Engaged: Unleashing Your Organizations Potential Through Employee Engagement

The current economic crisis has underlined how traditional means of managing people are no longer effective. Too many businesses underperform because they can no longer count on the commitment of their workforce. Only by treating employees as key stakeholders and engaging them will organizations be successful. This timely book provides a practical roadmap for companies to create an engaged workforce and is essential reading for all business leaders. ––Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum

This is an important contribution to leaders and managers across all types of organizations. I believe readers of this book will be more confident and better equipped to address the issues their organizations are facing. ––David MacLeod, Chairman of the UK Government–sponsored Employee Engagement Task Force and co–author of the influential report to the UK Government Engaging for Success

  This book highlights in a very understandable and comprehensive way, one of the most important HR concepts of our age, engagement . During difficult times, we need more than ever to engage our workforce, to get them involved and committed. This book shows how to do it, and is a must read for all line managers and HR professionals. ––Cary L. Cooper, CBE, Distinguished Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University Management School, UK

  A must read, timely and practical primer on how to engage any workforce warts and all. ––Will Hutton, author of Them and Us: Changing Britain Why We Need a Fair Society, Principal at Hertford College, Oxford, UK, Weekly Columnist at The Guardian and The Observer Newspapers

Foreword vii

Introduction 1

1 What is engagement and why does it matter?5

2 Why is engagement so elusive? 27

3 What drives engagement? 55

4 Do you know how engaged your people are right now? 87

5 So what are your employees telling you? 115

6 Getting beyond analysis and into action 133

7 Roadblocks to creating an engaged workforce 155

8 Building a culture of engagement 177

9 Engaging managers 205

10 Engagement in tough times 231

11 Finding meaning, growth and engagement 265

Annex 1: Comparison of the employee engagement model and other views of engagement drivers 303

Annex 2: Engagement model and action areas 307

Bibliography 309

Index 321

Linda Holbeche PhD is a leading teacher and writer on HR topics. She was ranked number three in Human Resources magazine s most influential 2009 roll call of top industry thinkers. Until recently, she was the Director of Research and Policy at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

She is also a Visiting Professor of Leadership Innovation at the University of Bedfordshire, a Visiting Professor in HRM and Organisation Development at Cass Business School (London), an Adjunct Professor (Executive Education) at Imperial College, London and a Visiting Fellow of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. In addition to this she is an Associate of Erasmus Business School (Rotterdam), Edinburgh Napier University and Ashridge Management College. Linda is a Chartered Fellow of CIPD and a Fellow of both the RSA and the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).

Geoffrey Matthews is an experienced HR executive with an extensive background in employee engagement, organizational development, rewards, and international HR. He is currently Vice President HR Strategy for Merck KGaA, a leading DAX 30 European chemical and pharmaceutical company. Prior to this, Geoff held senior HR positions in a number of major companies including Roche and Hewlett–Packard. He is a Fellow of the UK Chartered Management Institute as well as being a member of the CIPD, SHRM and World at Work.

"An interesting take on engagement in tough economic time the case studies, practical advice and research make for a compelling resource for HR teams and would give an influential argument to unenlightened managers." (HR Magazine)

"This book is designed as a resource for those seeking to unlock the potential of talent through employee engagement. It provides a valuable, up–to–date summary of work in this territory, organised around sensible questions. It comes complete with case studies and boxes of practical tips for action. The drive for employee engagement is placed firmly in the ′need to do now′ box for successful organisations." (People Management)

"This book is very readable and comprehensive...for the many HR practitioners and managers out there suffering from information overload, it may well be the only book they need to read in this area." (HR Zone)

" neat, well written book .It provides a valuable, up–to–date summary of work in this territory, organised around sensible questions. It comes complete with case studies and boxes of practical tips for action." (Public Net)

"Practical guidance and interesting case studies." (CPO Agenda, October 2012)