Survey Reveals Link Between Assessment and Engagement

Employees who are "fully engaged" are more likely to go the extra mile for customers and stay with an employer.

A business is only as successful as its employees' ability to provide products or services in a timely, courteous and professional manner. Although employee assessments aren't always connected to an employee's ability to go above and beyond, a recent survey from Performance Assessment Network (pan), located in Carmel, Ind., found that employees who were given assessments were more likely to be fully engaged in their job than employees who were not given assessments.

More importantly, pan found that less than half of today's workforce is fully engaged, while almost one-third is unengaged. This means that more than half of today's employees are not acting in ways that assist their organizations in creating positive customer experiences and business success.

The following are specific survey findings from the 2004 National Study on Workforce Engagement. They relate some of the key strategic issues that impact workforce engagement: effective senior leadership; ethics, diversity and safety; and stakeholder input.

• Employees who were given a pre-employment test or assessment were more likely to act in ways that benefit their organization, including being motivated to work hard and go the extra mile for customers.
• Employees who were given a pre-employment test or assessment were significantly more likely to remain at their job for the next two years and significantly more likely to remain at their job even if they were offered a similar job with slightly higher pay.
• Employees given a pre-hire assessment were more positive about their feelings of personal accomplishment, their relationship with their supervisor, and how well they felt their skills and interests fit their job.
• Those given a pre-hire assessment were more positive about being treated with respect and appreciation, feeling their company is highly ethical, feeling valued as an employee and feeling that differences among individuals are both respected and valued at their organization.
• Those given a pre-hire assessment were more positive about feeling that loyalty is appropriately valued and rewarded at their company, that senior management treats employees like their most important asset, and that day-to-day decisions demonstrate that quality is a top priority for their company.

"Taking proper care of customers, employees and suppliers makes good business sense," said Marc Drizin, pan's director of workforce engagement. "Employees who are actively engaged with their company will enhance their company's success by keeping the cost of turnover low and increasing revenue from current and future customers."

"Our workforce engagement research confirms that pre-employment assessment is a strong predictor of engagement," said pan CEO Dave Pfenninger, Ph.D., "and underscores the critical link between pre-hire testing and an employee's contribution to overall business success."

According to pan, to take advantage of employee engagement, senior leadership must buy in to making workforce engagement a priority by linking it to business success. In addition, companies should assess the current state of employee perceptions and organizational practices.

This workforce engagement assessment was given to approximately 2,600 employees who worked in companies with more than 50 employees.

For more information, contact pan at (317) 566-3270; Internet: panpowered.com.