Companies that help employees align themselves with customer needs are rewarded with significant surges in customer satisfaction and increased profits, research shows.

The latest report on employee engagement from Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks company (NYSE: HHS), shows that leading organizations with effective employee-engagement strategies in place are seeing a 22% year-over-year improvement in customer satisfaction/loyalty and a 21% year-over-year improvement in turnover/ retention.

The research report, entitled "Beyond Satisfaction: Engaging Employees to Retain Customers," also reveals that eight in 10 of these top companies attribute changes in profitability and/or revenue directly to employee-engagement initiatives. Engagement is delivering positive business results for these organizations at a time when all companies are looking for ways to improve their business and motivate employees.

"Top companies are moving beyond employee satisfaction - a one-way street which only measures if the employees needs are being met by the organization - to employee engagement, which is all about aligning individual, organizational and customer needs," says Mollie Lombardi, an Aberdeen research analyst. "It is no wonder that companies who provide their leaders with tools and training to engage their employees are achieving impressive business impact."

To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=6050 (free registration required).