Employee Engagement and the Psychology of Joining, Staying in, and Leaving Organizations

Abstract

Elements of engagement are important factors that not only cause individuals to join an organization but also help to retain those employees. The authors summarize research conducted from a number of angles, asking people what they are looking for in a job, why they stayed in or left their organization, and tracking engagement elements and their impact on turnover patterns across work units. Job interest and career progress are important elements in attracting and retaining employees. In addition, workers both expect and rely on quality managing continuously throughout phases of the employee life cycle. Clarity of expectations and adequacy of resources can either compliment or mitigate other efforts to improve job interest and career progress. Pay becomes a more important factor in turnover intentions when employees perceive their coworkers are not committed to quality work. The engagement elements that impact attraction and retention of employees have been found in other research to increase business unit performance.