Workforce engagement is the sense of interest, enthusiasm, and passion that employees have for their work and organizations. Engaged employees feel more connected to their organizations and colleagues, are more productive, innovative, and satisfied, and experience better physical, emotional, and mental health.
When behavioral health professionals have higher engagement with their work, they invest more of their cognitive, emotional, and physical resources into their performance. They have higher levels of energy and resilience, understand the importance of their work, and become fully engrossed in advancing work-related goals.
While individuals characteristics of employees can influence engagement, employee engagement is best understood as arising from relationships: those between the employee and the organization, between the employee and their role, and between the employee and their colleagues.
Research suggests several promising areas increasing behavioral health workforce engagement:
Interpersonal Connections
Promote interpersonal interactions characterized by positive regard, trust, collaboration, support, and fun.
Employee-Job Fit
Encourage employees to seek roles, adapt tasks, and divide responsibilities to harness their strengths and build satisfaction.
Meaning and Purpose
Align work tasks with workers' values and increase visibility of positive outcomes.
Challenge-Resource Match
Create balance between challenging work and adequate resources to reduce burnout and increase innovation.
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