Engaging Research

It makes sense that when you enjoy what you do for a living, you work harder and feel better about your work.  Employees who are truly engaged in their work can help companies to be more productive and improve their operations.

Cheri Young, an associate professor in the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, is conducting research to find out what factors help employees feel engaged in their jobs.  Her research, funded by part of a $30 million gift from the Harrah’s Foundation, will study companies where employees are engaged in their work and are really passionate about their jobs.

Young teaches an organizational behavior course that focuses on the positive psychology perspective and helps students understand how to create an environment where employees will thrive. Several students from this course will be involved various stages of this research project.

Young notes that there is a correlation between being engaged in work and a personal growth in the employee.  She and her students will try to find out how these two are related and will also look at what other factors contribute to employee engagement.

“We will look at how work helps people grow not only professionally, but personally,” said Young.

This fall, data will be collected through focus groups and surveys of more than 30,000 employees of Harrah’s in the U.S.  Employees who are identified as engaged employees will be compared with a control group to help the researchers determine what factors contribute to employee engagement.

The partnership between Harrah’s and UNLV for this research is a unique one.  “It’s difficult to find a company that is willing to provide the money, but especially to provide access to employees,” said Young. 

The results will be beneficial for many companies. Employees that are truly engaged in their work can increase productivity, improve both employee and customer retention, and have other positive impacts on the organization.

Eileen McGarry, executive director of career services at UNLV, says that this research is in line with what she observes from students and employers.  She says that national surveys of graduating college students show that they are interested in job security, advancement, and often a location close to their families. 

“We see many of these same attributes in the students we work with here,” said McGarry. “They want to stay with their employers, so students are looking for jobs that are more fulfilling.  They want places where they can grow and thrive.”