Employee Engagement – what does it mean?

Employee Engagement is a term we hear often nowadays – but what does it mean?

Numerous definitions exist. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) defines it as “being positively present during the performance of work by willingly contributing intellectual effort, experiencing positive emotions and meaningful connections to others”

At Mentor Corporate Coaching, we sometimes find ourselves having to dispel myths about employee engagement and explain what it is not.

Employee Engagement is not about surveys. Some feel that sending out a satisfaction survey a couple of times a year will help keep up morale and provide an overview of the level of employee engagement within the organisation. In truth, answers can vary from day to day depending on mood and can be affected by how comfortable people are about saying what they really think.

Some business leaders tell us that they feel that employee engagement needs improving in their organisation and think that by putting team members on one of our training programmes, their problems will be solved. More often than not, this isn’t the case: the reality is that business leaders could start by examining themselves and how their own behaviour affects their colleagues.

How can bosses make sure they are doing their part?

Communication is key – having an open dialogue with colleagues, making sure they understand what is expected of them and providing a platform for them to bring up any issues that may arise.

Gillian Wright Fitzmaurice, Managing Director at Mentor Corporate coaching says “When our clients demonstrate strong leadership skills with their team members, more often than not people engage more. It’s difficult to be consistent when we’re busy and under pressure, but it can be done.”