Employee engagement is the
next level above employee satisfaction. The difference between the two is distinct.
Satisfied employees perform under a more transactional relationship. They are willing to give X amount of work
and time because the company gives them Y in return.
Engaged employees, in
contrast, will go beyond a transactional relationship and are willing to give greater
levels effort and time. They put more into their jobs because they are passionate about seeing the company and its customers
succeed. Employee engagement is a barometer that determines the relationship of
a person with the organization.
These are certain
characteristics that are traits of more engaged employees. Among them are:
1.
They have a belief in the organization.
Engaged employees feel connected to the mission and values of the organization.
They want to contribute to its success.
2.
They have an understanding of the
‘bigger picture’. These employees know what is expected of them and
they know how what they do fits into the overall strategy of the organization.
3.
They work to make things better.
Engaged employees seek out ways to improve the organization and the products or
services they sell.
4.
They are respectful and caring to
colleagues. These employees appreciate that each has a role and
that each bring certain strengths to the solution. They genuinely care for each
other.
5.
They are willing to go ‘above and beyond’. Another
characteristic of an engaged employee is their willingness to go the extra mile
to achieve the goals of the organization. They do so out of commitment to the
organization’s goals and values,
At the center of any
organization’s engagement model is its leadership. The tone for employee
engagement is set from the top to the bottom of the leadership chain. To
succeed, it has to be an all hands effort. The organization’s leadership must
move the employee beyond the way each feels about his/her job to developing the
attitudinal attachment each employee has to his/her company. This is the difference between having satisfied employees to having engaged employees. And it's not that hard.
And remember from a previous
blog, the KEY
to successfully engaging employees is getting to know each employee – not
engaging a “them”.
For more information about engaging and
mobilizing employees, and to take our free self-assessment about how well you
are engaging and mobilizing, or to see how The Cobalt Group can help you with
this or any other business or leadership challenges you are facing, Contact us.
We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a
discussion.
