Engagement Matters
Employee engagement is a person's psychological commitment to their organization, reflected by their behaviors and effort at work. A person's level of engagement affects their:
- Positive or negative experience at work and the experience of those around them.
- Individual or group productivity.
- Sense of community and belonging at work.
Engagement is a process that is not linear or binary. It's normal to feel less engaged at times, and then more engaged again depending on internal and external factors.
Engagement is everyone's responsibility. As a faculty or staff member, you need to act to maintain your own engagement. And your manager or department head, leadership, and the organization have responsibilities to you, as well.
Engagement is not just "morale" or "job satisfaction." It's a research-backed model that describes employees' psychological commitment to their team and organization as evidenced by their effort and other behaviors. An employee can be satisfied with their job but not committed to the work, but an engaged employee demonstrates commitment to the work.
- Faculty, staff, officers of administration, and graduate employees are essential to the University of Oregon's success (in fact, they define it). They deserve to feel valued, supported, and encouraged to grow.
- By using a clear, evidence-based framework for employee and team success, we can better identify and remove organizational barriers that prevent people from thriving.
- The engagement framework provides a practical roadmap for leaders and managers. It outlines the specific conditions that help employees succeed, making it easier to ensure everyone has the tools, resources, and support they need to do their best work.
- Research shows that people working in highly engaged organizations experience less stress both at work and at home, report lower anxiety and depression, and even show better physical health outcomes.
- Engaged teams are also more likely to meet their goals because they’re more emotionally invested in their work and demonstrate greater collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving.
Employee engagement has a much greater effect on well-being than individual workplace policies such as hours worked, flextime, and vacation time.