The challenge for all organisations is to sustain continuous improvements to performance in response to a constantly changing environment, ever increasing competition and pressure on resources.

To successfully meet these challenges, organisations need to engage and inspire their people more than ever before. Our recent work with clients has emphasised the fundamental importance of engaging employees and the role that leaders, managers, individual employees and the HR department play in building true engagement.

In 2008 we conducted action research with 10 organisations to explore the engagement concept, how it contributes to organisational performance and what is needed to engage employees. This work included an evaluation of research evidence about the contribution engaged employees make to business performance, the drivers and barriers to engagement and how it can be successfully achieved. Our approach to support individual engagement is built on this research which reinforces our experience. An executive summary of our report is available here.

Our work shows a changing relationship between employees and organisations – one based on an equal partnership rather than a contract – an adult to adult relationship, hence we prefer to use the term individual engagement.

In our view individuals who are engaged are committed to the organisation, its purpose and values, motivated to consistently give of their best and ready to develop and adapt with the organisation. In return, the organisation needs to ensure they are well led, valued, respected, trusted, informed, involved and offered opportunity.

In practice, building and sustaining individual engagement includes:

• Drawing up your own definition of what engagement means for your business, organisation and its people
• Defining how engaged individuals can achieve their aspirations and help your organisation achieve its goals
• Making sure that the concept of engagement is integrated in to the employee offer, brand and core values in your organisation – in other words it is part of your organisational culture
• Being clear about the benefits of engagement for your organisation and its people
• Tracking engagement through a regular engagement or staff attitude survey, linked to each business unit and making leaders and managers accountable for sustained individual engagement

Measuring Engagement

• Offering a menu of options for leaders, managers and individuals to build engagement, based on best practice and our experience. This encompasses creating vision, building expectations, managing performance, learning, career development, communications, involvement, reward, recognition and work life balance
• Taking account of the needs of different groups in your organisation as engagement drivers can vary for different individuals
• Monitoring action taken and the impact on individual employee engagement
• Being open to best practice and experience elsewhere

At The Development Partnership we can help you make engagement integral to the way you manage and develop your people, particularly building on your organisational and learning and development expertise, advise on what leaders and managers need to do to best engage individuals in their teams and what will suit your organisation as a whole. Our approach is structured, practical and tailored to meet your needs.

Building and sustaining individual engagement is a critical issue for all organisations that aspire to high performance. If you are interested in finding out how we can help you better engage people in your organisation, would like to discuss our work on engagement or access to our research, please contact David Vere at: davidv@the-dp.co.uk