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Some people wonder how employees can muster up the strength to leave what is, by all accounts, a lucrative or high-paying job for a lower-paying one. Others also wonder when a seemingly happy and content employee decides to leave a stable job in a big company in exchange for work in a startup. Why would they do something so risky?

Most people make the mistake of assuming that employee satisfaction and employee engagement are one and the same. Employee satisfaction refers to the degree of happiness or contentment your employees feel in the workplace. However, it does not take into account their level of motivation, involvement, or emotional commitment to their job and the company overall.

Some workers are happy simply to receive their paycheck and do not feel any need to push themselves at work at all; something contrary to what characterizes high-performing employees who like challenges and require something more – employee engagement.

The essence of employee engagement

Engaging employees is a process that requires the involvement and commitment of management and staff. It goes beyond salaries and wages. It’s what creates an environment where people stay in the same firm, not because of a sense of entrapment or blind loyalty, but because of a desire to contribute to the growth of their company and to grow personally as well.

According to Mary Knight of Gallup, getting to the heart of employee engagement involves a three-pronged approach that includes defining the engagement goal in real-world terms, talking with team members one-on-one about engagement, and empowering team members to lead team engagement sessions.

Based on the findings of MSW Research and Dale Carnegie Training, the three key drivers for employee engagement are the employees’ relationship with their immediate supervisor, belief in senior leadership, and pride in working for the company. On top of these, trust and honest communication are required, as well as positive managerial relationships.

So when it comes to employee engagement, it’s not just about the salaries and perks you offer – it is so much more than that. And the reason why it is so important is because it doesn’t make business sense investing in recruitment to find top talent, onboarding, and training new people, only to lose them because of your failure to keep them engaged.

Find and keep your people

Recruitment, though challenging in itself, especially when it comes to hard-to-fill roles, is just an initial step. Engagement is what will keep talent in your company.

Employee engagement, though, is not a magic formula for creating a perfect workplace. Rather, it's a practical solution that helps managers get to know their staff, identify key performers, understand what makes them tick, and create a challenging environment that fosters growth. It also makes sense financially as it helps prevent high attrition rates and saves companies from otherwise costly training expenses.

If you have any concerns about engaging your people or management strategies designed to retain people in your company, I’m Clara Conti, and I’m ready to listen.

Let’s discuss how we can make your company better, and a better place to be.