Human Resources Newsletters

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT—LEARNING LAUNCH—Employee Engagement

Gallup (2017) defines employee engagement as employees “who are in- volved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace.” En- gagement is often defined in terms of employees’ behaviors and feelings. Exam- ples of engaged behaviors are optimism, team-orientation, solution-orientation, selflessness, passion for learning and growth, and willingness to pass credit and accolades to others but accepting of blame. Engaged employees perform more efficiently at their jobs, provide better service to those they serve, feel a sense of urgency and enthusiasm for their work, and demonstrate persistence and adapta- bility that may expand beyond job descriptions and roles. When employees are disengaged, examples of behaviors may include pessimism, self-centeredness, high absenteeism, negative attitude, narrowed focus on working for the monetary reward over all else, and willingness to accept credit but preference to deflect and pass on blame (SHRM, 2019) How would you describe your level of engagement? Do you live the mission of the agency? Have you shared your reasons for increased or decreased engage- ment with your supervisor? It is important to consider your answers to the posed questions. Whether you feel exceedingly engaged at work or less than so, consid- er the many ways you can increase your level of engagement. To become more engaged at work, start by asking what is expected of you, be kind to someone else, seek a mentor, when disconnects occur, dig deeper to understand why they happened, ascertain how you can create value, seek regular feedback, take time to reflect, participate in the many social activities planned throughout the year, join the numerous professional development sessions provided, participate in community service projects, volunteer to work on projects (with your supervisors permission), or simply ask how you can do more. There are so many ways to be engaged and there is no one size fits all approach.

Sources: Gallup (2017). Gallup daily: U.S. employee engagement. Retrieved from https://news.gallup.com/poll/180404/gallup- daily-employee-engagement.aspx

SHRM (2019). Developing and sustaining employee engagement. Retrieved from https:// www.engagementmultiplier.com/blog/why-is-employee-engagement-so-important/amp/

Dr. Krystal Thurman Director of Professional Development