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Who Would You Rather Work With?

By Guest Blogger Sybil F. Stershic

Picture1 While “employee engagement” is a frequent topic in the workplace these days, some people have difficulty articulating what it really means:

I can’t really explain it, but I’ll know it when I see it.”

I’ve heard a variety of definitions, ranging from “Employee engagement is when employees are fully involved and enthusiastic about their work” to “Employee engagement involves sucking more discretionary effort from employees.”

One of the best explanations of employee engagement I’ve found comes from Chris White, CEO of global consulting firm BlessingWhite, who describes the difference between employees who are engaged and those who are not:

"Disengaged employees stay for what they get — a comfortable job, a good salary, and decent job conditions. Engaged employees stay for what they give — they like the work they do to drive your organization's success.”

 

Once engaged doesn’t mean always engaged

When engaged employees feel they can no longer positively contribute – because they are worn down by continued cutbacks, reduced resources, and/or unresponsive management – their frustration is likely to lead them out the door as soon as economic conditions improve. So unless companies are careful, they’re at risk to lose good talent … unlike some of the disengaged who are likely to coast with minimal productivity as long as they can.

Bottom line: organizations cannot afford to take their engaged employees for granted.

For more information, check out a summary of BlessingWhite’s latest research, Employee Engagement Report 2011.

 

Comments

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Carla Anne Ernst

The power of effective employee engagement and internal communications cannot be overstated. It focuses on the heart and soul of an organization – its people. It directly impacts business goals by paying attention to the shared needs of the people who work in the organization. It motivates them, helps them achieve their own career goals, unites them in their commitment to share common values and cultural imperatives and provides forums that offer two-way communication – particularly at times of organizational change. Employees and their families often represent multiple constituencies – including shareholders, community members and customers; thus, their engagement is critical to long-term success.

Carla Anne Ernst
CarlaAnne Communications, LLC
(414) 614-6873

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