Description: Welcome back to "The Engagement Equation: Finding the Right Balance." In this highly anticipated second segment, we delve deeper into employee engagement and explore practical tools managers and employees can utilize to solve the engagement equation. Join us as we sit down with Kristie Haase, an esteemed expert in Employee Engagement, as she returns to share invaluable insights and strategies for fostering engagement in the workplace. Through captivating discussions and real-life examples, Kristie guides managers and employees on a transformative journey toward finding the right balance. Resources: Employee Engagement   MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Kriste Haase  Guest LinkedIn Bio - Kristie Haase  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:04 - 00:00:57:03UnknownNow it's time to thrive. Hello, everybody, and welcome to this episode. So in an earlier very popular podcast, we talked about employee engagement, the employee engagement equation with our Employee Engagement Survey director Kristi Haase in. At the end of that podcast, I asked Kristie for one piece of advice for employers to find the right balance of engagement. So Kristie recommended that leaders start at the beginning of the process by defining aspects, passions and goals of positions in order to measure employee performance effectively and be a better coach. 00:00:57:05 - 00:01:21:18UnknownSo we kind of want to expand on employee engagement a bit more today and go deeper into this important topic by focusing on what truly matters most to employees. So we're going to look at two key factors that drive engagement for employees in discuss employers and employees actions for engagement. So just to recap a little bit, Kristie, what does employee engagement really mean? 00:01:21:20 - 00:01:48:20UnknownWell, Sophie, first of all, thanks for having me back. Absolutely. Employee engagement, as we talked about in the first podcast, is the extent to which employees are invested in the organization. And when I say invested, I really mean to what degree do they identify with the organization they're in, see themselves as part of the organization and therefore part of the success. 00:01:48:22 - 00:02:17:23UnknownSo when the organization does well or the department does well, hey, you know that, you know, I contributed to that. And likewise, when it is not going well, they too feel the pain. So they're really a part of the organization for sure. So based on what employee engagement means, why is this important to an organization? It's important for both the employee and the employer, for the organization. 00:02:17:23 - 00:02:48:05UnknownAnd highly engaged employees are the innovators, the contributors for change. They solve problems. They move your organization forward. So they have a lot of momentum. And even in roles that may not require a lot of innovation, engaged employees are great at executing the mission. So if you have people that are really plugged in, they're performing well for you. 00:02:48:07 - 00:03:14:22UnknownFor employees, as we talked about last time, it's also important employee engagement is because it if you're working for years on end, if you're engaged, you tend to find your work valuable and you feel valued doing so. So it's a a healthier way to work as opposed to really just dreading going to work. Absolutely. So now we've talked about the what in the why. 00:03:15:00 - 00:03:55:00UnknownSo let's look at the how now. So how d