There have been many studies, formal and informal, examining the relationship between employee engagement and customer satisfaction and loyalty. Simply put, they are certainly related and there is some evidence that employee engagement is a key driver of customer satisfaction. From a common sense point of view this certainly makes sense. After all, when an employee's values are aligned with the organization's values, the employee would understand that having satisfied customers is good for him or her as well as for the organization. This, as they say, is a no-brainer.
But the real issue for HR managers is to determine the organizational work environment factors that are driving employee engagement and customer loyalty. Are they the same things? While there are certainly some overlapping drivers, in general, the answer is no.
In analyzing employee survey and patient satisfaction data in a large healthcare system a few years ago, we did find some organizational factors that were direct drivers of both engagement and customer satisfaction, for example:
• Inter-unit coordination and communication
• Having the necessary staff and resources
Both of these factors contributed directly to the hospital's and employees' ability to deliver quality patient care.
But there were many more examples of single factor drivers:
For Employee Engagement:
• Strategic direction of the hospital
• Job Security
• Employee benefits
For Patient Satisfaction:
• Quality of patient meals
• Comfort of the room
• Friendliness of the staff
Remember, some employees do not have regular direct contact with customers and may not even be aware of some of the day-to-day customer service issues. But, even for staff that does have direct contact with customers they are viewing the world through different eyes with different needs. When employees are engaged, however, they have a better understanding of customers' needs.
In general, there are no shortcuts. HR managers must continue to work with line managers to identify and develop strategies to motivate the staff and serve the customers.
