The Employee experience is in crisis worldwide, and business leaders who ignore this reality risk losing their top talent—and their competitive edge. According to Gallup, only 21% of employees globally are engaged at work, marking a second decline since 2009. With trust in leadership falling and employee expectations evolving, leaders must take proactive steps to improve engagement to drive retention, productivity, and innovation.
If you're looking for actionable strategies to boost employee motivation while reducing turnover, here's what you need to know.
High employee engagement is strongly linked to increased productivity, lower absenteeism, and better profitability. According to Gallup's 2025 report, companies with engaged employees see up to 21% higher profitability and 41% lower absenteeism compared to companies with low engagement.
Yet many businesses overlook the financial impact of disengagement. A disengaged employee can cost organizations 18% - 24% of their annual salary in lost productivity. Multiply this by the number of unengaged employees, and it's easy to see how employee disengagement quietly drains your bottom line.
In a tight labor market where skilled workers have options, failing to address engagement issues increases your risk of losing top talent to competitors actively investing in employee experience. Engagement also impacts your employer brand—companies known for toxic or disengaged environments struggle to attract high-quality candidates and won’t get referrals.
The good news? You can reverse this trend. Research-backed strategies can help you rebuild trust, foster purpose, and empower employees to contribute meaningfully to your organization's mission. A motivated workforce is not only more productive but also more innovative and resilient in times of change.
You can't improve what you don't measure. If your organization doesn't currently measure engagement, you're missing critical insights into employee sentiment.
Best practice is to implement a quarterly engagement survey. This rhythm allows you to keep a pulse on your organization while adapting to the rapid pace of change many industries face.
Here's a simple engagement measurement process you can implement immediately:
1. Run a quarterly survey using clear, concise questions about trust in leadership, opportunities for growth, sense of purpose, and how employees feel about their workload and well-being.
2. Share the results back with your employees. Let them know what you heard in their feedback. Transparency builds trust and shows you take their input seriously.
3. Communicate what actions you will take based on the feedback, even if the next steps are small or communicating that you cannot take action
4. Repeat this cycle every 90 days. This allows you to adapt quickly while reinforcing to your team that you are listening and evolving with them.
As Harvard Business Review notes, consistent feedback loops are essential for fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and accountability, all of which are foundational to strong engagement.
Once you're measuring engagement, it's time to take meaningful action. Below are proven, research-backed tactics to improve employee engagement and motivation in your workforce.
1. Build Trust Through Transparency
Employee trust in leadership has hit record lows. Reversing this decline requires leaders to communicate openly, especially during periods of change. Share business updates regularly, acknowledge challenges honestly, and highlight how your team's efforts align with company goals.
Transparency should extend beyond all-hands meetings. Encourage leaders and managers to have regular 1:1 check-ins where employees can ask questions and express concerns.
2. Clarify Purpose and Connect Work to Impact
Employees want to feel their work matters. Connect individual contributions to the organization's mission. Share customer stories, community impacts, and wins driven by your employees' hard work.
Josh Bersin emphasizes that purpose-driven companies are more resilient and innovative. When employees understand how their work fits into a larger purpose, they are more motivated and engaged.
3. Provide Opportunities for Growth
A lack of career growth opportunities is a leading reason employees leave organizations. To combat this, consider:
· Offering internal mobility programs that allow employees to explore new roles.
· Providing regular skills development opportunities through workshops or online learning.
· Encouraging stretch projects that align with employees' interests and growth goals.
As Forbes highlights, organizations that prioritize employee growth are better positioned to retain talent and adapt to evolving business needs.
4. Recognize and Reward Contributions
Recognition is a powerful yet underutilized tool for engagement. Employees who feel valued are more likely to stay motivated and committed.
Consider implementing:
· Peer recognition programs where employees can shout out their colleagues' contributions.
· Regular, specific praise during team meetings or via Teams / Slack.
· Meaningful rewards that align with your employees' preferences, such as additional time off, spot bonuses, or professional development opportunities.
5. Foster Flexibility and Well-being
The post-pandemic workforce values flexibility and well-being more than ever. Flexible work options, mental health resources, and realistic workload expectations can reduce burnout and increase motivation.
Encourage employees to take their PTO, offer flexible hours when possible, and model healthy work-life boundaries from leadership down.
6. Empower Managers to Lead Engagement Efforts
Managers are the linchpins of employee engagement. Equip them with training on coaching, giving effective feedback, and having meaningful 1:1 conversations.
Encourage managers to:
· Ask employees what motivates them.
· Check in on personal and professional well-being.
· Support career goals and development pathways.
By empowering managers to lead engagement efforts, you ensure your strategy is integrated into daily team dynamics, not siloed in HR initiatives.
7. Create a Culture of Continuous Feedback
Annual reviews are not enough to keep employees engaged in today's dynamic workplace. A culture of continuous feedback helps employees feel supported while providing real-time opportunities for growth.
Encourage teams to:
· Hold regular feedback sessions.
· Use tools like pulse surveys to gather quick sentiment insights.
· Foster a growth mindset where feedback is seen as an opportunity, not a threat.
Employee engagement is not a one-time or even an annual initiative; it’s a continuous investment in your people—and your business's future. By measuring engagement regularly, acting on feedback, and implementing proven tactics like transparent communication, recognition, growth opportunities, and flexibility, you can create an environment where employees feel motivated and valued. Remember the employee experience you create fosters engagement. As Maya Angelou wrote, “people will forget what you said; they will never forget how you made them feel”.
In a competitive market where disengagement is costly, these strategies can help you reduce turnover, boost productivity, and position your organization as a place where employees thrive. Reach out to our team today to learn more about optimizing your employee retention strategy.