50 definitions of employee engagement

The levels of interest vary: There are those who don’t understand its value and won’t take part at all, those who play more of the voyeur, watching as it happens, and then there are those who are eager participants, actively driving and leading engagement efforts.

We also know that how organizations define and promote employee engagement has evolved over time and has varying shades of definitions depending on the needs of the organization.

I know how I define employee engagement, but I wanted to ask you—the employee, the average Joe, the thought leader, and the social strategist, an eclectic mix of professionals—how you would define it.

Here is the list of top 50 shades of employee engagement in no particular order. Many thanks to everyone who responded with their own shade—or definition—of what employee engagement means to them.

(Editor’s note: The following contributions have been edited for spelling, punctuation, etc., to ensure clarity and with no changes in wording or phrasing that would distort the original intent or meaning of the comment.)