Importance of employee engagement

Assessment activity
Your recently appointed CEO has been a very strong advocate of engagement surveys in her previous organisation. She has come to you (as a senior in the HR department) for advice and has asked for a written proposal for how levels of employee engagement can be effectively measured.
Assessment guidance
In this proposal you have decided to include the following:
• An analysis of the concept of employee engagement and the meaning, principal dimensions and components of ‘employee engagement’, with a brief comparison with other related concepts.
Assessment criterion: 1.1 Analyse the meaning, principal dimensions and components of ‘employee engagement’ and compare with other related concepts.
In your report, you should offer an analysis of employee engagement and include the three principal dimensions (intellectual, affective, social). You should explain if and how it differs from other concepts, such as:
• Organisational commitment;
• Employee involvement, and
• Job satisfaction
Support your explanations with examples.

• An identification of the principle drivers of employee engagement and an evaluation of the business benefits for both the organisation and the different stakeholders
Assessment criterion 2.1: Identify the principal drivers of employee engagement and evaluate the business benefits for the organisation and different stakeholders. Be sure to mention all the principle drivers. For example:
• opinions on management;
• employee voice;
• meaningfulness of work, and
• employee well-being etc.
You should also provide a brief evaluation of the business benefits for key stakeholders – customers, employees, managers.

• An explanation of some of the steps an organisation can take to create a culture of engagement e.g. through discretionary behaviour, role autonomy and organisational citizenship.
Assessment criterion 2.2: Explain how steps such as job design, discretionary behaviour, role autonomy and organisational citizenship contribute to employee engagement.

• A brief explanation of the need for aligning engagement practices with other corporate components.
Assessment criterion 1.2: Justify the need for alignment between engagement practices and other corporate components if the full benefits of high engagement are to be released.
Include a brief explanation of the need for alignment between engagement practices and other organizational components, such as an organisation’s purpose, values and mission, and business strategy.

• An identification and evaluation of suitable diagnostic tools for measuring employee attitudes and levels of employee engagement.

Assessment criterion 3.1: Identify and evaluate the use of diagnostic tools for measuring employee attitudes and levels of employee engagement
Provide an evaluation of at least TWO different diagnostic tools. For example:
• employee attitude or climate surveys
• focus groups
• metrics (e.g. employee turnover, absenteeism rates.)

• Create an example of an ‘Employee Value Proposition’ (EVP) that promotes levels of engagement and support this with a discussion on what makes a good EVP.
Assessment criterion 3.2: Construct an ‘employee value proposition’
You should put together your own EVP from the ideas and analysis previously covered and consider what makes a good EVP.

• Discuss relevant strategies to raise levels of employee engagement. Include at least two examples of measures to address any barriers. Consider people resourcing, development, performance and communication strategies.
Assessment criterion 3.3: Propose relevant people resourcing, development, performance and communication strategies to raise levels of employee engagement.
You must also mention at least TWO examples of measures to address any barriers, such as methods of influence and persuasion, evidence-based arguments.

Evidence to be produced/required

A written brief of approximately 2,000 – 2,500 words in total plus a short set of summary slides. Please note that you do not have to give the presentation.

You should relate academic concepts, theories and professional practice to the way organisations operate, in a critical and informed way, and with reference to key texts, articles and other publications and by using organisational examples for illustration.
All reference sources should be acknowledged correctly and a bibliography provided where appropriate (these should be excluded from the word count).