Leaders hire people with the expectation that they will give their all and do their best work for the success of the organization. Sometimes, the employee effort doesn’t always meet the leader’s expectation. At this point, the leader may identify that they have a “disengaged” employee.

Engaged vs. Disengaged Defined

The Engaged
Someone who voluntarily meets expectations to be their best.

The Disengaged
Someone who performs at less than what is expected.

Workplace Engagement Drivers

If disengaged employees exist in your environment, there are factors that can be leveraged to influence their commitment to the organization. These factors are typically called “engagement drivers” because they help create a positive work culture and attract loyalty qualities in your employees. Each factor has a role in creating a postive workplace culture and have the most impact when they are all in place. Take time to review these areas (see below) and identify where your organization is lacking. Survey your population and focus on the specific areas of improvement that your business needs to ignite engagement and positive business results.

There is a distinction between Employee Satisfaction vs. Employee Engagement.  According to a 2011 Job Satisfaction and Engagement Research Report by SHRM, 83 percent of U.S. employees are satisfied with their current jobs.  While this may sound promising, it is misleading because satisfaction typically means your needs are met but it doesn’t mean you are inspired to go above and beyond the call of duty.  A satisfied employee may punch in and out but they only desire to handle assigned duties and nothing more. Any business owner would vouch that this is not the type of employee they are looking to keep.

The better goal is to seek and develop an employee who is engaged. When an employee is engaged, they are emotionally invested in the mission of the organization and inspire to go beyond the call of duty for the organization. It becomes a two way street scenario.  Towers Watson Abhishek Mittal says Employee Satisfaction is a “one-way street” (what can you do for me), whereas Employee Engagement is a “two-way street” (what can you do for me and what I can do in return).