Why Wellbeing and Engagement Matter
Two separate ideas, why both matter to the business and the person, and how the course fits together.
8 min
Activities: 0 of 2
Two ideas, not one
Wellbeing is how well a person is, in body and mind, and how well they are able to cope with daily life. At work it covers physical health, mental health, and the money and social worries that people bring with them.
Engagement is how much a person is absorbed in their work and willing to give more than the minimum. Engaged people suggest ideas, help colleagues and care about the result.
The two are linked but different. A person can be very engaged and very tired at the same time. A person can be calm and healthy but give no extra effort. A good employer watches both, and does not assume that one tells the story of the other.
Why it matters to each side
Two short workplace examples
A call centre. Scores on customer service fall for three months. Managers first plan a training course. A short talk with the team shows the real cause: staff cannot take breaks because two posts are empty. The fix is staffing and break cover, not training.
A maintenance workshop. Technicians are highly engaged. They stay late to finish jobs and never complain. After six months, two of them are off sick with exhaustion. High engagement hid a wellbeing problem until it became serious.
A team is highly engaged: people stay late and never complain. What should a good manager also check?