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Kellen 3/17/2013

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7 Variations in Employee Engagement Are some people more likely to engage than others? The survey done by Robinson et al.s (2007) 18 revealed differences in levels according to gender,age, ethnicity, disability and those with caring responsibilities: Gender: women appeared slightly more engaged than men in some organizations. Age: engagement was highest in those under 20 years old and those 60 years plus, butdropped between 20 and 39 years old, before climbing again. Ethnicity: ethnic minority groups reported slightly higher engagement levels than their white counterparts. Disability: generally, disabled individuals reported higher engagement than those without adisability or medical condition. Generation Y Blessing Whites 19 survey of over 7,500 individuals and interviews with senior human resource andline managers found that at least a quarter of Generation Y employees globally are disengaged withthe exception of India, where all generations have higher engagement levels than other regions. Theysuggest that the older the employee, the more engaged they are, with employees born since 1980 being the least engaged members of the workplace. Generation Ys apparent low engagement with their organizations, compared to their older colleagues, may be a result of their different values, their different attitudes towards work and the different demands they have of their work and their employers. If the organization does not respond to these, then non engagement or evendisengagement may be almost inevitable. Differences in employee lifestyle expectations Organizations need to realize that they are not managing the same world as they were five years ago.The technology, people, and the overall work environment have moved on, meaning that todays organizations need to be flexible (Johnson,2004) 20 . Employees now define themselves not by thework they do but by the lifestyles they have chosen to lead. Engagement now begins with employees lifestyles and what they consider is worth investing themselves in; the choice to engagelies with the employee (Johnson, 2004). It is something that is given, not taken, by the employer. 8 Measuring Employee Engagement The lack of a clear definition of employee engagement and the differing requirements of eachorganisation means there is likely to be considerable variation in what is measured in engagementsurveys. Institute of Employment Studies (IES) has developed a statistically reliable measure of engagement which focuses on organizational citizenship, commitment, aligning individual andorganisational values, and the extent to which the organisation enables the individual to performwell.Other measures available include The Gallup Workplace Audit (q12), Roffey Park Institutes Engagement Diagnostic Service 21 , Net Promoter, The Towers Perrin Rapid Engagement DiagnosticSurvey and The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale 22 . To achieve employee confidence and trust in theactions taken as a result of a survey, feedback needs to be transparent and shown to be directlyrelated to the feedback received. Conclusion According to a study done by Sharma Baldev R and Raina Anupama

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23 , objectivity and recognitionare the critical determinants of organizational commitment. The main objective of the study was toinvestigate the relationship between job involvement and organizational commitment as thedependent variables and certain personal attributes and various situational factors as the independentvariables. An 80-item "structured" questionnaire was used for collection of data. The questionnairewas designed to cover the following 14 variables: A. Personal Attributes 1. Locus of Control2. Work Ethic B. Situational Factors 3. Benefits4. Career opportunity5. Communication6. Job Content7. Objectivity8. Participative Management9. Pay 9 10. Recognition11. Training and Development12. Work- life Balance . Employee Engagement 13. Organizational Commitment14. Job InvolvementsOut of the 12 independent variables used in this study, only two (objectivity & recognition) emergedas the critical determinants of organizational commitment. Together these two variables explained93.9 per cent of the variance in organizational commitment. Similarly, only two independentvariables (career opportunity and pay) emerged as the critical determinants of job involvement.These two variables together explained a little over 91 per cent of the variance in job involvement.Hence, as far as this organization is concerned, only the following four situational factors areimportant in influencing employee engagement: (a) Determinants of Organizational Commitment (1) Objectivity(2) Recognition (b) Determinants of Job Involvement (1) Career Opportunity(2) PayIES proposed that attempts to increase levels of engagement are likely be ineffective, unless severalfactors are present in the organization: Good quality line management. Two way communication Effective internal co operation. A focus on development. Commitment to employee well being. Clear, accessible HR policies and practices and visible commitment by managers at alllevels. 10 Source: IES Survey, 2003 LEARNING Employee engagement is a positive attitude held by the employee towards the organization and itsvalues. An engaged employee is aware of business context, and works with colleagues to improve performance within the job for the benefit of the organization.Although money or pay is an important aspect for job satisfaction, but cash is not the sole factor thatdrives engagement. Three non cash motivators: praise from immediate managers, leadershipattention, and a chance to lead project, are the more effective motivators than the cash bonuses or increased base pay. Hence organizations need to design flexibility into their reward solutions toattract

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different types of talent. A talent strategy that emphasizes the frequent use of the rightfinancial and non-financial motivators would benefit most companies in bleak times. Generation Y-whose members are yet to touch the age of 30 want their recognition and they want it now. They are

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