I'm excited. And to pull out a pun: The Government has got engaged with employee engagement.

On Tuesday, the prime minister launched and Engagement Taskforce to help employers understand the importance of employee engagement - and , more importantly, how it can link to the bottom line on the balance sheets.

The task force is based on David MacLeod's engagement report, published in July 2009, and will work with employers to help them engage their staff. Pundits joining MacLeod include Alex Lewis, HR director, BAE Systems, Stephen Lehane, HR director at Boots Katja Hall, chief policy director at the CBI, Angie Risley, group HR director at Lloyds and Tanith Dodge, HR director at Marks & Spencer.

But, while I'm pleased David Cameron admitted growth and improving employee wellbeing - both linked to engagement - are some of the Government's 'top priorities' and while it's fantastic that some HR directors are taking their place pushing forward this issue, now apparently soaring up the Government's agenda, I can't help but feel this is something I (and they) have been preaching for years.

The HR magazine/ Fairplace Employee Engagement Survey 2010 found 73% of organisations are measuring employee engagement, and a massive 99% realise employee engagement has an impact on business success (I would love to have a chat with the 1% of HR directors who think an engaged workforce does not positively impact the business, by the way). So this is nothing new - we know engagement is good.

The challenge for the task force is going to be to prove engagement strategies actually work in motivating staff to deliver the best they can - as our survey found less than than two thirds of employers have a strategy in place to boost engagement.

I think the key businesses to focus on will be SMEs - 40% of which don't link engagement to business outcomes. So MacLeod et al, we look to you! Put into practice what we know can work. And keep us up to date on how you're getting on...