engagement
en-GAGE-munt
/ɪnˈɡeɪdʒmənt/
The degree of attention, curiosity, and passion that employees show when they are working.
Engagement is more than just 'satisfaction'; a satisfied employee might be lazy, but an engaged employee is productive.
The story behind the word. From the Old French 'en' (in) + 'gage' (a pledge or pawn). It originally meant to put oneself under a pledge or to 'pawn' one's honor to complete a task.
Word relationships
- commitment: Commitment is a promise to stay; engagement is the energy you bring while you are there.
- disengagement: The state of being emotionally detached from one's work.
Commonly confused with
- satisfaction: Satisfaction is about being happy with your perks; engagement is about being involved in your work.
Word family
- engage (verb): To participate or involve.
- engaging (adjective): Charming or interesting.
Collocations
- employee engagement
- customer engagement
- level of engagement
Example sentences
- "High levels of employee engagement are directly linked to increased profitability and customer satisfaction." A manager discussing productivity.
Memory hook
When you are engaged, you have 'Gage'-d (pledged) your focus to the task. Engagement = Fully 'in' the game.
When not to use
In a corporate context, don't confuse it with a promise to marry.
Fun facts
- Gallup, the analytics company, has been tracking global employee engagement since the 1990s, finding it consistently low worldwide.
Explore more words
take action, activism, pluralism, workshop, absorption, inclusion
Also appears in
- Relationships → Community & Civic Duty
- Business → Marketing & Advertising
- Education & Pedagogy → Distance & Online Learning
- Media, Journalism & Publishing → Advertising & Consumer Influence
- Psychology → Occupational Psychology
- Digital Life & Internet Culture → Social Media Profiles & Posting
- Digital Life & Internet Culture → Influencer Culture & Virality
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