As employers continue to set ambitious goals to improve employee productivity and drive overall performance, prioritising employee engagement has never been more important.
In HR World’s webinar, Engaging Times: Quick and easy ways to motivate employees, emPerform UK’s Sales Director Chris Knight, shares his expertise on why leaders who “ignore employee engagement” do so “at [their own] peril.” Companies that fail to understand how to bring out the best in their people and create a lasting impact on employee performance risk losing top talent—and, in turn, business.
In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits and challenges of employee engagement, along with practical tips for leaders to effectively improve engagement in the workplace.
What Is Employee Engagement?
Gallup defines employee engagement as “the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work and workplace.” In other words, it reflects how committed and invested employees are in their roles and work environment.
David MacLeod OBE, Co-Founder of the Employee Engagement Task Force, expands on this, stating that engagement is about “how we create the conditions in which employees offer more of their capability and potential.” This means building a workplace where employees feel valued, motivated, and empowered to contribute their best.
A strong employee engagement strategy goes beyond motivation; it improves employee wellbeing, boosts job satisfaction, and reduces staff turnover, ultimately driving long-term business success.
How Engaged Are Workers?
To start, it’s important to understand the current landscape. In HR World’s webinar, Chris Knight noted, “I think, generally, the feeling is we think it’s better than it really is.” So, what do employers expect, and how does that compare to the actual engagement rate of their workers?
While employee engagement can be challenging to measure, both companies and external organisations have developed ways to get a fairly accurate picture. Unfortunately, the results are concerning. The CIPD reported that “1 in 3 employees are not engaged”, while a survey by CFO.com of American companies found that “two out of three workers don’t feel engaged.”
What Challenges Surround Employee Engagement and How Can Leaders Overcome Them?
There are several difficulties that organisations are facing right now, which may impact how engaged staff are. From the cost-of-living crisis and economic uncertainty to rising anxiety levels in young people and burnout, there are numerous reasons why an individual may be disengaged with their workplace.
HR Expert, Karina Paschalis also argued that sometimes there is a limit to professional development: “A lot of people are leaving because there’s no room for growth or aren’t being rewarded for their work – not because they’re unhappy.” To combat this, she explained that whilst some factors are out of leaders’ control, “transparency is key.”
Chris Knight added to this: “One of the dangers is that employee engagement could take a back seat when pressures are on profits and other issues.” But this shouldn’t be the employees’ responsibility. If engagement rates are slipping due to neglect, Chris insists that it should be on HR departments and senior management teams to improve it as part of their business strategy.
Why Is Employee Engagement Important?
The benefits of improving employee engagement are plentiful for everyone. For employees, higher engagement means increased employee satisfaction, i.e. they’re happier, healthier and feel more fulfilled on a day-to-day basis. After all, nobody wants to be battling the “Sunday scaries” every week and dreading the walk into the office (or even logging on) at 9 am.
For leaders, engaged staff means increased productivity, which drives overall performance. In turn, improved employee engagement can lead to that all-important employee retention, and ultimately, bring about better financial performance.
In HR World’s webinar, Chris asks employers to “think about all the effort that goes into losing [an employee] and trying to replace them.” When weighed up against the effort it takes to simply show how much current staff mean to the organisation, it’s clear that employee engagement should be prioritised – even just from a recruitment POV.
How Do You Improve Employee Engagement?
For those looking to engage employees during challenging times, let’s explore some practical and effective strategies and activities you can implement…
Communicate With Regular Check-Ins
Chris Knight says a good place to start is by “regularly asking people how they’re feeling – but only with a few questions.”
Employees who receive regular one-to-ones, line manager meetings and performance reviews are more likely to feel supported as opposed to those who don’t. By implementing these two-way conversations frequently and encouraging upward feedback, you’re guaranteed to get more out of your staff, along with more honest and open feedback. Remember, communication is key.
Ensure Your Employees Are ‘In The Know’
Research by CIPD reveals that 40% of employees don’t fully understand what’s happening in their workplace. This lack of awareness can significantly impact engagement, leading to feelings of disconnection, frustration, and reduced motivation. A Forbes survey found that nearly half of employees felt poor communication harmed their job satisfaction, while 42% said it increased their stress levels.
The solution? Transparency. Leaders must provide clear onboarding, training, and ongoing communication to keep employees informed. Giving employees access to the right tools and knowledge can boost productivity by up to 30%. A centralised knowledge hub with business updates, FAQs, and key information can help bridge communication gaps.
Sharing achievements, like surpassing OKRs, doubling revenue, or expanding the workforce, keeps employees engaged and reinforces their role in the company’s success. When employees see the bigger picture, they feel valued and motivated to contribute.
Show Recognition And Praise
Many employers underestimate the power of regular employee recognition. However, research shows that “when leaders make genuine recognition a priority, employees are 40% more engaged.” (Forbes).
Chris suggests that employers should “help people connect what they do on a daily basis with where the company is going.” This is key to ensuring employees feel valued for their contributions to the organisation. By recognising and praising each individual’s efforts, leaders can cultivate a sense of employee belonging; an essential element in boosting engagement.
Need help with your rewards process? At emPerform, we can assist in creating a culture of instant recognition through accessible ongoing feedback and our compensation management software.
Gather First-Person Feedback With Anonymous Surveys
One of the most effective ways to understand employee engagement is through anonymous feedback. Employee satisfaction surveys provide invaluable insight into how your organisation operates and how satisfied your staff truly are in their roles.
During the webinar, Chris emphasised the importance of keeping these surveys short and simple to gather meaningful results. Long surveys can dilute key insights, making it harder to identify what’s really happening, while shorter surveys are easier to analyse, enabling a quicker turnaround for implementing changes.
Employee surveys also encourage problem-solving by bringing in diverse perspectives. You might even discover a new way of working that redefines your business model, thanks to valuable insights from employees on the ground.
Example survey questions to help judge employee engagement:
- Are you happy with your current role and responsibilities?
- Would you recommend our company as a great place to work?
- Do you understand the company’s goals and how your role contributes to them?
- Do you have a clear understanding of what is expected of you to achieve success in your role?
- Do you see a clear path for career growth and development within the company?
- Do you feel valued and appreciated at work?
- Have you received meaningful recognition or praise in the past month?
- Do you feel that you are performing at your best in your role?
- Do you have access to the necessary tools and resources to excel in your job?
- Are you satisfied with your compensation and benefits?
Check out our previous blog for more advice on conducting an employee engagement survey.
Final Thoughts: Actions Are More Important Than Words
One point that all HR experts agree on is that action is key. Dina Knight, Chief People Officer at DataTec and Logicalis, emphasised this when she stated: “It’s really important that when we ask these questions, we actually act on the feedback.”
Employees will struggle to stay engaged if they’re repeatedly asked to provide feedback but never see any tangible actions taken to address it. Without follow-up, it feels like a wasted effort for both employees and the company. The best advice for leaders is to show employees that their wellbeing matters by taking meaningful, visible action based on their feedback.
Whilst it often falls to the bottom of the ‘to-do’ list, our experts argue that having a strong employee engagement strategy is crucial to ensuring a productive and more fulfilled workforce.
To avoid losing top talent, leaders, managers, and HR teams’ must work hard to understand what their employees need to operate at their best, and most importantly, implement the necessary steps to keep their workers positively engaged with their organisation.
For complete employee performance management software at your fingertips, consider adding emPerform to your HR Toolkit. From conducting online surveys to setting tailored SMART goals and tracking year-round development, there’s a whole host of benefits that can support both employees and employers.
Book a FREE demo today or contact us for any advice on performance management.
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