88 Moreover, experts say there are many best prac- tices that organizations and managers can fol- low to maximize employee engagement. From strength building to safe-space dialogue to stron- ger mission connection, an organization's leader- ship can make all the difference. Energy and Flow Employee engagement is not a new workplace concept; it has been discussed and studied for more than 25 years. But with more recent re- search illustrating its benefits, and the hazards of disengagement, the concept of employee en- gagement is now "much more integrated into how we look at work," says management expert David Zinger, a Canada-based consultant who runs The Employee Engagement Network, an on- line resource. Zinger and other experts argue that Gallup's methodology (a 12-question survey that poses core value questions such as "at work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day") leads to exceedingly low engagement scores. Other methodologies put the U.S. employee en- gagement rate at about 50 percent, these experts say. Still, almost all agree that whatever metric is used, the rate is still too low. By definition, employees who are engaged are usually involved in and enthusiastic about their work, and are making valuable contributions to their organization. Bob Kelleher, an expert who runs The Employee Engagement Group consul- tancy, says he thinks of engagement as a suc- cessful partnership between an employer and employee. "The employer is helping the employee reach his or her potential, while the employee is helping the employer reach its potential," he explains. "It's the ultimate win–win. The byproduct of this partnership is a discretionary effort." And that discretionary effort from the employee often comes naturally, because of the positive energy generated by simply being engaged. "When an employee is engaged, they experi- ence a state of flow. They are energized. They are learning. They have fun," says Pi Wen Looi, a workplace expert who heads the Novacrea consulting firm. "As a result, they are more like- ly to recommend their company as a great place to work, stay longer with the company, and go above and beyond their role." Natural Selection Managers play a crucial role in maximizing em- ployee engagement in the workplace—and that management effort should start with the hiring process, experts say. Looi mentions recent research she was involved in that was aimed at identifying employees' sense of purpose to help them find jobs that were in tune with their personal values. The research showed how an employee-employer values align- ment at the start led to greater engagement. "If you want to have engaged employees, you'll need to make sure you are recruiting the right talent—a passion and value match, a culture fit, and with the right skills," she says. In part, that's because high salaries are ultimate- ly not enough to ensure high engagement, she adds. "What motivates employees comes from their own heart. You may have market compet- itive pay and benefits, but these extrinsic moti- vators are not sufficient to propel employees for- ward," she explains. "It's the intrinsic motivators such as pursuing their values and passion, contin- ual learning, and building good relationships with peers that will keep a person going and thriving." Kelleher illustrates this by using the acronym BEST. Employers tend to hire for the middle two letters, education (E) and skills (S), in hopes that they will be the most reflective of performance. But it is the first and last letters, behaviors (B) and traits (T), that best reflect employees' values. Since a values alignment is key to engagement, employers should also focus on behaviors and