Abstract
Employee engagement is something every organization wants but few actually possess at the
level necessary to be a high achieving organization. An abundance of research has been
conducted over the past half century on this topic which has led us to a simple truth—in order to
engage your employees, give them meaningful work and then allow them to do it. If people are
given the flexibility to use their talents, including their creative talents for solving complex
problems, they are more likely to be successful and engaged in the workplace. Supervisors,
particularly new supervisors, must learn this lesson sooner rather than later if they want to
facilitate—and not impede—employee engagement. This paper includes a brief history on the
science behind employee engagement, suggestions for ways to recognize and nurture engaged
employees, and finally, a proposal for a Creative Problem Solving process to continue engaging
employees in the future.
