Engaged
and involved
Engaged and involved employees hold the key to an organisation’s success. They can
develop their talents and work more effectively together, leading to better results.
But just how does an organisation and a manager encourage these traits?
ORMIT believes that ever yone possesses unique talents. And by talent we do not just
mean having cer tain competencies, but also having the right person in the right place
at the right time. Only then, can talent really grow. However, this is not always the
situation within a company, which is why it is impor tant that they find out what talents
their employees have, what talents the company needs, and what talents can be
fur ther developed. Finding, developing and connecting talent is a concept we refer
to as ‘talentism’.
Talent development is not restricted to just the organisation. It is also in the employee’s
own interest to make sure they are the right person in the right place at the right time
– and this requires personal leadership. In other words, they need self-awareness (who
am I, what are my qualities and weaknesses, and what motivates me?), learning ability,
and the guts to make their own choices (what is needed, what do I want, what do
others want, and how do I make a difference?).
This comprehensive vision on talentism requires attention and care from committed
organisations and employees. After all, a talent that is in the wrong place at the wrong
time is more likely to wilt than blossom, and nobody benefits from that.
The perfect match
If the needs and expectations of an employee and an organisation correspond, there is a
great chance that both will succeed in attaining their objectives. There is a perfect match,
in which the personal values and goals of the individual overlap with the values and
goals of the organisation. Individual capabilities fit in with the demands of the job. And
the better the fit, the better the employee can and will use their talents to help realize
the organisation’s ambitions. A fading or weak fit, where there is a clash between the
employee’s expectations and the reality at work, can ultimately lead to a burnout.1 If
there is a strong or growing match, the level of engagement will increase.2
ilmar Schaufeli and Dirk Enzmann, The burnout companion to study and practice: a critical analysis, Taylor &
W
Francis, 1998
2
W ilmar Schaufeli ea, Maakt arbeid gezond? Op zoek naar de bevlogen werknemer, De Psycholoog, 36:422-428,
2001
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Engagement and burnout are two sides of the same coin. Psychologists Michael Leiter
and Christina Maslach define burn-out as exhaustion, mental detachment and a sense
of incompetence. They describe engagement with words such as energy, involvement
and efficacy.3
According to Wilmar Schaufeli and Arnold Bakker, both professors of work and organisational psychology, burnout and engagement can alternate. Engaged employees can
burn out, but burnt out employees can also become engaged again. Incidentally, engaged
employees may occasionally be tired, but it is not a tiredness that disables as a burnout
does. It is a tiredness that is more likely to lead to a feeling of satisfaction.4
Better to be engaged than satisfied
A strong match creates engagement. Schaufeli and Bakker5 define engagement as a state
of fulfilment characterised by vigour, dedication and absorption:
V igour An employee with vigour is highly energetic, does not tire quickly, has a high
level of mental resilience, is willing to invest effor t in their work and is persistent in
the face of difficulties.
D edication A dedicated employee is strongly committed to their work, is enthusiastic
and proud of what they do, has a sense of significance, and is challenged and inspired
by their work.
A bsorption An employee that is absorbed by their work is happily engrossed in their
tasks, forgets about other things and feels time passes quickly. Absorption is also
referred to as flow.
The question is whether or not engaged employees are also satisfied employees. To a
cer tain extent, engagement and satisfaction have a lot in common; both engaged and
satisfied employees are highly productive and give clients a positive impression. ­H owever,
there is an impor tant difference, namely that engagement goes hand in hand with action,
while satisfaction can comprise satiation and passivity.
hristina Maslach and Michael Leiter, The Truth about Burnout: How Organizations Cause Personal Stress and
C
What to Do About It, Jossey-Bass, 1997
4
W ilmar Schaufeli and Arnold Bakker, Burnout and Work Engagement in De Psychologie van Arbeid en
Gezondheid, Bohn Stafleu van Loghum, 2003
5
W ilmar Schaufeli and Arnold Bakker, Work and well-being: towards a positive approach in occupational health
psychology, Gedrag & Organisatie, 14:229-253, 2001
3
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Circumplex of well-being6
Satisfaction is characterised by serenity and calmness, whereas engagement leads to
feelings of excitement and happiness. Satisfied employees simply do their work, are fine
with it and tend to mark time. A higher degree of satisfaction does not therefore
necessarily lead to better results for the company.
The benefits of engagement
Engaged employees are active. They are more productive, take on extra tasks and are
more willing to help their colleagues.7 Engagement creates a higher degree of work
satisfaction, an increase in self-initiative, and a motivation to learn. Employees can take
on more, are less likely to call in sick, and when they are sick, they recover more quickly.
There is also a positive relationship between engagement and company performance.
Research carried out by the American James Har ter8 showed that teams with numerous
engaged people scored significantly better in terms of turnover (12% more), customer
satisfaction (12% more) and productivity (18% more) compared to teams with only a
few engaged members. And there was less employee turnover.
James Russel, Core Affect and the Psychological Construction of Emotion, Psychological Review, 110:145-172, 2003
Willem van Rhenen, From stress to engagement, ArboNed/Coronel Instituut AMC Amsterdam, 2008
8
James Harter, Frank Schmidt and Hayes, Business-unit level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee
engagement and business outcomes: A meta-analysis, Journal of Applied Psychology, 87:268-279, 2002
6
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Recruiting for engagement
One way of increasing the level of engagement within a company is to recruit engaged
people. Some people are simply more susceptive to engagement than others.9
Engaged people:
Can cope better with setbacks (are emotionally stable)
Work with a focus (are conscientious)
M ore actively maintain contacts and with more pleasure (are extraver t)
S et higher standards for themselves and want to do more to attain goals (are
­p erformance motivated)
A re willing to take on more responsibility for their decision (take ownership)
H ave a more positive image of themselves (have self-value)
B elieve they have the qualities to do what they want to do (believe in self-efficacy)
F eel responsible or par tly responsible for results (recognise internal attribution)
M ore actively deal with problems and obstacles (are able to cope)
An additional advantage of recruiting engaged job applicants is that engagement is, to a
cer tain extent, contagious. New, engaged personnel often pass their engagement on to
others within the organisation.
Captivate and connect
In addition to ensuring a good match of employee, tasks and organisation, other ways of
encouraging engagement include the following:10
P urpose Be clear about the purpose of your organisation, make sure the employee
knows, sees and feels that their work has added value.
Values Communicate clearly and consistently on the values of the organisation and
act accordingly, both internally and externally.
Trust Strengthen the trust employees have in the organisation and strengthen the
trust managers have in their employees.
G oals Define goals that can be understood by employees and that will inspire them.
Clarify the advantages and the values they serve.
F airness Divide tasks, salaries, appreciation and par ticipation fairly.
L eadership Encourage a style of leadership that not only results in turnover, but also
takes into account the needs and development of the employees.
L isette Boot, Tamara Lagas and Herman Steensma, Resultaten onderzoek werkbevlogenheid, inzichten en
suggesties, Humanage, 2008
10
See 9
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Increase engagement in five steps
1. Think about the match
Sit down regularly with your employees to talk about the extent to which each other’s
expectations are being met. Be open. Enter into the discussion about what you expect
from your staff and find out what they need in order to be able to apply their talents
more effectively. Talk about what you can both do if the match becomes weaker.
2. Clarify what you as an organisation think is important
See values as more than just a few well-formulated words. Specifically define the desired
behaviour that demonstrates the organisation’s values and ensure that they are at the
core of the way in which managers and staff carry out their tasks. Confront each other
if it is not the case. Lay down the values in HR processes and tools, for instance through
performance management.
3. Nurture what is good, improve where possible
Focus on what works well. Appreciate and nur ture what is good, and improve where
possible. Develop the organisation by doing more of what it is good at. Celebrate and
share successes with each other. Emphasise people’s talents. Delegate tasks and
­responsibilities according to employees’ talents.
4. Consider diversity as an opportunity
Encourage management to better apply the various talents of their staff when allocating
goals and tasks. Help managers develop their skills in situational leadership. Challenge
employees to apply their own ideas to the organisation’s dilemmas and oppor tunities
for improvement.
5. Promote a positive learning environment
Develop personal leadership in managers and employees so that they are more open
and motivated for development. Steer them towards developing their strong points and
reward effor t, not just result.
Find more information on www.ormit.be
or contact us on +32 (0)2 533.98.90.
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