March 2015
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Don’t Let Engagement Turn Into Burnout

Friday, March 13, 2015

For the past two decades, measuring employee engagement levels has been one of the primary ways companies determined employee commitment levels as well as the overall health of their workplace culture. Because of this, dozens of studies have emerged linking high levels of engagement with high levels of productivity. Now nearly every organization uses some form of survey to measure engagement, and may place a great deal of importance on the results. This may not seem like a problem to many employers, but it depends on how engagement is defined. Generally speaking, most employers would agree engagement refers to “the willingness to invest discretionary effort at work,” meaning the willingness to go above and beyond. While this can be a good thing, it can also mean an employee who shows up early and stays late, and who may remain connected through nights and weekends. This behavior, while admirable, isn't sustainable, and could quickly lead to burnout. By placing such a heavy emphasis on engagement, employers may indirectly be encouraging behaviors that will ultimately lead to decreased productivity and turnover.

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