Strategic HR Engagement
Employees’
views on engagement
RACHEL SHARP went out and about
to discover what engagement really
means to UK employees
Employee engagement is a
concept no-one can quite seem
to agree on (as explored by our June
cover story: bit.ly/HRengagementcover).
There’s no standard definition. No exact
measurement to determine whether an
employee is engaged or not. There’s not
even widespread agreement on whether it
actually exists.
Some point to the difference between
team engagement and individual
engagement, some claim engagement with
the job and engagement with the
organisation are two distinct things.
So as the profession continues to grapple
with the knotty concept, perhaps it’s time
we turned to employees and asked what – if
anything – it means to them.
HR magazine took to the streets and
asked people if they know what employee
engagement means and whether they feel
engaged at work. Here’s what we found…
Claudio, 22,
bartender
I can’t remember my
company ever
mentioning anything
about employee engagement.
I do my job for the money. I don’t like it
but I do it because I’m trying to save to go
to university. They treat me nicely, and even
though I don’t like it I work hard. But if they
gave me more money and promoted me I’d
enjoy it more.
Anne, 61, teacher
I’m not really sure what
it is but we use the term
‘engaged’ when talking about
the children learning so I
presume it’s to do with
interest in the job, job satisfaction and
how well we’re supported at work.
Before we’re inspected by Ofsted we’re
told to complete a staff survey that
mentions management support,
communication and so on, but we
don’t hear anything about it after. There
certainly isn’t any follow up that I know of.
Often the education system is very
stressful and unenjoyable. But working with
the children can give great job satisfaction.
Steve, 53,
self-employed
environmental
consultant
I interpret it as involving
employees in the
ethos of the company and its
operations and making them feel
included rather than just treating
them like assets the company owns.
Being self-employed I live and breathe my
job and do something I enjoy. For me it’s
not a job – it’s what I do and it’s what I am
so I’m fully engaged with it. Whereas I think
some people have a job they don’t enjoy
that’s just a means to a salary.
Carol, 53,
NHS administrator
I’ve never heard of it but
I enjoy my work – everyone
is helpful and communicates
with each other.
The NHS runs surveys asking for staff
feedback and my deputy manager checks in
with me to make sure everything is OK.
I’m someone who personally likes to
work so I enjoy going in each day.
Leon, 39,
charity fundraiser
I feel that my time
should be well spent so
I like to do something
productive. Being out
here working for this charity is something
I feel is worthwhile because it’s for a
great cause.
Now you’ve explained what employee
engagement is I would say I’m definitely
engaged with my job, because of what we
do for the people I’m helping.
Katya, 28,
retail assistant
I hadn’t heard the
phrase before today but
I am happy with the company
I work for. You hear some
people say ‘oh no I have to go to work’. But
when I think of work I’m happy to come in.
Ieva, 28,
sales manager
It’s a buzzword every HR
department uses. These
words are used a lot, but I’m
not sure if many people
know what they actually mean.
For me it’s important to work for a
company that has good values and
communicates well with staff. I want to
understand what’s happening within the
business and why. I care about the short-
and long-term outcomes of my work
and how my work affects the future of
the company. I’m happy at work. So I guess
that means I’m engaged.
Caroline, 29, NHS
speech therapist
I haven’t heard of it but if
I had to guess I’d say it means
the ability of the employer to
ensure employees enjoy and
are committed to working towards the
employer’s goals.
In the NHS we complete a Friends and
Family Test every few months, which asks us
to rate our satisfaction at work, whether we
feel valued and have opportunities to
progress, and whether we’d recommend the
NHS as a place to work. Although we fill
these in fairly regularly I’m not sure what
the outcomes are or whether anything
actually changes.
My head of service does engage with my
specific department though. Recently we
completed surveys about how satisfied we
are and things we want to improve. These
are discussed at team meetings and our
manager uses these to bring about positive
change. I know this is not true in all NHS
departments though.
Patients are the priority so it can be
difficult to spend time on these things.
But I think it’s important. HR
40 HR October 2019 hrmagazine.co.uk
/hrmagazine.co.uk