Employee Engagement: Strategies, Models & Practical Actions for Employers

No organisation can reach its full potential without an engaged workforce. When people feel motivated, committed and connected to both their own goals and those of the wider business, they are better able to drive performance and growth.

The opposite can have a greater and immediate impact. A disengaged workforce can quickly weaken organisational culture and create an unhealthy environment for everyone.

When people feel unhappy at work, it doesn’t stop when they log off. Stress and burnout can build, affecting their wellbeing and often spilling into their personal lives. For organisations, this leads to lower productivity, higher absence rates and increased staff turnover.

Creating a workplace that supports and encourages engagement is essential. An organisation’s success depends on its people, and when they are engaged, they are far more likely to do their best work.

What is Employee Engagement?

It was recently found that only an estimated 10% of the UK workforce was engaged in their role. This is especially concerning as higher levels of employee engagement have demonstrated higher productivity and profitability. With this understanding, it poses the central question; What is employee engagement?

Whilst there are multiple interpretations of employee engagement, CIPD state it can be seen as psychological state experienced by employees. Whilst some might see it as the physical, cognitive and emotional manner people interact with their workplace, colleagues and responsibilities, The CIPD recommends the more definable view of not being burnt out, and instead being:

• Energetic
• Resilient
• Enthused
• Inspired
• Proud
• Concentrated
• Committed

It is believed that when an individual possesses these qualities in the workplace, they will not only be more dedicated to their own personal and career goals, but those of the organisation as well. It can lead to sustained levels of focus and support people to become better overall decision makers.

Why is employee engagement important?

Now that we have a better understanding of the basic concept of employee engagement, as well as why many organisations value it on a base level. But, when you dig further into the facts and impact of positive employee engagement, it is clear to see why it is so highly valued.

Most organisations understand that the only way to promote continued growth is if senior leadership can keep the workforce motivated, involved and valued. When this is done, people are happier and more dedicated. Mustering these feelings across a team inspires collaboration, creativity and innovation, enabling employees to continually achieve their personal goals as well as that of the organisation. It can seem simple, but it creates a cyclical process that furthers improved mental wellbeing and therefore encourages higher engagement rates.

With a positive workplace environment where continual support is available, individuals can feel secure that others will be there to assist them, and this interconnectivity can prevent talent drains and recruitment costs due to turnover.

Some of the primary benefits of employee engagement are as follows:

• Increased personal and organisational commitment
• Higher employee retention
• Greater productivity
• Team synergy
• Elevated and shared motivation
• Improved bottom line
• Increased return on investment
• Reduced absence rates
• Inspires organisational trust
• Encourages creativity and innovation
• Greater commitment to shareholders
• Reduced recruitment costs
• Lower employee turnover
• Better business outcomes

Measuring employee engagement

The complex issue with employee engagement is the fact that you may believe that as an organisation, you are putting the correct procedures in place to encourage greater engagement, but you may not find out that overall engagement is low until it's too late. By the time most organisations realise that their workforce is unengaged, productivity has dropped, output has decreased, quality of work isn't up to standard, and turnover rates have increased.

It is for this very reason that organisations need to put procedures in place to attempt to measure engagement. This can be achieved by gauging workforce wellbeing through surveys and one-to-one meetings and then pair this with output to find the engagement levels.

Maintaining and improving workforce engagement isn’t a ‘one and done’ affair. It is an ongoing process that requires regular review and inspection. This may be done quarterly or monthly to give an idea of scope without pestering individuals.

Conducting these reviews on a regular basis provides insight into any possible pitfalls that may be occurring and enables leadership teams to address any issues. Some of the following methods are the strongest and most common methods of tracking workforce engagement:

Engagement survey

Very often, individuals in the workforce will feel uncomfortable speaking to management and leadership teams about issues they are facing or about any negative feelings they may have around company culture and workloads. Therefore, wellbeing and engagement surveys can be hugely beneficial.

These surveys can be completed anonymously by individuals so that they can freely share their true thoughts and feelings without fear of persecution.

There are a variety of paid services and websites that will create curated workplace engagement surveys, but you can also find free online tools such as Survey Monkey to create and send out any employee surveys. They can be crafted to include questions on a range of topics and then be easily sent out to an entire organisation over email. We've listed some common engagement survey questions below:

• "How satisfied are you in your day-to-day life at work?"
• "How motivated do you feel at work on a scale of 1 to 10?"
• "Do you feel supported by your manager?"
• "How would you describe the workplace culture?"
• "How likely are you to stay in your role for the next 12 months?"
• "Do you feel satisfied with your work-life balance and if not why?"
• "How approachable do you feel senior leaders of the organisation are?"

The questions may seem straight forward, but they leave little room for ambiguity and confusion, so you can gather the true thoughts and sentiments of your people. Regularly analysing these will enable leadership teams to alter and amend wellbeing and engagement strategies to get the most out of the workforce.

Focus groups

Focus groups enable individuals to come together to support and understand each other when they are giving their thoughts and feedback on organisational culture and their own engagement levels. Groups can vary in size, but they usually consist of a small group of employees.

You can hold a focus group in a variety of ways, but the vast majority of organisations chose topics or questions before opening the floor to others. This more personal session can give you a greater insight into an employee's complex thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Exit interviews

As has been covered, poor employee engagement often results in higher employee turnover rates. By carrying out exit interviews, management and senior leadership can better understand areas of employee engagement and wellbeing that require improvement. It may also be an idea when someone either hands in their resignation for their role or mentions an intention to, that a supportive interview is held. Here, leadership teams can ask the individual about the reasons for their decision and if any changes would encourage them to stay,

By seeing where issues occurred with individuals who weren’t engaged or happy within the organisation and truly taking the feedback on board to implement an effective strategy, organisations can prevent further turnover and increase commitment.

Some simple questions that can be asked during an exit interview are as follows:

• "What were your relationships with your manager and colleagues like?"
• "What makes you want to leave this organisation?"
• "What do you think are the positive aspects of this organisation?"
• "Were there any issues that you encountered at work in your role?"
• "How would you describe the culture of the organisation?"

One-to-one meetings

Organising regular one-to-one meetings between individuals and line managers provides a forum to discuss employee performance, sentiment and build a greater relationship between individual and leadership, founded on trust and development.

Employees can tell leadership teams about what works and what doesn't. This might be role specific, it might be a personal issue, or it could be based on organisation culture. Leadership teams gain greater insights, can offer support, and address any issues raised to solve the issues of employee engagement.

How to improve employee engagement

To improve employee engagement, the first thing leadership teams need to do is establish a clear strategy and procedure for management teams to firstly implement and then follow. This will streamline the process of how leadership and management teams can effectively boost workforce engagement whilst effectively tracking it. Here are a few ways that this implementation can be achieved:

Employee engagement initiatives

Often times, engagement and commitment are driven by a shared goal. It is for this very reason that targets and goals, whether they be individual or team based are vital to motivating a workforce.

Without clear goals, where progress can be tracked, people can quickly begin feel lost and disincentivised. They may feel their work is menial and lacks purpose. By setting goals with the incentive of a reward such as a financial bonus or team meal, it can inspire motivation and commitment in people and in turn, boosting engagement levels.

Define and improve workplace culture

Motivation and passion are dictated by environment. If a person is placed in a negative environment, where those around them are suffering and their wellbeing is declining, said individual will replicate this behaviour and lose their motivation.

As humans are social creatures, when they share information and negative feelings about an organisation, it can quickly pick up traction and be replicated by others.

As well as this, if a person is unhappy in an environment, due to heavy workloads, they can become isolated which can further impact their wellbeing. All these factors can lead to higher levels of stress and anxiety, some of the primary causes of burnout. When a person is burnt out, they are mentally, emotionally and often physically exhausted, making them unable to be fully engaged in their work.

When leadership teams establish a culture of support, togetherness and acknowledgement of effort and achievement, it leads to commitment, respect and greater engagement. Workplace culture is established and maintained by those in positions of authority, and the example they set trickles down to others.

Give people a voice

Everybody wants to feel that they are valued and respected. Ensuring people are heard and their feelings are considered is key to demonstrating this value and respect. If a person let’s their feelings be known in confidence about a workplace, whether they be positive or negative, it is imperative to be respectful of these views, understand where they are coming from and asses if anything can be done to alleviate any issues raised.

Acknowledging their thoughts and acting on any relevant negative feedback in order to correct issues helps to build a sense of respect between an organisation and its workforce, leading to an improved sense of engagement.

HA | Wisdom Wellbeing can support you with employee engagement

Boosting employee engagement isn’t always the simplest task for an organisation, but it is imperative for success and growth. Sometimes to cultivate this engagement, management and leadership teams need support. Using HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), managers and employees have access to confidential, expert, BACP accredited support, 24/7, 365-days a year.

When individuals are dealing with feelings of stress and feel their mental health is declining, they can access a free 24/7 helpline with our expert counsellors. They have access to legal and financial information, relationship advice and mental health support all year round to support their mental wellbeing and boost workplace engagement. They can also access a host of resources and mental health training through the Wisdom app and its new feature, Wisdom Academy. Wellbeing support for whatever need is available at the touch of a button.

As for management teams, they can also access our HR Advice Line & Management Support. Available with our Wisdom Super Care EAP package, managers and leaders can speak to our expert team regarding any employment law and HR-related queries as well professional guidance on complex people issues.

Conclusion

An organisations success is dependent on its people. If they aren’t engaged or committed to the goals of the organisation, they will simply never be achieved. Organisations and their leadership teams must consistently work to keep their workforce engaged.

This can be achieved through respecting people, nurturing wellbeing, incentivising and togetherness, making the organisational goals feel like truly communal goals, resulting in a more efficient, cost-effective organisation that continues to grow.

Frequently asked questions

How do I increase employee engagement with our EAP?

Engagement rises when employees understand how an EAP supports their wellbeing and feel confident using it. Start by communicating the service clearly and consistently during onboarding, team meetings and internal campaigns. Encourage managers to signpost the EAP proactively, not just in times of crisis. When employees see that the organisation genuinely values their mental, emotional and practical wellbeing, they’re far more likely to engage with the service and feel more connected to the workplace.

What are the main drivers of employee engagement?

Employees are at their most engaged when they feel supported, recognised and aligned with the organisation’s purpose. Clear communication, strong leadership, manageable workloads and a positive culture all play a major role. When people feel their wellbeing matters and their contributions are valued, motivation and commitment naturally increase.

How can HR teams measure engagement effectively?

Reliable measurement comes from a mix of quantitative and qualitative insight. Engagement surveys, pulse checks, one-to-ones, exit interviews and feedback sessions all help build a clear picture of how employees feel. Tracking trends over time allows HR to identify risks early and implement targeted improvements that strengthen engagement across the organisation.

What are the signs of low employee engagement?

Common indicators include reduced productivity, increased absence, higher turnover, and a noticeable drop in enthusiasm or collaboration. Employees may become withdrawn, less communicative or show signs of burnout. Spotting these early allows organisations to intervene with effective support, individual recognition and wellbeing initiatives before issues escalate.

How does workplace culture impact engagement?

Culture sets the tone for how employees experience their working day. A supportive, inclusive culture encourages openness, trust and collaboration, all key ingredients for high engagement. Conversely, a culture that overlooks wellbeing or communication can quickly lead to disengagement. Leaders play a crucial role in modelling the behaviours that shape a positive environment.

Why is employee recognition so important for engagement?

Recognition reinforces that employees’ efforts matter. Whether it’s a simple 'thank you', a structured reward programme or celebrating team achievements, acknowledging good work boosts morale and strengthens loyalty. When people feel seen and appreciated, they’re more motivated, more productive and more committed to organisational goals.

What practical steps can employers take to improve engagement right now?

Start by reviewing workloads, strengthening communication and ensuring managers have the tools to support their teams effectively. Introduce regular check-ins, promote wellbeing resources like your EAP, and create opportunities for employees to share feedback. Small, consistent actions, such as celebrating wins or improving work‑life balance can make a significant difference to how connected and motivated employees feel.

Related entities

Employee engagement — the level of motivation, commitment and connection employees feel towards their work and organisation.

Employee engagement strategies — practical actions employers can take to improve motivation, culture and performance.

Workplace culture — the shared values, behaviours and norms that shape how employees experience work.

Psychological safety — a culture where employees feel safe to speak up, share ideas and raise concerns without fear.

Employee engagement models — frameworks such as Gallup Q12, CIPD and AON Hewitt that help employers understand and measure engagement.

Employee engagement surveys — tools that measure morale, motivation and workplace experience to guide improvement.

Employee recognition — programmes and practices that acknowledge employee contributions and strengthen motivation.

Manager–employee communication — regular, supportive conversations that build trust and clarity.

Workforce wellbeing — the physical, mental and emotional health of employees, directly linked to engagement.

Employee Assistance Programme — confidential counselling and wellbeing support that reduces stress and improves engagement.

Organisational performance — outcomes such as productivity, retention and customer satisfaction influenced by engagement levels.

Leadership and management — behaviours and practices from leaders that shape trust, clarity and motivation.