Transactional or emotional?

Researchers say there are two types of employee engagement — transactional and emotional — and the type that’s most prevalent within an organization makes a difference.
 
Employees who are transactionally engaged are engaged only with the task or job role at hand, say the researchers, from UK’s Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and Kingston University. They are mainly concerned with earning a living and meeting the minimal expectations of the company and their coworkers, World atWork says. They may appear outwardly engaged — focused, disciplined, organized — and show high engagement on employee surveys, they actually are less likely to perform well and are more likely to leave for a better job offer. 
 
Researchers say desired workers are emotionally engaged, which goes beyond the job itself and is driven by a desire to do more for the organization than is normally expected. These employees have higher levels of job performance and well-being, and are more likely to remain engaged through good times and bad, WaW writes. They also are less likely to be stressed and more likely to have a positive work-personal life balance.