The Merit Systems Protection Board has found a link between employee engagement and agency and program outcomes, and says that many programs typically administered by HR offices can drive practices that increase engagement.
The MSPB defines engagement as a heightened connection between employees and their work, their organization, or the people they work for or with and says it corresponds to improved agency outcomes, better program results, the use of less sick leave, and fewer equal employment opportunity complaints and cases of work-related injury or illness.
An HR office can improve the engagement level of employees by assisting managers in identifying individuals with supervisory ability during the hiring process. A common complaint is that supervisors have the technical know-how for their roles but fail when it comes to people skills.
MSPB said HR staffs should work with line managers to ensure a good person-to-job fit within their organizations, starting with improving the marketing of jobs to entice the right candidates to apply and helping managers assess job candidates more intensively.
It also called on HR staffs to assist managers in developing orientation and mentoring programs to effectively assimilate new employees, and said they could promote the use of job rotations so employees understand more about the wider organization and have greater opportunity to match their competencies with organizational needs.