Employee Well-Being vs Engagement
There are also instances in the literature where the terms ‘employee engagement’ and ‘employee well-being’ are treated as one and the same.
The differences between the two need to be addressed and are best explained by Robertson and Cooper (1) who consider that employee engagement describes positive employee behaviour that is of direct interest to the organisation.
In contrast, employee well-being encompasses a much broader concept that is likely to be more important to the staff. Employee well-being can be viewed as being a critical enabler in supporting high levels of engagement.
This is further supported by research from Towers Perrin – ISR (2) which shows that of 75 possible drivers of engagement, the one rated most important by employees was their belief that senior management had a sincere interest in their well-being. When asked if they thought their senior management exhibited this attitude and behaviour, 39% believed this not to be the case with a further 32% saying they were neutral on this aspect. This contrasts sharply with the second most important driver that related to advancement opportunities with 62% employees indicating that they had improved their skillls and capabilities.
These findings demonstrate the value to organisations of taking the health and well-being of their people seriously. Those who fail to act on this aspect are missing a fundamental opportunity to optimise effectiveness in the workplace.
(1) Robertson IT, Cooper CL. Full engagement: The integration of employee engagement and psychological well-being. Leadership and Organization Development Journal 2010;31(4):324-36.
(2) Towers Perrin – ISR. ISR Employment Engagement Report (2006).
