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Over the last decade the business world has shownsignificant interest in the concept of employee“engagement.” Identified as an internal state ofbeing – physical, mental and emotional – employeeengagement brings together concepts of work effort,organizational commitment, job satisfaction andoptimal experience. But does the social engagementof employees lead to a lasting and successfulmarriage? Yes, says this author.

“I do.” Or do I?

Employee engagement

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Employee engagement is about being positively presentat work by willingly contributing intellectual effort,experiencing positive emotions and meaningfulconnections to others. This gives employee engagementthree dimensions:• Intellectual: related to the job and how to enhance it;• Affective: linked to feeling positive about doing agood job; and

• Social: concerned with taking opportunities to discusswork-related improvements with others at work.

Extensive studies have demonstrated the importance ofemployee engagement to organizational performance asa business concept that addresses employees’ levels ofinterest and commitment to the job, resulting in apositive attitude towards one’s occupation and firm andconsequently leading to greater productivity. Gallup’sQ12 Meta-analysis of 1.4 million employees conductedin 2012 and examining business performance, shows apositive correlation between employee engagement andbusiness outcomes despite tough economic conditions.More specifically, Gallup found that engaged employeesare more productive and customer-focused, as well asmore likely to stay with their employers (Gallup® andQ12®, 2013).

Enter the MillennialsThe study, which covered different dimensions ofemployee engagement, shows that employeeengagement with corporate volunteerism is increasinglybeing identified as a key element in attracting andretaining top talent (see box). This correlates tightly witha prevailing characteristic of the current Generation Y, orthe Millennials: defined as being between the ages of21 and 35, the fastest growing segment in today’sworkforce and the most sought after talent despite theprolonged recession. Perhaps one of the most distinctivecharacteristics of Gen Y is their search for meaning inthe work place, a platform that encourages them tocontribute to society. It is important to understand andengage with members of the Millennial generation asthey will represent the bulk of the workforce, the futureof economic and social life and the future of business.

While many have claimed that employee engagementpredicts employee outcomes, organizational success andfinancial performance, a considerable number of leadersquestion the return on investment (ROI) in terms of theamount of time and resources spent trying to addressemployee concerns. In fact, some observers warn thatfixating on ever higher engagement survey scores iswrongheaded and may backfire if employers fail atimproving the metrics and ensuring that their more“engaged employees” are behaving in ways thatpromote higher productivity.

Perhaps one of the most distinctivecharacteristics of Gen Y is their searchfor ‘meaning’ in the work place, aplatform that encourages them tocontribute to society

Deloitte’s Volunteer IMPACT 2011 survey foundthat Millennials who frequently volunteer aremore likely to be proud, loyal and satisfiedemployees as compared to those who rarely ornever volunteer. The same research showed thatthose who participate in employer-sponsoredvolunteerism were 52 percent more likely to feelvery loyal toward their company than thosewho did not participate. The report also foundthat 70 percent of Millennials want to work fora company that is committed to its community.Of all Millennials surveyed, 61 percent said thatwhether an organization were committed to itscommunity and sponsored volunteerism, wouldhave an influence on whether they accept a joboffer or not (Deloitte, 2011).

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The importance of social engagementRecognized or not, without a motivated and engagedworkforce, even the most brilliant business strategiescan falter. The affinity that employees feel toward anemployer has the power to create a competitiveadvantage that can be hard to imitate and is inextricablylinked to organizational performance (Deloitte, 2011).Studies indicate that organizations that have engagedemployees actually outperform those who do not. Infact, employers who take into account the connectionbetween corporate volunteerism and employeeengagement can reap substantial rewards. Bysponsoring volunteerism, a company has theopportunity to communicate the values it shares with itsemployees, which in turn can result in a more engagedand committed workforce that drives the firm’scompetitive advantage (Madison, 2012).

Companies seeking to enhance organizationalcommitment by means of volunteerism may have moresuccess if their employees have the freedom to selectfrom a wide array of volunteer opportunities. This isdriven by the increased agreement with organizationalvalues and increased perception of the organization that employees report as a result of participating inemployer-sponsored volunteerism (Madison, 2012).

I do. Do you?At the moment, employee engagement initiativesaddressing community involvement and corporatevolunteerism are being incorporated into the backbonesof leading organizations. Forward-looking companiesseeking a lasting “marriage” with their employees areencouraged to embrace the trend and establish socialengagement as a differentiating agent of their firms.These organizations should emphasize the importanceof employee engagement through offering a holistickind of experience to their workforce and aligning withtheir passions if they wish to retain the talent that otherfirms are competing for.

by Soughit Abdelnour, senior manager, HumanResources, Deloitte Middle East

EndnotesBarton, F. E. (2012) The Millennial consumer - debunkingstereotypes. The Boston Consulting Group.

Deloitte, D. L. (2011) 2011 Executive summary Deloitte volunteerIMPACT survey. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.

Frauenheim, E. (2011, September) A skeptical view of engagement,workforce. Retrieved from Workforce Website:http://www.workforce.com/article/20091202/NEWS02/312029985/a-skeptical-view-of-engagement?AID=20091202/NEWS02/312029985#

Gallup® and Q12® (2013) Engagement at work: its effect onperformance continues in tough economic times. Gallup, Inc.

Harter, N. B. (2011) Majority of American workers not engaged intheir jobs. Gallup® and Q12®.

Khan, W. (1990) Psychological conditions of personal engagementand disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, Vol.33, pp. 692-724.

Madison, W. R. (2012) Corporate social responsibility, organizationalCommitment, and employer- sponsored volunteerism. InternationalJournal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 3 No. 1.

While many have claimed thatemployee engagement predictsemployee outcomes, organizationalsuccess and financial performance, a considerable number of leadersquestion the return on investment(ROI) in terms of the amount of timeand resources spent trying to addressemployee concerns

Employee engagement