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"Real and limitless productivity," according to Jack Welch, General Electric's legendary former chairman and CEO, "comes from challenged, empowered, excited, rewarded teams of people." In other words: an engaged workforce.
Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, engaged employees have racked up laundry lists of monumental accomplishments. In one of the most striking examples, Clarence "Kelly" Johnson led a team of 126 engineers who designed, built and flew the XP80, the first American tactical jet fighter, in 1943. Meanwhile, a competitor was several years behind schedule and hundreds of percent over budget despite having a crew of 3,750 people. Johnson's meager team accomplished its feat not only on schedule - in just 142 days, in fact - but under budget, as well. The difference? An engaged workforce.
Engagement refers to the energy, the passion, the "fire in the belly" that employees have for their job and their employer. By definition, it is the state in which individuals are emotionally and intellectually committed to the organization, as measured by three primary behaviors:
* Say. They are passionate advocates for the workplace, consistently speaking positively about the company to co-workers, potential employees and customers.
* Stay. These employees have an intense desire to be a member of the organization, despite opportunities to work elsewhere.
* Strive. They routinely go above and beyond, exerting extra effort to produce extraordinary service and results for customers and colleagues.
Recognizing an engaged workforce isn't difficult. Engaged people are passionate about their jobs, have an extra bounce in their step, listen more intently and embrace the company's goals and aspirations as their own. "Passion is the fuel that helps our people run this marathon of building a sustainable corporation," said Naryana Murthy, CEO of Infosys Technologies Ltd., one of India's top employers. "Passion ... provides the energy and enthusiasm to be the best in whatever you do."
And being the best translates into measurable results. Using Hewitt Associates' database of engagement data on more than 4 million employees from almost 1,500 companies, the consulting firm has spent the past decade comparing engagement scores with actual business outcomes. The results demonstrate a strong positive relationship between engagement and organizational performance. Specifically, companies with higher levels of engagement are likely to have greater...