Understanding Employee Engagement vs. Satisfaction: Are They Really Different?

Hi all,

Is there any difference between employee engagement and employee satisfaction? Are both the terms used in the same context or do they carry different meanings and purposes?

Thanks,
Manish

Dear Manish,

According to www.answer.com, "employee engagement is a modernized version of job satisfaction."

Employee Engagement is more comprehensive than Employee Satisfaction. A satisfied employee may not be a positive spokesperson in the market, but an engaged employee is.

To drive home the point, let me put it across in a simple way - what is the difference between personnel and HR is the difference between employee satisfaction and employee engagement.

Satisfaction is the result. However, to engage employees, HR needs to be proactive. Satisfaction can be measured. However, I don't think that measures are available for employee engagement.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar
+91-9900155394

Component of employee engagement includes "say, stay, and strive" (meaning existing employees stay for a longer period, speak positively as if they were company spokespersons, and strive for excellence). Therefore, it is much more than mere satisfaction. In summary, engagement equals satisfaction + bonding + commitment to excellence.

Ragesh
Principal Consultant
Hale Human Capital
98402-99592

Employee Engagement is the use of discretionary effort by employees. Engaged employees are willing to work a little more (extra) for organizational success. The points mentioned earlier, of being a spokesperson of the company and staying longer, hold true. There are various parameters which enable an employee to become engaged, such as development opportunities, compensation, leadership in the organization, general working environment, and so on. Although it is confused many times with motivation, satisfaction, and commitment, researchers say that there is some overlap but a basic difference between these concepts. Satisfaction may or may not lead to an employee working harder for the company, whereas engagement ensures that the employee is happy while exerting efforts for their company.

Regards, Rabiya Jidda Lecturer - Human Resources

Dear Mr. Giridhar Alwar,

In the last sentence of your post, you mentioned, "So engagement leads to satisfaction." However, it is more accurate to say that satisfaction leads to engagement, and not the other way around.

Thanks,
Dinesh V Divekar

Dear Balamurugan,

If you read my script carefully, you will find that I have suggested that we read the previous posts and then pose precise questions rather than just raise a question for which in-depth answers are available on the net.

I kindly suggest that people use a "Deep approach" to learning rather than a "Surface approach". If these terms are "Greek and Latin" for the readers, please search the web and read the works of Prof. Noel Entwistle and Prof. Paul Ramsden.

Have a nice day.

Simhan

Employee engagement is related to empowerment, giving freedom, involving them in decision-making, permitting them to implement, etc. However, employee satisfaction is somewhat different. It may be personal satisfaction or monetary satisfaction. A satisfied employee will work well and hard, but an engaged employee will work smart with commitment.

Sundar Meenakshi Mission Hospital
Madurai
9842120580
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Hello Manish:

"Is there any difference between employee engagement and employee satisfaction? Are both the terms use in same context or carry different meaning and purpose?"

Employee engagement is not something an employer does, it is something employers get in return for doing all things well.

Employee Satisfaction Surveys are often presumed to measure employee engagement and employee engagement is what all managers should be striving to achieve but we cannot measure employee engagement with an employee satisfaction survey.

Employee engagement and employee satisfaction are two different things.

Employee engagement is what we get when an employee is motivated by the job and is successful in the job and is well managed by the supervisor and paid fairly by management.

Employee satisfaction is what we get when we give employees things they want whether or not they are engaged by their jobs.

If we work to satisfy our employees we may well decrease employee engagement because we will be focusing on the wrong things.

A few things to consider.

· Good employees who are successful and managed and paid well will be engaged even if not fully satisfied.

· Good employees who are successful but not managed well or paid well will not be engaged and will not be satisfied.

· Bad employees who are unsuccessful even though they are well managed and well paid will not be engaged even if fully satisfied.