2 Proven Boxes to Tick That Actually Boost Employee Engagement

Where this “employee engagement” thing come from all of a sudden?

This question, coming from the owner of a business who was becoming increasingly frustrated with the informative discussion, did not surprise me.

And here’s why:

He was really struggling with his “people” problems and had declared he had difficulties understanding and staying on top of all these HR issues.

But employee engagement did not appear “all of a sudden.”

It emerged in the 1990s but it only became a major business focus in the 2000s as companies increasingly recognized its link to performance outcomes.

Ever since then, most businesses have either successfully, or tried in some way, to implement employee engagement.

So, to encourage you to try it in your small business, I will share the 2 critical boxes you have to tick (and some accompanying strategies) if you really want to boost employee engagement.

But before I do…

What is employee engagement?

There are many definitions of employee engagement.

But essentially, it is the emotional commitment someone has to their work, their colleagues and the business they work for.

It’s about how people feel when they come to work — whether they feel connected, motivated and involved in what they’re doing.

It’s about how much employees care about the quality of their work, how connected they feel to the company’s mission and vision and how willing they are to go the extra mile.

 How does employee engagement differ from employee morale?

Employee morale refers to how employees feel about their work environment at a given point in time.

In other words, it’s primarily emotional and reflects satisfaction, happiness, or contentment with current working conditions like pay, benefits, and or atmosphere.

But in a heartbeat, these can be unexpectedly impacted by factors such as a change in management or the wrongful dismissal of a colleague.

The bottom line is…

An employee might have good morale because they like their coworkers and workspace (short term) but still lack engagement if they don’t find their actual work meaningful or challenging (long term).

It is important that you clearly understand this difference because doing so will determine when you need to apply some quick morale boosters or when you need long term engagement strategies. 

Now if you’re ready let’s look at the “employee engagement” boxes you must tick and our “ticking” strategies.

 Box #1 – Help employees feel that their work has value

I cannot stress this enough, especially among small business owners.

In Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report, which surveyed more than 200,000 people over age 15 who worked in about 160 countries and regions, employees worldwide reported feeling stressed, sad, anxious, and disengaged on the job. One in five also said they’re feeling lonely.

The words of an employee, 49-year-old “St. Clair” are even more telling. He says:

“I often felt undermined, dismissed, and painfully disconnected. Work became a daily task of survival, not fulfillment.”

It is common practice to rush to try quick morale boosters when employees appear to be unhappy with working conditions.

These might temporarily address the problem but building genuine employee engagement requires much more.

You have to pay deeper attention to purpose, provide growth opportunities, and help employees find meaning in their work.

Here are some effective strategies to help employees feel their work has value:

1. Show employees how their work impacts the wider organisational mission and vision

This is especially important for those employees who perform routine tasks. And you must do it regularly, with genuine care and attention.

For example, if an employee processes invoices or generates estimates, regularly highlight how their accuracy keep cash flow accurate and improve the speed of collection. Or you can explain how accurate data entry improves the user experience for external and internal customers.

2. Trust your employees with autonomy over methods

Come on CEOs! Give employees ownership over their work and decision-making authority where appropriate. Avoid micromanaging and focus on results rather than monitoring every action.

Let people figure out how to achieve goals using their strengths and expertise. Support them when they make mistakes and treat these as learning opportunities.

And yes CEOs! I am aware that this takes time, requires at least basic people and management skills and the willingness to trust yourself to trust your employees.

But it’s an opportunity for you to find out if you’re a real CEO (Chief Executive Office – i.e. Leader) or a CEO (Chief Everything Officer – i.e. Micromanager)

3. Seek employees input on decisions/changes that impact their work

Far too often, I’ve discovered that leaders or managers believe that since they are in charge, they don’t have to ask for employees input or perspective if they want to implement any changes.

This is nothing short of short-sightedness.

Before implementing changes that affect their work, ask team members for their perspective. They often have insights and ideas leadership misses. Even when you can’t use all the suggestions, the act of asking demonstrates that you value their ideas and input. 

4. Send meaningful messages about the importance of their work

What messages are you sending to your employees about the importance of the work they do?

Here’s what I mean…

What message do you send every time you ask for information “just because…” or discover after the fact that it is not what you want to help you solve the problem or make the decision?

 Or…when you constantly ask them to drop what they’re doing to start something else, maybe even less important?

Or even worse, when you inherit a team and for reasons known only to you, you blatantly marginalise a person and the job that they do?

What message are you sending about the value of the work they do?

Yeah…you’re sending the message that what they do does not matter and can be disregarded or discarded on a whim.

This conflicted and confused approach to the distribution of tasks is the fastest way to kill motivation and create an army of disengaged employees.

5. Create meaningful systems for engaged employees to work with

First, let’s be clear about what is a system within the context of a business:

It is an organized set of processes, procedures, and tools that work together to accomplish specific business objectives. It defines how tasks are performed, who is responsible for what, and how information flows through a business to achieve consistent results.

This definition might lull you into believing that sound systems exist in most businesses If it did…sorry.

Meaningful systems are the foundation of a well-run business.

But equally, they are the clearest signal that as a leader, you value the work that your employees do and are willing to provide the systems through which they help you to achieve the business goals.

Attempting to operate without meaningful systems will ensure that you preside over a system of chaos, populated by employees who are neither engaged nor motivated.

Box #2 – Show employees that you genuinely care about them

Showing employees that you genuinely care about them should really begin by caring about them as human beings.

If you find that difficult (sigh) you still have to answer the real questions:

“Do you genuinely care about them as employees? And why should it matter?”

Well, most research indicates that when employees feel appreciated, they do better work. In fact, 81% of employees say they feel motivated to work harder when a boss shows appreciation. 

The problem is, employees know when you genuinely care over when you’re just being performative.

 Therefore, showing your “internal customer” that you care about them has to become part of the company’s culture and must be as important as your external customer service.

So here are some effective ways to show employees that you genuinely care about them:

1. Provide personal and professional recognition and feedback

For some managers, the definition of “feedback” is relentless criticism and often with no indication as to how to improve the very things they are criticising.

Don’t look now but that is more a (bad) reflection on you, than on the recipient.

Being assertive requires you to also give specific and timely recognition for excellent work which are linked to outcomes, rather than generic praise.

For example, instead of just saying “good job, Peter!” Try saying “good job on the way you handle the irate customer this morning, Peter!” Your intervention actually saved us $3,500!”

And don’t forget to provide regular one-on-one feedback sessions where you actually listen to their concerns and ideas.

2. Be open and transparent in your communication

Some managers believe in holding things close to their chests, only sharing that information which is necessary to perform daily tasks.

Even worse than this, they practice selective sharing, often withholding information from the very employees who need it to make decisions or solve problems.

This approach eventually undermines employee engagement and leads to their own frustration, which they in turn blame on the employee.

So please, communicate in a meaningful way. Share company updates, challenges, and successes regularly. Share customer testimonials, success metrics, or stories about how their contributions made a difference.

On the other hand, create safe spaces for employees to voice concerns without fear of retaliation. Act on feedback when feasible and explain when you can’t, so employees know they’re being heard.

3. Listen attentively to frustrations and challenges

One of the best ways to show your employees that you really care about them is to listen attentively and with empathy to their frustrations and challenges.

When someone raises concerns about inefficient processes or obstacles, take them seriously. This is not only an act of kindness, but also a smart and practical thing to do.

Rolling your eyes and or labelling them as “red herrings” might come back to haunt you in ways that you did not anticipate.

Like when the complaints of employees in a small business were deemed as “lazy people who don’t want to work!” That was until a fire (thankfully small) broke out and costed her $4,500.  

But above all, sometimes the most valuable way you can show that you care is to remove barriers that make their work feel pointless or unnecessarily difficult.

4. Ensure that your compensation and benefits are fair and decent

If you can, regularly review and adjust salaries to remain competitive. In addition, offer meaningful benefits like health insurance, retirement contributions, or wellness programs.

Yeah…I know, you have neither the deep pockets nor the ready flow of cash. But you can still consider unique perks that don’t cost a fortune but can still address your team’s specific needs or interests.

Work on about creating a safe mental and physical working environment. You can offer mental health resources or employee assistance programs. And do check in on workload and stress levels, especially during busy periods.

Offer flexible work arrangements when possible. These could be remote work, flexible hours, or compressed work weeks. Respect boundaries around after-hours communication.

And don’t make employees feel guilty about taking paid vacation leave.

5. Invest in your employees’ professional development

I usually get a lot of push back on this one.

A client once asked me “what if I train them and then they leave?”  I replied, “what if you don’t and they stay?”

Don’t be afraid to offer training, mentoring, coaching or stretch assignments that build new skills. Collaborate with your team to help them jump-start their professional development.

Investing in the development of your staff works well for employee engagement. Why? Because you’re signalling that their potential matters to the future of the business.

And on that note, I need to offer this word of caution to employers.

The results from employee development in any form will not always show up immediately or uniformly from person to person.

Furthermore, if people are learning new skills and not being given a chance to apply them on the job, it very quickly leads to frustration and disengaged employees.

Your next “Employee Engagement” steps

If you have always longed to increase your employee engagement, now you have a starting point.

You now know the 2 important boxes to tick. and how to tick them.

Remember: the key is consistency and authenticity. Employees can tell when you genuinely care or just pretending to care. So your efforts need to be ongoing and repeated until they are part of your company culture.

All you now need to do is to take a good hard look at yourself to see if you have the confidence and assertiveness to tick those boxes.

And if you’re not sure of the answer…you know what to do!