TalentMap's Definition Of Employee Engagement

An engaged employee is an energized employee who is more connected to the organization intellectually, emotionally and behaviourally.

Employee engagement describes the way employees demonstrate commitment, ownership, and discretionary effort toward their work, team, and organization.

No one definition of employee engagement is right. Its definition varies somewhat from one organization to another and depends on goals, established culture, and the industry to which it belongs.

The Cognitive, or “Head” component relates to employees’ logical evaluation of a company’s goals and values. The Emotional (Affective), or “Heart” component taps into whether employees have a sense of belonging and pride in the company. Finally, the Behavioural dimension, or “Hands” component captures the outcomes that employers desire such as retention and willingness to “go the extra distance” for the company when necessary. Engagement itself is actually a measure of the combination of these three components. This definition and approach was adopted in the AHS 2010 Workplace Engagement Survey and fully aligns with AHS’ current definition of engagement.

Engaged: These employees are loyal and psychologically committed to the organization. They are more productive and innovative, three times less likely to leave the organization, less likely to have accidents on the job, and less likely to steal.

Not Engaged: These employees may be productive, but they are not psychologically connected to their company. They are less inclined to give the best of themselves to the organization. They are more likely to miss work days and more likely to leave.

Actively Disengaged: These employees are physically present but psychologically absent. They are unhappy with their work situation and insist on sharing that unhappiness with their colleagues.