--- title: What is Employee Engagement and Why is it Important? description: Employee engagement is not the same as employee satisfaction. So what is it, and why is it such an important buzzword for hiring managers in 2020? image: https://www.selectonellc.com/hubfs/selectone-recruiting-what-is-employee-engagement-why-important.jpg --- [![SelectOne Logo](https://www.selectonellc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cos-assets/template-assets/img/selectone-logo.png?width=275&height=78&name=selectone-logo.png "SelectOne Logo")](https://www.selectonellc.com/) [![selectone-logo](https://www.selectonellc.com/hs-fs/hub/436003/file-2576893529.png?width=275&height=78&name=file-2576893529.png "selectone-logo")](https://www.selectonellc.com) [![selectone-logo](https://www.selectonellc.com/hs-fs/hub/436003/file-2576893529.png?width=275&height=78&name=file-2576893529.png "selectone-logo")](https://www.selectonellc.com/) - [About](https://www.selectonellc.com/about) - [Solutions](https://www.selectonellc.com/solutions) - [Retained Search](https://www.selectonellc.com/retained-search) - [Contingent Search](https://www.selectonellc.com/monthly-sourcing) - [Resources](https://www.selectonellc.com/resources) - [Expertise](https://www.selectonellc.com/expertise) - [Blog](https://www.selectonellc.com/blog) More results [Job Search](https://loxo.co/selectone)[Contact Us](https://www.selectonellc.com/contact-us) Job Search [Contact Us](https://www.hubspot.com/) Job Search [Contact Us](https://www.hubspot.com/) - [About](https://www.selectonellc.com/about) - [Solutions](https://www.selectonellc.com/solutions) - [Retained Search](https://www.selectonellc.com/retained-search) - [Contingent Search](https://www.selectonellc.com/monthly-sourcing) - [Resources](https://www.selectonellc.com/resources) - [Expertise](https://www.selectonellc.com/expertise) - [Blog](https://www.selectonellc.com/blog) [Contact Us](https://www.selectonellc.com/contact-us)[Job Search](https://loxo.co/selectone) SelectOne Blog #### Share this [Share on Twitter](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.selectonellc.com/blog/what-is-employee-engagement-and-why-is-it-important&text=What%20is%20Employee%20Engagement%20and%20Why%20is%20it%20Important) [Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.selectonellc.com/blog/what-is-employee-engagement-and-why-is-it-important&t=What%20is%20Employee%20Engagement%20and%20Why%20is%20it%20Important) [Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.selectonellc.com/blog/what-is-employee-engagement-and-why-is-it-important&t=What%20is%20Employee%20Engagement%20and%20Why%20is%20it%20Important) # What is Employee Engagement and Why is it Important? by [**Kevin Kerl**](https://www.selectonellc.com/blog/author/kevin-kerl) on Mon, Mar 9, 2020 Today’s employees don’t just want to work. They want to feel fully engaged with the work they do, day after day. Otherwise, they’ll start looking elsewhere for a new job and disengage even further from their current job. Only about [33% of employees](https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/sustainingemployeeengagement.aspx) feel engaged with their job and a whopping [71% would take a new job](https://www.inc.com/ben-fanning/71-percent-of-employees-are-looking-for-new-jobs-5-strategies-to-address-your-pain.html) that seemed more satisfying. About [16% feel actively disengaged](https://news.gallup.com/poll/241649/employee-engagement-rise.aspx) from their job, which can lead to destructive issues like low morale, poor productivity, and even theft. But what is [employee engagement](https://www.selectonellc.com/employee-engagement), exactly? And why is it so important for employees and employers to have it? ## Employee Engagement Definition [Employee engagement](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/06/22/employee-engagement-what-and-why/) is the **amount of emotional commitment an individual has to their employer’s mission**. An organization’s overall employee engagement level is the amount of engagement it has across the organization, among all employees as a group. However, employee engagement is often misunderstood. Here are a few things engagement is *not*: - It’s not about how happy employees feel. - It’s not about having an awesome culture. - It’s not even about whether people enjoy their jobs. It’s also not the same as employee satisfaction, which you’ve probably seen on an employee survey. Here’s the difference between employee satisfaction and engagement: A satisfied employee is content with their job but would gladly switch to another employer. An engaged employee is both content with their job and committed to their employer. **Engagement is a measure of personal commitment to achieving the company’s goals and working toward a positive future together.** This commitment goes beyond paychecks and promotions. It’s about whether they genuinely care about the company. Here’s another way of thinking about engagement: A fully engaged employee does what’s best for the company, even when nobody’s looking. They’ll pick up a piece of trash from the floor and toss in the trash can just because they care. But an employee who isn’t engaged will walk right past the trash and out the door, because who cares? ## The Importance of Engagement for Company Success Engagement is vital because it fuels so many other aspects of company success. It’s so important that it is a [top-three business priority](https://hbr.org/resources/pdfs/comm/achievers/hbr_achievers_report_sep13.pdf) for the majority of U.S. companies.  ### Employee engagement contributes to: - Fewer [workplace accidents](https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/sustainingemployeeengagement.aspx) and lower safety-related costs. - Lower employee and customer turnover. - Higher employee retention. - Lower [absenteeism and overtime](https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/sustainingemployeeengagement.aspx). - Higher customer satisfaction. - Repeat business and more referrals. - Lower [shrinkage/theft](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/231581/five-ways-improve-employee-engagement.aspx). - Increased revenue. According to engagement researcher Kevin Kruse, an actively engaged workforce creates an [engagement-profit chain](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/06/22/employee-engagement-what-and-why/#3e915bb77f37) that leads to greater profitability and higher shareholder returns. This is why some of the world’s most valuable companies also have some of the highest levels of employee engagement. Look at Southwest Airlines or Dreamworks Animation. Both of these companies have high levels of employee engagement and employees often use words like “passionate” and “committed” to describe how they feel about their company. Interestingly, these companies also provide [unusual employee perks](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/285052) most other companies can’t or won’t offer. Still, many companies haven’t quite figured out how to boost engagement in a meaningful way. The [Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/sponsored/2013/06/the-impact-of-employee-engagement-on-performance) did a study of nationwide employee engagement best practices and made this somewhat disheartening observation:  > *In this rapid-cycle economy, business leaders know that having a high-performing workforce is essential for growth and survival … The research found that while most leaders understand the importance of engagement, three-quarters of those surveyed said that most employees in their organizations are not highly engaged.”* ## Boosting Employee Engagement Every company would like to have the magic formula that keeps their employees fully engaged. While there’s no real magic to it, there are some proven best practices that support employee engagement. 1. Make engagement a [strategic priority](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/231581/five-ways-improve-employee-engagement.aspx) for the company. 2. Provide employees with the basic supplies and tools they need to do their jobs well. 3. Ensure managers are giving each employee individual attention. 4. Recognize employees in a public way for their hard work. 5. Develop training and coaching programs. 6. Offer benefits that are not just competitive, but also caring. 7. Consider adding social events and just-for-fun activities. 8. Foster a spirit of giving, because [social responsibility](https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/1016/pages/7-tips-to-increase-employee-engagement-without-spending-a-dime.aspx) is tied to engagement. Remember, engagement is a give-and-take between the employee and the employer. If you show your employees you are committed to giving them a great place to work, they’re much more likely to feel committed to your company.  To learn more about employee engagement and how it can help your company flourish, connect with [SelectOne](https://www.selectonellc.com/) or see more insights on [our blog](https://www.selectonellc.com/blog). Topics: [Workplace](https://www.selectonellc.com/blog/topic/workplace) #### Share this [Share on Twitter](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.selectonellc.com/blog/what-is-employee-engagement-and-why-is-it-important&text=What%20is%20Employee%20Engagement%20and%20Why%20is%20it%20Important) [Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.selectonellc.com/blog/what-is-employee-engagement-and-why-is-it-important&t=What%20is%20Employee%20Engagement%20and%20Why%20is%20it%20Important) [Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.selectonellc.com/blog/what-is-employee-engagement-and-why-is-it-important&t=What%20is%20Employee%20Engagement%20and%20Why%20is%20it%20Important) ### No Comments Yet Let us know what you think - Recent - Topics - Archive Recent Topics - [Hiring Strategies (157)](https://www.selectonellc.com/blog/topic/hiring-strategies) - [Workplace (140)](https://www.selectonellc.com/blog/topic/workplace) - [Career Advice (75)](https://www.selectonellc.com/blog/topic/career-advice) - 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