HR Insight​

Employee Engagement: What It Is and Why It Matters to Organizations

September 20, 2021 - 12:00 AM

Employee_Engagement_Definition

Meaning of Engagement

The word engagement literally means connection or attachment . It refers to a psychological and emotional state — the feelings and mindset a person has toward something — which acts as an important internal motivator for human behavior. Because of this, psychologists and behavioral scientists have long been interested in studying engagement and how it affects work performance. That’s why the term engagement often appears as part of many HR-related concepts, such as work engagement , personal engagement , staff engagement , or employee engagement .

Meaning of Employee Engagement

Employee engagement refers to the level of emotional connection and commitment employees have toward their work and organization. It is a state in which employees feel energized and motivated to dedicate themselves enthusiastically to their jobs. Simply put, employee engagement means employees love what they do and care deeply about their organization — the opposite of burnout .

Importance of Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is at the heart of attracting, developing, and retaining an organization’s talent. Engaged employees channel their emotional connection toward their work and organization into three key types of positive behavior:

  • Say – They speak positively about the organization, their work, and their colleagues.

  • Stay – They choose to remain with the organization, even when offered opportunities elsewhere.

  • Strive – They give their best effort, constantly seeking new ideas and going above expectations to ensure success.

Because of these benefits, organizations aim to nurture and strengthen employee engagement. High engagement leads to better productivity and performance, reduced turnover, and a stronger employer brand image.

Reference: Employee Engagement in Theory and Practice