in less than a year.  And with all these articles about employees looking for new jobs it simply doesn’t compute.  If an employee is really engaged why are they looking for a new job?
Really, I guess I just don’t understand the term “Engagement” (I actually thought it had to do with making a promise to marry).  As I review it, there seem to be several definitions.  

1.    Current conceptualizations of engagement include attitudes, such as satisfaction, commitment, involvement, loyalty, and empowerment.
2.    Some companies are arguing that employee engagement is some kind of new behavior science, a breakthrough if you will, that connects employee satisfaction to business outcomes.
3.    Others are saying that employee engagement is just the latest buzzword and that it offers nothing different form the satisfaction and motivation research of the 1950’s and 1960’s.
4.    Some say engagement is merely a new brand -- a way for consultants to sell last year's fashions at marked-up prices."  



Engagement Isn’t What it is Cracked Up to Be
If you asked 10 different survey companies to define engagement you will probably get 10 somewhat different responses.  And if you ask how they will determine the engagement of your employee population, then this is when it really gets fun.  You see there is no real science to back up a methodology for identifying engagement.  Some would even call engagement a myth.  Nevertheless, without a clear and common definition, planning and solutions for engagement remain cluttered, scattered and unfocused.
At The Work Institute, we don’t try and dazzle our clients with fancy formulas for engagement and we don’t profess to know the exact 12, 32 or 64 questions that will identify an engaged employee.  
There are 5 things we know to be true.  
1.    Employees know what they expect from an employer.  
2.    Employees know how they need to be treated by their supervisor.  
3.    Employees know how to create a better workplace.  
4.     If you create this better workplace, employees will stay for a long time, be more productive, be more innovative and will create better relationships with your clients and customers.
5.    Employee attitude and satisfaction drives customer satisfaction and customer satisfaction drives organizational effectiveness, growth and profitability.  
The key to creating an engaged workforce is really pretty easy – ASK,LISTEN AND ACT