Understanding and Measuring Engagement

Despite a multitude of tools, powerful data analytics programs, and an overwhelming avalanche of cash being spent on employee engagement, the needle has barely moved through the years. According to Gallup research, only about 15 percent of the workforce can be defined as actively engaged. One of the issues is that measurement of engagement in most companies is so disjointed and disorganized that the problem is hardly understood, and no clear solution can be reached. To understand engagement at any organization, and that organization’s shortcomings in regard to it, engagement levels first have to be accurately measured and analyzed. Managers should understand engagement as a hierarchical structure, starting first with employees' basic needs and moving toward personal and professional growth. With this in mind, engagement can be measured in three categories: individual needs, team orientation, and professional actualization. As with Maslow’s hierarchy, if an employee has individual needs that aren’t being fulfilled, it’s a waste of time to worry about professional growth. By thinking about and measuring engagement in this way, the right corrections can be made and employee satisfaction will grow.