Does Employee Engagement Come Down to Social Responsibility?

There is a crisis in the workplace today—employee disengagement.  In fact, Disengagement has reached what many would call a crisis level encompassing over 70% of the workforce and over 50% of management (Towers-Perrin Global Workforce Study).  Disengagement manifests itself in a lack of commitment to an organization’s goals, absenteeism, low performance, cynicism, low trust and chronic complaints of being overstressed.

The High Cost of Employee Disengagement reports that “actively disengaged” workers are costing US businesses $300 billion a year in productivity losses.  $300 billion!
Measurable costs such as product failures, customer service failures, and absenteeism are huge, but immeasurable opportunity cost associated with lack of innovation and execution are likely even larger and are manifested in loss of market share, margin, growth and even survival.

So what’s the answer?  It might surprise you.

According to Will Marré, acclaimed expert, in The Future of Work:  Engaging Employees to Drive Innovation asserts that disengagement stems from employees not having their needs met at work.  Marré refers to research that indicates that employees today long for three things: 1) meaningful work that contributes to a better society and healthier environment, 2) flexible working arrangements, and 3) personal growth.   The article states, “What 21st century employees want is to be engaged in meaningful work that benefits society.  This is the biggest driver of engagement.”

Tony Robbins agrees that a sense of fulfillment is important for our happiness and wellbeing.  In the TED video, Tony Robbins Asks Why We Do What We Do, he states, “When it comes to fulfillment, that’s an art.  And the reason is, it’s about appreciation and it’s about contribution.”  He further discusses the importance of our need to make a greater contribution.  Of six basic human needs, according to Robbins, our sixth need is to contribute beyond ourselves.  He states, “We all know, corny as it sounds, the secret to living is giving.  We all know life’s not about me, it’s about we.”

Social Responsibility Boosts Employee Engagement also agrees that a company’s social responsibility can lead to more engaged employees.  The article quotes Douglas Klein, President of Sirota Survey Intelligence who states, “”Businesses that recognize the importance of social responsibility often have employees who tend to be more satisfied with their jobs, adopt similar values, and become more committed to achieving success within the industry.”

Furthermore, Corporate Social Responsibility Pays Off reports that 70 percent of North American students surveyed in the 2003 CSR Monitor by Globescan said they would not apply for a job at a company deemed socially irresponsible.  What’s more, the survey found that 68 percent disagree that salary was more important than social responsibility.   The article also states, “Instead of just cutting a check to a foundation, companies find that the connection between CSR and employee engagement is deeper if employees are directly involved.”

The bottom line is we want to have meaningful work that makes a greater contribution to humanity and the environment.  It’s not just about a paycheck anymore.  It’s about a sense of fulfillment and a purpose beyond our own.  We want to make a difference.