The report adds that leaders play a key role in employee engagement, but there are limits.
It said that in one comparison between agencies with low and high engagement, the most differentiating factor between them was more effective and widely used performance management practices. These included employee development opportunities, linking the employee’s job with the organization’s mission or strategic goals, opportunities for feedback, and rewards and recognition.
“There are many opportunities such as onboarding, goal setting, performance feedback and career discussions, where leaders can engage employees and strengthen employee commitment and alignment,” it added.
“Conversely, the level of engagement may wane as employees experience setbacks in their career (e.g., job reassignment), events occur within the organization (e.g., reduction in force), or events occur outside the organization (e.g., sequestration).
“Events external to the organizational environment may also include non-work related personal events, such as relocation of a spouse, birth of a child, or illness of a loved one. Thus, while leaders may strive to maintain a highly engaged workforce, it is important to recognize that employee engagement is not entirely within the control of the organization or individual and is likely to fluctuate during the employee lifecycle,” it said.