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•        They form an emotional connection with the company  

•        It builds passion, commitment and alignment with the organisation’s strategies and goals

•        Increases employee’s trust in the organisation

•        Creates a sense of loyalty in a competitive environment

•        Provides a high-energy working environment

•        Boosts business growth

•        Makes the employees effective brand ambassadors for the company

Research has shown that higher employee engagement is associated with gains in employee retention and performance, customer service and satisfaction, and business performance (Wiley, 2009:58).

2.3.1Engagement challenges

According to Robinson (2008:57), the potential challenges facing the theory behind engagement include:

 • Engagement typically goes down as length of service goes up