Engagement is a sustainable answer

“Satisfied employees are not enough. Only engaged employees will increase the operating result,” according to managing consultant Koen De Valck and HR consultant Lorenzo Andolfi of SD Worx.

Katia Grosemans

 “Successful employers are able to tell their employees what they stand for and commit them to the values of the organisation”, believes Koen De Valck. “Getting employees to feel the same connection, getting them to support the same cause, that's the challenge.” In a rapidly changing world, engaged employees are the most flexible and open to change. They have the properties to quickly follow the new direction an organisation is heading. “Satisfied employees do not necessarily guarantee good operating results. First and foremost they need to be engaged. Satisfaction is only the basis to continue working on engagement.”

In what ways do engaged employees differ from others? “The passion with which they do their work and the energy they put into it”, says Lorenzo Andolfi of the SD Worx Competence centre. “They take responsibility. They have an intrinsic motivation, i.e. the job itself. Engaged employees achieve good results. They are also loyal to their employer and are able to find themselves in the organisation's culture and values. They assume part of the employer branding and are ambassadors of the company. This does not mean an engaged employee is a workaholic. Too much overtime does not have a sustainable effect either.” An SD Worx study has shown that in an average organisation, 22 percent of employees is dissatisfied, 61 percent satisfied and 17 percent engaged.

To make sure employees stay or are satisfied, a good salary, good working conditions, job security and good social contact at work will suffice. But to strengthen an employee's engagement, a company must create an exciting vision of the future and policy, an inspiring corporate culture and high quality jobs and needs strong managers or leaders who support and appreciate the employees. Learning and growing are also important drivers of employee engagement.

“Working on engagement is the same as a sustainable policy”, concludes Lorenzo Andolfi. “A lot of organisations are very focused on themselves and increasing their profit. In the long term this comes back to bite you; just think of the banking crisis.”