What drives commitment at work?

Many organizations focus on ensuring that employees are satisfied with their jobs. productivity. But job satisfaction is just one piece of a more complex puzzle.

However, commitment to the organization does not mean you like your job. Organizational psychology has long understood that commitment can take different forms. You may stay with the company because you need financial security. You may feel obligated due to family or social expectations. Or you may become emotionally invested in your job or company’s mission. This emotional investment is what we usually mean by “employee engagement.”

To measure engagement, organizations often rely on surveys. These surveys are aimed at improving employee retention and productivity. However, recent research has revealed some interesting insights.

The link between engagement and satisfaction

A positive work experience usually leads to higher engagement and increases job satisfaction. But this relationship works both ways. In other words, feeling engaged can shape how you perceive your job and how satisfied you are with it. For those who are pressured to stay for family or social reasons, this sense of obligation also affects their work experience. On the other hand, people who commit only for financial reasons do not necessarily feel satisfied as long as they are emotionally involved.

Intuitively, when commitment affects job satisfaction, it also affects the likelihood of staying. If you’re thinking about leaving, your job satisfaction may decline, but your commitment may remain stable. But when satisfaction increases commitment, they are more likely to stay with the company.

Warning: Stability is important. This interaction between satisfaction and commitment holds only when the organization is stable. During times of change, this link can become weak. One hypothesis is that uncertainty causes people to feel less control over their work lives.

What can a leader do?

Organizational commitment, job satisfaction, engagement, and turnover are interconnected, nonlinear, and context-dependent. Surveying your employees about engagement only gives you part of the picture. It’s also important to consider factors such as competitiveness, job security, and how connected employees feel about the company’s vision.

Here are some strategies to help keep your employees happy, committed, and engaged.

Host stay interview

• Go beyond research. Talk to key employees about why they stick around. Think of this like an exit interview. But for those who are still with you.

Improve onboarding and socialization

• New employees often start out very enthusiastic, but can hit a “reality shock” once the honeymoon period ends. Stay connected with them to stay engaged.
• Make sure your job posting is accurate from the start and consider offering a coffee chat with current employees for a candid conversation about the role.

Use predictive analytics

• Survey data is not wasted. For example, a high overall engagement score can hide gaps when broken sex or department.
• Data can also be used to predict turnover risk, including analyzing commute distance and compensation ratios.

embedded changes management

• Most companies are constantly evolving, and this impacts employee perception. Embedding change management practices helps employees feel more in control by involving them in the process and addressing concerns early on.