There are three keys which really drive high employee performance: satisfaction, motivation, and engagement. But which one is most effective? First, we need to identify and understand the meaning of each term. Then, the differences and potential impact for the organization can be understood.

The definitions

• Employee Satisfaction - The general state of employee happiness. One key identifier is retention rate. High satisfaction typically equates to high retention. The degree to which employees are happy generally equates to corresponding levels of (their) satisfaction. 
• Employee Motivation - Simply being satisfied does not cause an employee to work harder. Generally speaking, when an employee is motivated, they work harder. Does working harder equate to higher performance for the organization? Not necessarily. People can seemingly be working hard but not be motivated to deliver higher results.  
• Employee Engagement - Engagement is realized when employees follow pre-determined processes for goals setting, behavioral expectations, corrective actions, and continuous feedback. True engagement is what drives higher performance. Employees who are engaged work with purpose and focus. 

With a constant focus on higher performance, organizations today are searching for engaged employees who are more than just happy and willing to work. Organizations need empowered employees and engagement is one of the key ingredients to make this happen. As organizational leaders are continuously asked to do more with less, they need the highest possible levels of Employee Engagement from the members on their team. 

How does an organization get employees engaged? This can be done through a process of well-defined accountability. A well-defined accountability process can raise the level of employee engagement across all levels and functions of an organization. 

Maybe you have other characteristics equally important but likely not more important to these three. 

Think about it...

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