{"id":15665,"date":"2021-06-23T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-23T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=15665"},"modified":"2025-12-08T08:42:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T13:42:31","slug":"leadership-blog-series-measuring-and-improving-employee-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=15665","title":{"rendered":"Leadership Blog Series: Measuring and Improving Employee Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Written by Sharri Margraves, HR Associate Director for Organization and Professional Development<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the pandemic, Gallup\u2019s State of the Global Workplace research pegged employee engagement at an abysmal 15%. While there is no perfect definition of employee engagement, it\u2019s fair to say that if 85% of any given workforce is disengaged, regardless of the criteria, an organization is not providing its best effort and could be headed for trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2017, 81% of employees surveyed indicated they would consider leaving their jobs if the right offer came along, and the \u201cright offer\u201d criteria did not equate to simply receiving a higher rate of pay. It\u2019s no secret that there are now additional challenges to filling positions and retaining talent across the entire spectrum of occupations due to the pandemic. Plus, humans are curious creatures \u2014 if one of our colleagues leaves their position, others are more likely to follow suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have approximately 12,000 benefits-eligible employees at MSU. Using Gallup\u2019s findings, does that mean 10,200 of us are not engaged? And if so, what can we do about it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Engagement?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To begin, it\u2019s imperative to know what employee engagement entails. Engagement is sometimes used synonymously with employee satisfaction or even happiness. However, these three measures are quite different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy employees<\/strong> are individuals who generally respond to work situations with a decided choice. Even when faced with difficult situations, how the employee deals with the circumstances is what determines happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Satisfied employees<\/strong> are content, but it doesn\u2019t mean they are engaged. Organizations are filled with employees who like their jobs enough \u2014 the conditions, benefits, pay \u2014 and continue to come to work but do not help drive toward goals or improvements. Plenty of people are satisfied just going through the motions, but the competitive edge will go to organizations with more significant numbers of engaged employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An organization heavily influences engaged employees.<\/strong> Engagement is more about how employees feel <\/em>about their organizations. They bring their whole selves to the job and are committed to achieving the goals of the organization. They do everything in their power to help their organization be successful. They go above and beyond. They have a growth mindset, can tackle the challenges, and seek continuous improvement \u2014 and their leaders support these behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider the V-5 Model<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To better gauge your unit\u2019s employee engagement level, try the V-5 model<\/a>. V-5 describes five major elements of employee engagement in the pandemic\/post-pandemic organization: value, voice, variety, virtue, and vision.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Value<\/strong> \u2014 Employees are the most vital asset and are valued for their work and commitment. They are recognized and respected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Voice<\/strong> \u2014 Employees can provide feedback without fear of negative impact and have input on work rules and policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Variety<\/strong> \u2014 Jobs leverage skills and strengths and offer creativity, autonomy, and challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtue<\/strong> \u2014 Employees connect to the organization\u2019s values, have trust and belief in its mission across the organization, and see that it creates value for all stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vision<\/strong> \u2014 There is a clear and comprehensive stated goal of an organization that it strives to achieve in the future. Key features of a vision include brevity, goal clarity, an abstract yet challenging approach, and desirable goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested in learning more? The V-5 model table<\/a> breaks down the variables of each V-5 element and can be helpful in customizing this approach for your unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advice on Engagement Surveys <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some units use surveys to gain insight into employee engagement. If you plan to take this approach, be sure to review and follow the steps below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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