Employers might be gratified to know employees are happy or satisfied in their work, but they should aim higher than that. The term employee engagement refers to staff who are emotionally invested in their job and feel part of something worthwhile. Their behaviour is consistently positive and driven.

Benefits of Employee Engagement

The importance of employee engagement in the workplace cannot be overstated. Here are three of its chief rewards:

• Productivity: An employee who is successful and likes the way their work makes them feel will perform tirelessly for the company. According to a Gallup survey, organisations with engaged employees are 21% more profitable than those with disengaged ones.

• Employee retention: Since engaged employees are deeply invested in their work for the company, they are less likely to be tempted away from it. This is a difference between engagement and more moderate ideas of happiness and satisfaction.

• Customer satisfaction: Employees who are passionate about their work create a positive impression with customers and are better able to sell a product or service. They enhance the reputation of the organisation. Employee engagement is unlikely to come from mediocrity. It's a sign of positive workplace culture with good relationships between co-workers. Companies must treat employees well and inspire them before they can expect such grand returns.

Measuring Employee Engagement

Since employee engagement is so desirable, it's useful to know how to measure it. Then it can be improved and spread through the whole company. Surveys are one way of ascertaining how engaged employees are. The aim is to discover how they feel about their job, how aligned they are with the organisation's philosophy and goals, and how they see their future.

Engaged workers tend to have good attendance records, go beyond what is expected of them and generally perform better in their job. Thus, managers can learn a lot about the status quo from employee statistics and data.

By improving employee engagement, businesses can start to realise their full potential.