Employee engagement can be two-and-a-half times greater when the employer provides strong customer service, finds the Employee Engagement Benchmark Study by Tempkin Group.

"Employee engagement is one of the key foundations to long-term success," says Bruce Temkin, author of the report and managing partner of Temkin Group.  

According to the research, 31 percent of respondents are highly engaged while 23 percent are disengaged, and the highly engaged employees are viewed as valuable to companies. In comparison with disengaged employees, highly engaged employees are 480 percent more committed to helping their company succeed, 250 percent more likely to act on behalf of the good for the company as well as make a recommendation for improvement. Engaged employees are also 370 percent more likely to recommend a friend or relative for a job and 30 percent less likely to use a sick day.