Employees are usually one of a company’s biggest expenses, but they are also one of its best long-term investments. By investing in employee engagement up front, organizations can receive dividends later. This isn’t a particularly new concept; however, it’s an investment that is often overlooked in attempting to establish a competitive posture in today’s marketplace. According to Deloitte, the average cost per hire is around $4,000. This is a pretty large figure, but it pales in comparison to the cost of turnover, or the losses in productivity associated with disengaged, uninterested employees who simply go through the motions when they’re on the job. Employees want meaningful work, and when fully engaged on the job, they are more likely than their disengaged counterparts to go above and beyond what’s required of them. By extension, investing in a robust employee engagement generates long-term value for an organization. The knowledge, skills and ideas employees bring to work with them are a company’s greatest asset. This asset needs to prioritized to actualize its benefits.