The three types of engagement are: actively engaged, not engaged, and actively disengaged. This distinction comes from research into how employees relate emotionally and behaviourally to their work and organisation. Each type has a different impact on performance, absenteeism, and team culture. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about employee engagement, so you know what you are measuring and what to do with the results.
What distinguishes the 3 types of engagement from one another?
The three types of engagement describe the degree to which employees feel connected to their work, team, and organisation. Actively engaged employees deliver more than is asked of them. Not-engaged employees do what is required, but nothing more. Actively disengaged employees actively undermine the atmosphere and results around them.
Engagement is not just about satisfaction. An employee can be satisfied with their salary and benefits while still not being engaged with the organisation. Engagement is about energy, connection, and the willingness to go the extra mile. You can see those three layers in each type:
- Actively engaged: high energy, strong connection to the work and the organisation, proactive behaviour.
- Not engaged: sufficient effort, but no real connection or initiative. Present without truly being present.
- Actively disengaged: a negative attitude that influences others. Complains, works against the team, and spreads unrest.
The distinction matters in practice: each type requires a different approach from managers and HR. Treating all employees the same way misses the nuance needed to make a real difference.
How do you recognise actively engaged employees?
Actively engaged employees are recognisable by concrete behaviour. They take initiative without being asked, share knowledge with colleagues, speak positively about their work, and give constructive feedback both when asked and unprompted. They are present — both physically and mentally.
In practice, you see this reflected in small signals. They sign up for projects outside their job description. They contribute ideas for process improvements. They help new colleagues get up to speed. And when you ask how things are going, they give an honest and engaged answer.
What drives these employees varies from person to person. For one it may be autonomy and responsibility. For another it is the bond with the team or the feeling that their work truly matters. That is what makes measuring engagement so valuable: a score tells you that someone is engaged, but the underlying drivers tell you why and how you can strengthen that engagement.
What are the consequences of actively disengaged employees?
Actively disengaged employees have a disproportionately large negative impact on their environment. They cost organisations not only productivity, but also undermine the job satisfaction and motivation of colleagues who are engaged. This effect is rarely directly visible, but it is felt in team dynamics and staff turnover.
The consequences are concrete and measurable. Consider:
- Higher absenteeism rates: actively disengaged employees call in sick more often, both for short and extended periods.
- Increased turnover: colleagues who are regularly exposed to negativity leave more quickly.
- Lower customer experience: disengagement seeps through into customer contact and service quality.
- Disrupted team culture: complaints, gossip, and resistance slow down decision-making and collaboration.
The challenge is that actively disengaged employees rarely indicate their dissatisfaction through an employee survey questionnaire. They either do not complete it or give socially desirable answers. That is precisely why it is important not to measure engagement solely through annual surveys, but also through continuous signals that reveal what is really happening.
How do you measure which type of engagement employees have?
You measure the type of engagement by asking not only how satisfied employees are, but also how energetic, connected, and willing they are to contribute above and beyond. The combination of an eNPS question, an energy question, and an open question about the reason already provides a reliable picture of the type of engagement per employee or team.
The eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) is a good starting measurement. Employees who give a 9 or 10 are likely actively engaged. Scores of 7 or 8 point to non-engagement. Anyone who gives a 6 or lower may be actively disengaged. But a score alone is not enough: you want to know why someone gives that score.
That is exactly where the approach of continuous employee research comes in. By asking short pulse questions on a regular basis, you spot shifts in engagement earlier than with an annual survey. You can measure what is happening per team, per department, and per phase in the employee journey. This gives a manager not just one report per year, but an up-to-date picture they can act on immediately.
Which type of engagement has the greatest influence on performance?
Actively engaged employees have the greatest positive influence on performance, but actively disengaged employees have the greatest negative influence. The impact of disengagement is structurally underestimated, because that group is often smaller yet has a disproportionate effect on the team.
Actively engaged employees perform better at an individual level and also strengthen the performance of those around them. They share knowledge, take responsibility, and act as a flywheel for a positive team culture. Organisations with a high proportion of actively engaged employees see this reflected in customer satisfaction, capacity for innovation, and lower absenteeism.
Not-engaged employees are the silent majority in many organisations. They perform adequately, but leave potential untapped. The good news is that this group is the most open to influence. With the right attention to drivers such as autonomy, growth, or recognition, you can move a portion of them toward active engagement. That is where the greatest opportunity lies for HR and managers.
How do you improve engagement for each type of employee?
The approach differs by type. You want to retain and develop actively engaged employees. You want to activate not-engaged employees by tapping into their specific drivers. Actively disengaged employees require a direct approach focused on the root cause of their negative attitude.
Retaining actively engaged employees
Give them space, recognition, and challenge. Engaged employees disengage when they feel their efforts go unnoticed or when they run into bureaucracy. Involve them in decisions, give them ownership, and ensure their feedback actually leads somewhere.
Activating not-engaged employees
Find out what drives them and what holds them back. The cause of non-engagement often lies in a mismatch between expectations and reality, a lack of clarity about their role, or a lack of connection with the team. A targeted conversation or a short pulse measurement per team quickly brings this to light.
Addressing actively disengaged employees
A direct approach is needed here. Have the conversation based on facts, not feelings. What is causing the negative attitude? Is there a conflict, a lack of perspective, or a fundamental mismatch with the organisational culture? Closed-loop follow-up — where feedback directly leads to action and a response — shows even these employees that their signals are being taken seriously.
How CYS Group helps with measuring employee engagement
CYS Group helps HR teams and managers not only to measure engagement, but to truly act on it. With the cx.management platform and its own Voice of the Employee (VoE) approach, you can map out which drivers determine engagement, per team and per phase in the employee journey.
What you can concretely expect:
- Continuous measurement via the Employee Energy Pulse, so you detect shifts in engagement early.
- Insight into drivers with the driver model, without complex statistics.
- Team reports that managers can use directly, not just HR.
- Closed-loop follow-up via the Priority Matrix, so feedback leads to concrete action.
- GDPR-compliant and ISO 27001-certified, so your employees can participate safely.
Want to know how your organisation scores on the three types of engagement and where the greatest opportunities lie? Get in touch and we will be happy to think along with you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Hoe vaak moet je betrokkenheid meten om betrouwbare inzichten te krijgen?
Voor een betrouwbaar beeld van betrokkenheid is continue meting effectiever dan één jaarlijkse enquête. Korte pulsvragen maandelijks of per kwartaal geven je tijdig inzicht in verschuivingen, zodat je kunt bijsturen voordat onbetrokkenheid escaleert. Een jaarlijks MTO kan dienen als nulmeting, maar de echte waarde zit in de trend die je opbouwt over meerdere meetmomenten.
Wat doe je als een leidinggevende zelf bijdraagt aan actieve onbetrokkenheid in het team?
Dit is een van de meest voorkomende en tegelijk meest onderschatte oorzaken van actieve onbetrokkenheid. Als meetdata consistent negatieve signalen vanuit één team laten zien, is het belangrijk om ook de leiderschapsstijl onder de loep te nemen. Ga het gesprek aan met de leidinggevende op basis van objectieve data uit teamrapportages, en overweeg coaching of een 360-graden feedbacktraject als aanvullend instrument.
Kan een medewerker verschuiven van actief onbetrokken naar actief betrokken?
Ja, dat is mogelijk, maar het vereist een gerichte en consistente aanpak. Onderzoek laat zien dat actief onbetrokken medewerkers in veel gevallen ooit wél betrokken waren en door een specifieke ervaring — zoals een conflict, gebrek aan erkenning of onduidelijkheid over hun toekomst — zijn afgehaakt. Door de onderliggende oorzaak aan te pakken en opvolging te geven aan hun feedback, kun je het vertrouwen herstellen. Dit vraagt tijd en oprechte aandacht, maar is zeker haalbaar.
Hoe bespreek je betrokkenheidsdata met leidinggevenden zonder dat het voelt als controle?
Positioneer de data als hulpmiddel voor de leidinggevende zelf, niet als beoordelingsinstrument vanuit HR. Teamrapportages werken het beste als ze direct bruikbaar zijn: concrete signalen, duidelijke prioriteiten en ruimte voor de leidinggevende om zelf actie te ondernemen. Geef leidinggevenden ook de mogelijkheid om mee te bepalen welke vragen gesteld worden, zodat de meting aansluit bij wat er in hun team speelt.
Wat is het verschil tussen employee engagement en werkgeluk?
Werkgeluk verwijst naar hoe prettig of positief een medewerker zijn werk ervaart, terwijl employee engagement gaat over de mate van verbinding, energie en bereidheid om bij te dragen aan de organisatie. Een medewerker kan gelukkig zijn op het werk — bijvoorbeeld door fijne collega's of een comfortabele werkplek — maar toch niet betrokken zijn bij de organisatiedoelen. Betrokkenheid is daarmee een sterkere voorspeller van prestaties en verloop dan werkgeluk alleen.
Hoe ga je om met medewerkers die enquêtemoeheid hebben en vragenlijsten niet meer invullen?
Enquêtemoeheid ontstaat vaak doordat medewerkers het gevoel hebben dat eerdere feedback niets heeft opgeleverd. De oplossing zit niet in kortere vragenlijsten alleen, maar in zichtbare opvolging: laat medewerkers concreet zien wat er met hun input is gedaan. Kortere pulsvragen helpen de drempel te verlagen, maar de echte motivatie om mee te doen groeit pas als medewerkers merken dat hun stem daadwerkelijk verschil maakt.
Welke eerste stap kun je zetten als je nog geen formeel betrokkenheidsprogramma hebt?
Begin klein en maak het concreet: stel je team één gerichte vraag, zoals de eNPS-vraag, en ga vervolgens het gesprek aan over de antwoorden. Je hoeft niet meteen een volledig platform in te richten om waardevolle inzichten te verzamelen. Het belangrijkste is dat je laat zien dat je luistert en bereid bent om op basis van de uitkomsten actie te ondernemen — dat legt de basis voor een cultuur waarin medewerkers hun stem durven te laten horen.
