Employee Engagement vs Employee Satisfaction

Leaders, What do you want? 

Do you want employees to be satisfied or to be engaged?

I know that a lot of leaders use the two interchangeably, and I am suggesting that they stop.

They are not the same.

Think about the things in your life that you are satisfied with and the things that you are actively engaged with. For instance, you may be satisfied with the community you live in, the roadways are well maintained, the play areas are clean, and the garbage is collected on a regular basis. If you don’t attend residents’ meetings, or are not actively involved in ensuring that things run smoothly or do not participate in the community’s events, then you’re not engaged.

We all have our favorite restaurant, where we are always satisfied with the food and the service, but, on the occasion that the dish isn't well prepared we become dissatisfied and complain. We expect the chef to prepare another serving and deliver the new dish to our table.

While it is flattering that employees are satisfied, leaders need to appreciate that satisfaction is not Employee Engagement. Read this article for a definition of employee engagement.  

When leaders focus on Employee Satisfaction, they are constructing a relationship, in which the employee is a client and the leaders are in service to the employee. When something goes wrong, the employees do not perceive any personal responsibility to improve the situation; while they may make recommendations, they will fold their arms and wait for the leaders to fix it, or grumble when told to fix it. 

When leaders focus on employee engagement, leaders don’t have to worry when things go wrong, because they know that employees see themselves as part of the solution, employees have a vested interest in offering recommendations, and in fixing things.

There is the argument that satisfied employees will become more engaged. 

I can appreciate this from an emotional point of view, if the employee is satisfied or happy then they will work better. But what happens when the employee becomes unhappy or dissatisfied? What then? 

Whose job is it to make them happy or satisfied? 

Leaders, What do you want? Do you want employees to be satisfied or to be engaged?