Employee engagement continues to be a hot topic in the media and on the conference circuit, due largely to the interest generated by the MacLeod Report, an overview of the importance of improved employee engagement to UK plc, commissioned by the government earlier this year. One of the related topics of interest to me at the moment, is that of the link between employee engagement and brand, especially in a period of recession such as the one we are/are not (delete as you see fit) experiencing at the moment. It's long been a mystery to me how anyone can separate employer brand out from employee engagement - I'll be blogging on this more later - and noone has yet managed to convince me of the rationale for separation. Of course, brand is of paramount importance, but is it enough to promote engagement? Will an employee attracted to work for a "big brand" name be more or less motivated and committed on arrival than someone joining a less well known organisation? Are big brands any more stable or protected in economic uncertainty?  How can the brand be maintained and built if engagement is low? What impact does employer brand have on employee commitment? I'd be interested to hear any of your comments, observations or experiences if you are willing to share... drop me a line.