Page 31 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

18B RE-ENGAGE

who are reading this book are aware of this work, so for us to expand
on it here would be “preaching to the converted.” But if you would like
to dig further into these studies, we have included a detailed list on
our Web site, www.re-engagebook.com.

: BEYOND BUSINESS SUCCESS: EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AS
A PREDICTOR OF ECONOMIC WELL-BEING

A study from our research partner, Quantum Workplace, shows that
employee engagement is capable of predicting directional move-
ments of the Dow Jones Industrial Average four months ahead of
time. 6
According to Greg Harris, Quantum Workplace president, “If our
Engagement Index is up in June, there’s an 83 percent probability that the
Dow will be up four months later—in October. To our knowledge, this
relationship has never been discovered before.” The study showed how
employee engagement is not only a tool for measuring workplace dy-
namics but also an indicator of economic well-being.
“The results of this analysis for the most recent 12 months was that the
engagement trends accurately predicted upward or downward monthly
changes correctly in 10 out of 12 months, further providing evidence
that employee engagement is indicative of what the Dow will do,” adds
Mr. Harris.
“Our research includes 24 months’ worth of engagement scores among
6,117 companies with valid engagement scores that were measured along-
side four different indicators of economic well-being: unemployment, fuel
prices, the Dow, and consumer sentiment.” Harris’s conclusion: “There
exists a significant relationship between employee engagement and each of
the four economic indicators.”
Employee engagement—it’s not just for breakfast anymore—it’s a
key predictor of our economy. Let’s turn our attention to how one of
our winning companies, Gaylord Hotels and Resorts, sees the rela-
tionship between employee engagement and its success as a business.