Employee engagement adds value to any organization. It can make a difference to the individual employee as well as the business as a whole. Get it right and the rewards on offer are significant: increased productivity, improved customer service, reduced staff turnover and fewer problems with staff sickness and absence. There’s a wealth of research data to support this, most notably from Gallup who lead the way in highlighting the importance of employee engagement. But despite the overwhelming evidence, according to Gallup only 15 percent of employees worldwide are engaged in the workplace. Human resources are uniquely placed to do something about this. Traditionally, HR has occupied a mediating role between management and workers. This means that HR can act as a conduit between management and staff in facilitating, supporting and measuring the impact of employee engagement. HR also has a significant role to play in promoting the organization’s culture and in ensuring direct linkages between the company’s leadership, business objectives and its employees. And so, when it comes to improving employee engagement, HR has a major contribution to make. In this post, we look in detail at HR’s role in employee engagement.