Workforce Engagement: How Important Is It To Your Organization?

Workforce engagement can be interpreted as the execution of discretionary effort. It can be seen as a combination of commitment to the organization and its values, plus a willingness to help colleagues. It is important to note it is NOT the same as employee satisfaction. Thirty years of research tells us a satisfied employee is not necessarily a productive one.

Employee Engagement Types
Highly Engaged Employees are truly connected and committed to their organizations. They can be described as “the good soldier” and believe in the organization's goals. They are likely to accomplish more, be involved in continuous improvement, and help out colleagues. Typically, these employees are not looking for a new job.

Moderately Engaged Employees are good employees that come to work every day, are on time, and do a good job. At times they become enthusiastic, but are usually ambivalent. These employees are generally happy and probably not looking for a new job.

Slightly Disengaged Employees come to work and do the job, but that’s about it. They are not interested in helping or improving and come to work because they need a paycheck. They may be looking for a different job.

Highly Disengaged Employees are actively disengaged from their job and their organization. They are dissatisfied with their work and/or the organization. Unfortunately for the employer, they may not be looking for another job. They often feel justified just coming in to work everyday and appearing to work, while they actually do little or nothing at all. Identifying a disengaged employee may be difficult, as casual observations will not necessarily detect them.

Workforce Engagement & Your Business
As an employer, it is important to understand that engagement cannot be taught, required, or be the single reason for discharge. Workforce engagement has a direct effect on an organization’s performance and profitability. Data collected by Gallup and Towers Watson shows how an organization is affected by low and highly engaged employees:
 

In addition, disengaged employees:

• Have a direct, negative impact on your bottom line
• Undermine the productivity of engaged coworkers
• Cause disruption and dissatisfaction, killing morale
• Negatively affect customer satisfaction

Look to the Future
Now, more than ever, it is important to find and keep engaged employees. Data collected by MMTC, from hundreds of responses to our workforce engagement survey, tells us employees are looking for things like opportunity, respect, communication, accountability, and security. The future of your organization depends on your ability to provide what your engaged employees are looking for. Are you up to the task?

MMTC Can Help
MMTC uses a three-component model of engagement to describe the active use of cognition, emotion, and behavior to form the underlying foundation for engagement. To learn more about how MMTC can help you build and repair employee engagement, call 888.414.6682 or click here.


Since 1991, MMTC has assisted Michigan’s small and medium-sized businesses compete and grow. Through personalized services fitted to meet the needs of clients, we develop more effective business leaders, drive product and process innovation, promote company-wide operational excellence and foster creative strategies for business growth and greater profitability. Find us at www.mmtc.org.