b'UP YOUR CULTUREBeth SunshineSenior VP, The Center for Sales Strategy and Up Your CultureEmployee Engagement Is Not About Job Satisfaction or Happiness W hen a company consis- Employee Engagement, they thinkIonceheardemployeesatisfac-tently hires and investsabout feelings of job satisfactiontiondescribedlikethis:Satisfied in people who have theand happiness. This is completelyemployeesareprimarilyfocused innatetalentforexcellenceinacounter-intuitive,butEmployeeon what they get (like a paycheck) specific job role, both the individu- Engagementisnotabouteitherwhile engaged employees are pri-al and the company grow. job satisfaction or happiness at all. marily focused on what they can give to the organization.Wevepaidverycloseattention to the highly talented people whoEmployeeThat means that a satisfied em-have not worked out in their jobs,Satisfactionployeeislikelytoacceptajob often probing to learn more. Weinterviewwithacompanythat wanted to know what kept themVs. Employeewill offer them more money and from fully activating their talentsEngagementiftheyleave,theircurrentem-and reaching their potential. First of all, employee satisfactionployer will be surprised! Employee is a great thing! Its just unrelatedengagement anchors a person to In almost every case, it was a cleartheirjobandemployeesatisfac-lack of engagement. to engagement. tion is not the same thing.EmployeeEngagementisahugeWhilebothtermssoundlikethe buzz word right now! So its im- samething,theyreactuallyveryEmployee portant to understand what it re- different. Employers should try to ensureemployeesarebothen- Satisfaction ally means and why its imperative if you want to attract highly talent- gaged with their jobs and satisfiedVs. Employee edpeople,turntheirtalentintowith their work. As TINYpulse points out,WhileengagedemployeesEngagementperformance,retainthemover time, and grow as an organization. are often satisfied with their jobs,Again,employeehappinessisa satisfied employees are not neces- good thing! Its just unrelated to Whenmostpeoplethinkaboutsarily engaged with theirs. engagement.150 Employee Engagement Is Not About Job Satisfaction or Happiness'