The topic of employee engagement is getting a lot of press these days, including three articles in this issue. Although the challenge of engaging employees is on the minds of many executives, it is not a new idea—just a new term for an old workplace issue (see page 44).
Senior executives are asking the question: “How can I get my employees on board and excited about their work?” There is substantial evidence that engaged employees are more productive, which increases a company’s bottom line. In the end, it’s not enough just to engage employees in their work. Organizations must recognize the importance of creating a culture where employees do not feel misused, overused, underused, or abused. The workplace environment needs to be a development culture where everyone gives maximum effort.
But isn’t that what you, as a workplace learning and performance professional, have been trying to do? An online survey, whose results are reported on page 54, shows that the quality of workplace learning opportunities ranked first when HR executives and learning professionals were asked about the factors that influence engagement in their organizations.
You’ll find a good example of the role that workplace learning and performance plays in creating an engaged culture in our interview with Caterpillar CEO Jim Owens on page 30.
He says, “Being engaged means more than showing up every day—it means having a passion for excellence in what we do and a desire to build a great team. As in any competitive arena, a great team wins and a divided team loses.”
So, are you helping your company create conditions that inspire and engage employees and making them believe they can make a difference? Are you making sure their work is aligned with company goals and that they can see the impact of their work?
The issue of employee engagement isn’t going away any time soon. As workplace learning and performance professionals, you need to decide what engagement means to you and begin to create a culture that breeds passionate employees. In the words of author Edgar Powell: “No organization is stronger than the quality of its leadership.”
Paula Ketter
Editor, T+D
pketter@astd.org
FEATURES
AT C-LEVEL
Learning Is a Powerful Tool
By Tony Bingham and Pat Galagan
Caterpillar CEO Jim Owens tells T+D that his company invests close to $100 million a year in employee education.
FREE PDF
ENTERPRISE LEARNING
Building a Learning Infrastructure
By Christopher E. Glynn
Caterpillar University is responsible for the company’s enterprise learning strategy.
PURCHASE ARTICLE
IMPROVING HUMAN PERFORMANCE
What’s the Big Deal About Employee Engagement?
By Paula Ketter
Employee engagement has captured the interest of executives and learning professionals, but it isn’t a new concept—just a new word for an old issue.
PURCHASE ARTICLE
IMPROVING HUMAN PERFORMANCE
10 Ms of Employee Engagement
By Cris and Mel Wildermuth
There are 10 elements needed to create an engagement-friendly workplace.
PURCHASE ARTICLE
MEASURING AND EVALUATING
Learning Influences Employee Engagment
By Andrew Paradise
An ASTD joint study addresses the link between employee engagement and learning.
PURCHASE ARTICLE
DELIVERING TRAINING
See How They Learn
By Paul Harris
Innovative training delivery can make learning fun and engaging.
PURCHASE ARTICLE
Executive Summaries