Higher Performing Employees not Typically the Most Engaged

Leadership IQ has developed a new HR metric linking employee engagement with measured performance levels; and the results are not at all what was expected. The study, entitled Job Performance Not a Predictor of Employee Engagement , found that 42 percent of companies employed low performing workers that were actually more engaged than high and middle performers. Statistics gathered by Leadership IQ in 2012 found that 18 percent of employees are low performers, 62 percent are middle performers, and 20 percent are considered high performers.

The survey found several key data points that CEOs would be wise to pay attention to, including:

• Low performers were much more motivated to put all of their effort into their jobs than were high performers.

• Low performers were significantly more likely to recommend their company as a great place to work compared to high performers.

• Low performers believe that their organization’s leadership holds all workers accountable for their performance much stronger than high performers.

• Low performers were found to be significantly more likely to feel that all employees are held to the same standards compared to high performers.

Leadership IQ identifies these findings as indicators that put organizations at risk considering that high performers thrive on high levels of engagement and quickly leave jobs where their engagement is low. The company notes that successful organizations will ensure that all employees, especially high performers, will understand their company’s mission and goals. Additionally, high performing organizations recognize that low performers are typically not lacking in skill but exhibit the wrong attitudes and frequently respond to incentive-based behavior correction efforts.