How To Successfully Engage & Satisfy Your Employees

Two terms that seem to be used interchangeably are employee satisfaction and employee engagement.  

However, the two terms did not mean the same thing, and until managers realise that they may not be achieving the end results they want to.

In this article, we will explain the difference between satisfaction and engagement, and provide advice on achieving either or both in the office.

What Is Employee Satisfaction?

Employee satisfaction is typically counted through surveys which measure “employees’ level of contentment with their organisational culture, work environment, and overall compensation,” according to adp.com.

The source explains that “satisfaction refers to how employees feel — their “happiness”— about their job and conditions, such as compensation, benefits, work environment, and career development opportunities.”

What Is Employee Engagement?

Employee engagement cannot be measured through surveys, but is instead measured by managers when it comes to how much effort staff members are willing to put out for the good of their company.

Employees that are very committed to the goals and mission of their company will go above and beyond their day-to-day responsibilities to make sure the company and its employees succeed.

Are Employee Satisfaction And Engagement Always Correlated?

While an employee who is engaged is most likely satisfied, the opposite is not always true.

This is explained by the fact that for an employee to be going the extra mile for their organisation (engaged), they need to be happy with their job responsibilities, their superiors, workplace policies and compensation (satisfied), however, just because an employee is satisfied does not mean they are also engaged, which is a problem that some managers face.

Although managers should focus on making sure their employees are satisfied at the job, they should pay extra focus to promoting engagement.

Due to the fact that all companies are financially driven, it is essential that all workers are emotionally committed to helping their team succeed.

How can bosses improve employee engagement?

• Demonstrating a can-do and will-do attitude starting at the top with the managers themselves
• Providing help, guidance and mentorship to both new and experienced employees to help them in their daily tasks and long-term goals
• Keeping employees accountable for their own work by assigning measurable tasks
• Promoting teamwork
• Recognising employees efforts and accomplishments