Engagement icon Engagement

Involves workers enjoying and feeling physically, emotionally and/or cognitively connected to their work, and being motivated to do their job well.

“Employees engage with employers and brands when they’re treated as humans worthy of respect.” – Meghan Biro

Overview

What is engagement?

Engagement is present in a work environment where workers enjoy and feel connected to their work and where they feel motivated to do their job well. Worker engagement can be physical, emotional and/or cognitive. Physical engagement is based on the amount of exertion a worker puts into his or her job. Physically engaged workers view work as a source of energy. Emotionally engaged workers have a positive job outlook and are passionate about their work. Cognitively engaged employees devote more attention to their work and are absorbed in their job. Whatever the source, engaged workers feel connected to their work because they can relate to, and are committed to, the overall success and mission of their company.

Engagement should be seen as a result of policies, practices and procedures for the protection of worker psychological health and safety. Engagement is similar to, but is not to be mistaken for, job satisfaction, job involvement, organizational commitment, psychological empowerment and personal motivation.

An organization with good engagement would be able to state that:

  • Workers enjoy their work.
  • Workers are willing to give extra effort at work if needed.
  • Workers describe work as an important part of who they are.
  • Workers are committed to the success of the organization.
  • Workers are proud of the work they do.

Worker engagement is important for individual satisfaction and psychological health – as well as for an organization’s bottom line. For example, research indicates that shareholder returns for companies with engaged workforces can be double that of the average company. Worker engagement is shown to increase customer satisfaction, task performance, morale and motivation. It also enhances organizational citizenship behaviours – discretionary behaviours that are beneficial to the organization and are a matter of personal choice.

The economic impact of disengaged workers is massive, with the bulk of the costs being related to productivity losses. In addition, disengaged workers can lead to greater economic impact from psychological and medical effects and related costs. A disengaged workforce is associated with higher rates of turnover, reduced efforts at work, as well as counterproductive workplace behaviours (e.g. withdrawal, conflict).

FAQs

  • Create a sense of community at work. Provide opportunities for team building and teamwork.
  • Provide opportunities for staff to socialize and participate in community events (e.g. staff lunches, holiday parties, fundraising efforts, volunteer activities).
  • Commit to “people-first” values at the organizational level (e.g. hire managers with the appropriate skills, lead by example).
  • Recognize and appreciate staff willingness to go the extra mile at work (e.g. helping others during illness/absence, participating in optional job-related activities or special committees).
  • Take proactive action in monitoring engagement levels among staff. Ensure regular check-ins between leaders and direct reports, as this can provide the best opportunity to identify changes in engagement levels.
  • Foster conditions in which team members can use their talents to the fullest.
  • Create a pleasant and welcoming work environment (e.g. plants, artwork, natural lighting), including a common staff room where staff can gather.

  • Train leaders to be competent in skills and strategies that can build staff engagement.
  • Focus on talent development and coaching of team members to help them grow.
  • Train and support staff to be organizational representatives or “ambassadors”. This can enhance hiring and help build and sustain a positive public profile.

  • Communicate your organizational mission, values and ideology to staff and the public. Ensure your team understands the core values that drive your workplace.
  • Publicly acknowledge individual, team and organizational accomplishments and successes.
  • Solicit input from workers on things that can be done to build their engagement at work.
  • Ensure that staff have a voice in the creation of organizational goals.

  • Ensure leadership accountability for retention and engagement (e.g. use metrics to document leaders’ impact on retention and morale among their teams).
  • Provide monetary and/or non-monetary incentives tied to length of employment.
  • Ensure support is given to staff who may be in temporary or unstable positions (such as contract staff, or those who may be impacted by upcoming layoffs or restructuring). Ask what supports they would benefit from, and provide assistance as appropriate/needed in helping staff seek other work opportunities.
  • In the hiring process, provide an opportunity for a job preview to increase job satisfaction and retention.

Action

Next steps: Cultivating employee engagement

A work environment where employees feel connected to their work and are motivated to do their job well.

  • enhanced performance and productivity
  • high employee morale and motivation
  • enhanced recruitment and increased retention of skilled candidates
  • improved customer and client relations

  • Do issues related to engagement present a greater risk to particular groups of employees (e.g. new employees, certain jobs, shift workers, etc.)?
  • What are the strengths in your workplace in terms of engagement (e.g. what do you do well and what should you continue doing)?
  • What could your workplace do to improve in this area (e.g. what could you do more of and what could you do less of)?
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Engagement is psychosocial factor 10 from CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ 9700-803/2013 – Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Retrieved from: https://www.csagroup.org/article/cancsa-z1003-13-bnq-9700-803-2013-r2018/. See also Guarding Minds at Work (Samra et al.): Retrieved from https://www.guardingmindsatwork.ca/resources.