Employee engagement is the emotional and intellectual involvement which motivates employees to do their best at work. The global economic recession and the associated frozen salaries, reduced benefits and job cuts have affected employee engagement significantly. How are companies doing in terms of engagement today?
After years of decline, the situation of global employee engagement has begun to improve again – at least according to an Aon Hewitt study entitled 2012 Trends in Global Employee Engagement, which examined employee engagement trends in more than 3,100 organisations representing 9.7 million employees worldwide. While in 2010 there were 56% of engaged employees globally, the figure in 2011 was 58%.
Employee perception has improved in the following three key areas of engagement:
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Effective leadership on the level of divisions and business units (61% in 2011, 54% in 2010)
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HR practices constituting a positive work environment (53% in 2011, 47% in 2010)
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Beneficial relationships with customers (75% in 2011, 70% in 2010)
On the other hand, employee perceptions have deteriorated in the following three key areas of engagement:
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Effective communication (42% in 2011, 46% in 2010)
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Innovation (52% in 2011, 55% in 2010)
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Safety of workplaces (75% in 2011, 78% in 2010)
Regional differences in employee engagement are as follows:
| Region | 2011 | 2010 |
| Europe | 52% | 51% |
| North America | 64% | 64% |
| Latin America | 71% | 72% |
| Asia Pacific | 58% | 55% |
Career opportunities, recognition, organisation reputation and communication remain the strongest factors of employee engagement. Employers, therefore, should concentrate on these factors. Aon Hewitt advises:
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Build a culture of engagement through leadership.
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Focus on key areas that offer the greatest opportunities for improvement.
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Acknowledge the efforts and performance of your staff.
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Communicate and promote your organisation's reputation at every opportunity.
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Create opportunities for employee growth.
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Choose potential employees with regard to qualities associated with engagement.
More information on the Aon Hewitt model of engagement can be found in the study, which is available here.
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