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USA Today
5 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
Want engaged employees? Focus on these 4 employee engagement strategies
Free snacks and 'employee of the month' plaques might feel like easy ways to engage your employees, but they barely scratch the surface. While fun perks can temporarily boost morale, lasting engagement is built on something more profound: connection, communication, appreciation and giving employees a voice. At its core, engagement is an employee's emotional commitment to their work, their team and the organization's mission — and it's a critical driver of business success. When employees feel genuinely connected to their work, you get a team that repeatedly exceeds expectations, has higher productivity, lower absenteeism and less turnover. Gallup research shows engaged employees also report up to 70% higher well-being. Here's what three HR professionals and company leaders say moves the engagement needle. The 4 pillars of employee engagement in action Improving engagement is easier said than done, but it's one of the most effective strategies for employee retention. It takes daily effort, clear communication and a culture that prioritizes people. These four pillars — connection, communication, appreciation and voice — can help leaders foster stronger relationships and build a workplace where employees feel seen, heard and motivated to do their best work. According to Gallup, employees who have friends at work are seven times more likely to be engaged at their jobs. 'I would focus on improving connection by encouraging relationship building, specifically between co-workers,' explains Katie Smith, a director at a Fortune 500 company and founder of Get a Corporate Job. But connection goes beyond having a work bestie. It also means fostering relationships with managers, team members and leaders and feeling aligned with their daily tasks and long-term goals. Employees want to connect with your organization's purpose and vision, so demonstrate how their work relates to your business goals. When employees are left in the dark, they are more likely to feel disengaged. Frequent communication signals trust and respect, even when you don't have all the answers. In uncertain times, that kind of vulnerability can be one of your most powerful tools for engagement. 'Motivating a team starts with creating a culture of psychological safety, clarity and mutual accountability,' says Jennifer Schielke, the chief executive officer at Summit Group Solutions. Good communication also means that employees understand what is expected of them, which is essential for creating a positive workplace culture. Yet according to a 2024 Gallup study, less than half of U.S. workers say they do. That's a significant problem. 'Teams need to understand the 'why' behind their work,' explains Schielke. 'When expectations and strategy are clear, people commit more fully and feel less overwhelmed.' Appreciation — whether verbal, public or monetary — is what keeps teams motivated and aligned. Positive feedback and recognition make employees feel more valued and show that the work they put in not only matters, but is valued by leaders. 'Everyone wants to be recognized more,' says Smith. 'You have to recognize people in front of others, and show appreciation in large forms, but then also you need to recognize them privately and monetarily as well.' 'Voice is all about enabling people to contribute meaningfully to how things are done,' says Kelsey Szamet, a partner at Kingsley Szamet Employment Lawyers. But giving employees a voice is more than just listening. 'Doing something about employee suggestions is what makes people confident about leadership,' she adds. Leaders might facilitate open communication through regular feedback meetings and surveys. When employees see their ideas implemented, they know their leaders have taken them seriously. The bottom line on building a better workplace When employees don't feel engaged, they complete their work because they have to, not because they're passionate about it. While they may meet goals in the short term, they are unlikely to last in the long run. Here is what successful companies are doing to make sure employees get the most out of their work: 'Ultimately, employees want to feel heard, valued and challenged in ways that align with their strengths,' says Schielke. 'When leaders focus on integrity and intentional influence, engagement becomes a natural outcome, not a forced initiative.' What is USA TODAY Top Workplaces 2025? If you're looking for a job where you'll be more engaged, we can help. Each year, USA TODAY Top Workplaces, a collaboration between Energage and USA TODAY, ranks organizations across the United States that excel at creating a positive work environment for their employees. Employee feedback determines the winners. In 2025, over 1,500 companies earned recognition as top workplaces. Check out our overall U.S. rankings. You can also gain insights into more workplace trends and advice by checking out the links below.
CNBC
a day ago
- Business
- CNBC
Bosses, stop trying to flatter your workers, says leadership expert—it doesn't make them like you
Some bosses think flattering their employees is a good leadership tactic. Those bosses are wrong, says Jennifer Schielke. "Flattery is what I've seen from a lot of leaders," says Schielke, a leadership expert and CEO of Bellevue, Washington-based staffing and recruiting firm Summit Group Solutions. Bosses tend to throw excessive praise at their employees when they want everyone to like them, she says. But insincere compliments can come across as manipulative, like you have an ulterior motive. When someone is going above and beyond at work, they probably deserve some authentic praise and appreciation. But leaning on flattery too much points to "insecurity" and a lack of leadership skills, says Schielke. "I just don't see any benefit of it, truly." You probably know when a boss is giving empty compliments. Say you realize you did a poor job executing a project, but your boss tells you they were really impressed with it. Or they constantly compliment your skills, to the point where it feels disingenuous. "Leading doesn't have to be a popularity contest," says Schielke. "It's really investing in employees, being kind and addressing the hard stuff, too." Most workers do tend to like a boss who's a "people person" — someone who enjoys having genuine interactions with others, and uses soft skills like empathy, compassion and communication to create an inviting workplace culture — according to workplace culture expert Tom Gimbel. "The more authentic you are, the more people are going to connect with you and enjoy your company," Gimbel told CNBC Make It in April 2024. Schielke likes to dedicate certain days of the week to a team-building exercise, she says, like "Tell Me About Yourself Tuesdays," where employees spend minutes, or sometimes hours, discussing subjects that are important to them. Her company also has "Wacky Wednesdays," where she assigns quirky topics to her employees, who then present a workshop, training module or a simple moment of comedic relief about them, she adds. Instead of unduly flattering employees, you can make them feel valued at work simply by paying attention to their perspectives and needs, Schielke says. If your particular workplace craves hybrid work, employee resource groups or volunteer opportunities — simple policies that you have the power to grant — you'd do well to listen, she notes. These efforts are "very, very meaningful and valuable" to employees, says Schielke, no matter the business.
CNBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
Nearly 50% of employees say their boss doesn't understand them or their job—how to fix that, CEO says
A lot of employees feel disconnected from their bosses and managers, and it's putting a real damper on workplace morale. Forty-six percent of employees across the U.S. say their bosses only somewhat or rarely understand their contributions at work, according to the April 2025 Workplace Perception Gap Survey from HR platform The Predictive Index, which sampled 1,000 workers across different industries, age groups and job levels. Nearly half (44%) of surveyed employees said they've been passed over for raises and big projects because someone misconceived their skills or habits at work. And 48% said bosses and managers regularly underestimated their it comes to the root of this misalignment, "I think there are three things to really look at, and that's clarity, investment and connection," says Jennifer Schielke, author, leadership consultant and CEO of Summit Group Solutions, an IT staffing firm. Each new generation entering the workforce brings different perspectives and expectations, sometimes making it difficult for bosses and their employees to see eye-to-eye, Schielke says. And when you don't invest time into building your workplace relationships and professional network, you'll lack the connections you need to feel heard and understood. Both employees and bosses can work to strengthen bonds in the office, says Schielke. Here's how. Your boss isn't a mind-reader, so when you feel misunderstood, overlooked or have questions that haven't been answered, speak up, Schielke says. Try asking your boss or manager for advice instead of feedback to get more authentic, actionable responses, Wharton organizational psychologist and bestselling author Adam Grant told CNBC Make It on February 11. If you feel like your boss doesn't understand how hard you work, for example, you might ask something like: "I want to make sure that I'm prioritizing work that matters most to you. Can you help me understand what you think should be top of mind?" Successful people use this tactic to cut through flattery and "potentially demoralizing" critiques, both of which are unhelpful, Grant said. Leaders set the tone for workplace culture, and you'll benefit from going out of your way to make sure your workers feel like they belong, according to Schielke. Consider some short "engagement activities" — a coffee hour, a round of trivia, icebreaker questions before meetings — to learn more about your team and how they like to work, Schielke says. At her own workplace, Schielke ditches her title. Her employees know she's the boss, but she doesn't want the CEO title to intimidate people from having real, authentic conversations with her, she says. "We don't want it to be an environment where people are thinking, 'I can't talk to the CEO,'" says Schielke. "I'm just a person. Titles are important externally, but [in the office], I can sit down and work alongside you."
