Employee Engagement As A Competitive Differentiator

Employee engagement is much more than just the latest HR buzzword. Typically defined as an individual’s degree of positive or negative emotional attachment to the person’s organization, job, and colleagues, employee engagement is an important HR metric that has real bottom-line impact — perhaps now more than ever.

As manufacturers strive to retain highly skilled labor in today’s tough economic climate, increasing employee compensation is not always an option. A more feasible yet highly effective retention strategy focuses on increasing employee engagement. Taking steps to boost employee engagement not only helps in retaining valued employees, but it also increases an organization’s level of performance. According to a recent study, engaged employees have productivity rates that are 70 percent higher than those of nonengaged workers. They also enjoy a 78 percent higher safety record, 70 percent lower turnover, 86 percent greater customer satisfaction, and 44 percent greater profitability.