Employee engagement describes the level of enthusiasm and dedication an employee feels toward a job and organizational goals. Fisher challenges the notion that companies can increase employee engagement by initiating employee recognition programs, naming an engagement leader, organizing brief employee socials, and showing employee engagement survey results through mandatory meetings with impressive lights, figures, and charts. Companies need to build trust and earnestly care about people. Forcing or faking care does not work well. Fisher advocates for more research into the relationships between employee emotional intelligence, volunteerism, meaningfulness, and psychological safety on employee engagement. She also discusses how technology, virtual work, organizational politics, and stress affect employee engagement. The book has extensive academic references. An appendix provides a discussion guide with employee engagement questions for undergraduate courses. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals.

Choice Reviews

“A vital examination of why so many employee engagement initiatives fail and a call to reclaim the human in human resources by integrating engagement into every aspect of work.”

David Dye, Preisdent of Let's Grow Leaders and author of Courageous Cultures and Winning Well

When it comes to employee disengagement, people are not the problem—workplace processes are. In her well-researched book, Lisa Fisher expertly addresses the systemic changes needed to effectively deal with the engagement and retention issues leaders have been struggling with for years. Are you ready to stop applying quick fixes and get actual results? If yes, then read this book.

Donna Cutting, author of Employees First! Inspire, Engage, and Focus on the HEART of Your Organization