learning resources
Employee engagement and performance
Overview
The ability to evidence the link between employee engagement and performance is possibly the strongest business case for improving engagement levels. Is that a simple link to make though? These learning resources focus on the topic of employee engagement and performance. In the audio clip (to the right) your HR tutor Andrew gives an overview of the purpose and content of this learning, and below is a summary of how this fits with the CIPD units.
Version 1.1 – Updated April 2024
Associate (level 5)
This learning relates to unit 5HR01 – Employment relationship management
AC 1.4 – Critically evaluate the interrelationships between employee voice and organisational performance.
Advanced (level 7)
This learning relates to unit 7CO02 – People management and development strategies for performance
AC 2.2 – Critically evaluate research that links people management practice in organisations with improved employer outcomes.
1. Employee engagement and positive organisational outcomes
It is widely accepted by both academics and HR practitioners that employee engagement has a significant and positive impact on both the organisation and the individual (Schaufeli and Bakker 2010).
Many studies have linked employee engagement to:
- Workforce performance
- customer satisfaction
- productivity
- absenteeism
- turnover
- support of the organisation (SHRM, 2012).
All of these elements can potentially have a significant impact on the bottom line. However, some studies suggest that employee engagement may be becoming increasingly difficult to sustain due to organisational restructures, downsizing and changes in the nature and structure of work caused by global competition, harsh economic conditions, continuous innovation and new technology (Towers Watson, 2012).
These learning resources explore in a little more detail the impact on performance.
Schaufeli, W.B. and Bakker, A.B. (2010) The conceptualization and measurement of work engagement. In A. B. Bakker and M. P. Leiter (eds.) Work engagement: a handbook of essential theory and research, New York, Psychology Press.
SHRM (2012) Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement: How Employees Are Dealing with Uncertainty, Society for Human Resource Management, No. 41.
Towers Watson (2012) Global Workforce Study, Towers Watson [Online]. Available at: https://employeeengagement.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2012-Towers-Watson-Global-Workforce-Study.pdf Accessed: 11 April 2024).
Activity
Do engaged employees work harder and produce better results? The connection between productivity and engagement is something we’re going explore in this activity.
This CIPD podcast looks at both sides of the engagement/productivity debate. Do engaged employees always work harder, smarter or more efficiently? Does a productive worker always mean an engaged worker? Can you measure the relationship between productivity and engagement?
Task – listen to the podcast and make notes on the following points:
- What evidence is there of a link between engagement and productivity?
- What elements bring this link into question?
- What advice is given on gaining a better understanding of the link?