Closing the Engagement Gap: How Great Companies Unlock Employee Potential for Superior Results

Gebauer and Lowman, of the professional services firm Towers Perrin, explore the benefits companies reap when they engage their employees. The authors argue that the most important thing an organization can do is successfully unleash employees’ full potential, yet most employers fail to do so; four out of five workers worldwide are not delivering all of their abilities. Based on exhaustive research of global data, Gebauer and Lowman show that engaged employees connect with a company at three levels—the rational, emotional and motivational—and these connections result in a willingness to surpass expectations. They also explore what drives employee engagement and how to convert the enrolled and enlist the disenchanted. With fresh examples from Campbell Soup, Honeywell International and MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, the authors provide tools organizations can utilize. This timely and convincing argument breaks new ground and is a must-read for the HR department, managers and executives at every level. (Jan.)