How to improve employee engagement in 2026: 10 practical strategies

Employee engagement improves when employees feel informed, recognised, supported and connected to meaningful work.

In 2026, employee engagement challenges are increasingly shaped by communication overload, disconnected frontline employees, burnout, poor leadership visibility and fragmented workplace technology.

Organisations that improve employee engagement successfully typically focus on:

• clearer communication
• employee recognition
• employee wellbeing
• career development
• manager visibility and leadership trust
• employee feedback and listening
• flexible working
• stronger onboarding experiences
• connected digital workplace experiences
• easier access to information and tools

Highly engaged employees are more productive, more likely to stay with their organisation and more likely to recommend their workplace to others.

This guide explains 10 practical ways to improve employee engagement across both desk based and frontline workforces, including communication strategies, recognition initiatives, wellbeing support and modern employee experience improvements.

What we’ll cover:

• What employee engagement is
• Why employee engagement matters
• Common employee engagement challenges
• 10 practical ways to improve engagement
• How to measure employee engagement
• Employee engagement FAQs

Employee engagement is closely linked to the overall employee experience, especially for organisations managing distributed and frontline teams.

Many businesses are also investing in better internal communications tools and improving their digital employee experience to create more connected and informed workforces.

For organisations with deskless teams, improving communication with frontline employees and creating stronger employee onboarding experiences can significantly improve long term engagement and retention.

What is employee engagement?

Employee engagement is the emotional, psychological and professional connection employees feel toward their work, colleagues, leadership and organisation.

Engaged employees are more likely to feel motivated, productive, recognised and connected to company goals. Disengaged employees are more likely to experience burnout, low morale, reduced productivity and higher turnover risk.

Employee engagement impacts nearly every area of a business including retention, productivity, communication, customer experience and organisational performance.

Modern employee engagement strategies increasingly focus on improving communication, recognition, wellbeing, employee voice and workplace experience across both desk based and frontline teams.

Why is employee engagement important?

Research shows that 92% of business executives believe that engaged employees perform better, boosting the success of their teams and the outcomes of their business.

Sounds great, right?

That's because it's vital to any business, regardless of size or financial standing.

In fact, your employees are vital to the success of your business.

Whilst many companies may view their products as their biggest asset, they're failing to notice that their people are what make their cogs turn.

Companies that value their employees will reap the rewards of a dedicated, passionate and skilled workforce.

Employee engagement = Retention

Engagement is one of the strongest predictors of whether employees stay with a company. When people feel connected to their work, supported by their team and recognised for their effort, they are far less likely to look elsewhere.

Engaged teams are more likely to:

• feel motivated and committed
• go the extra mile for colleagues and customers
• build longer-term careers in the company
• recommend the workplace to others

Disengaged teams are more likely to:

• disconnect from their manager
• lose interest in their work
• feel unnoticed or undervalued
• become open to new job offers

Because of this, even small improvements in daily communication, recognition or clarity can significantly strengthen retention.

Modern engagement challenges

Employee engagement challenges have changed significantly over the last few years.

Many organisations now struggle with communication overload, fragmented workplace technology, frontline communication gaps, burnout and reduced visibility between leadership and employees.

These challenges make it harder for employees to feel informed, connected and engaged in their work.

1. Hybrid and remote work friction

Distributed teams often struggle with communication gaps, reduced visibility, inconsistent collaboration and social disconnect. Without intentional structures such as intranets centralised communication hubs or regular check-ins, engagement drops quickly.

2. Burnout and workload pressure

Chronic stress is now a leading cause of disengagement. Workload imbalance, unrealistic expectations and lack of psychological safety all contribute to burnout — which directly increases turnover.

3. Communication overload

Modern teams face Slack/Teams fatigue, fragmented channels and constant notifications. Engagement breaks down when employees feel overwhelmed or unclear.

4. Economic uncertainty and job insecurity

When business conditions feel unstable, employees experience anxiety that lowers engagement and trust. Clear communication from leadership counteracts this.

5. Generational Shifts (Gen Z Expectations)

Younger employees value purpose, transparency, meaningful work and personal growth more than previous generations. Addressing these expectations creates stronger long-term engagement.

Common causes of low engagement

Low employee engagement is commonly caused by:

• poor internal communication
• lack of employee recognition
• burnout and workload pressure
• disconnected frontline employees
• unclear company goals
• weak manager communication
• lack of employee feedback opportunities
• poor onboarding experiences
• limited career development
• inefficient workplace systems and processes

Many organisations also struggle with communication overload caused by disconnected tools, too many channels and inconsistent access to information across desk based and frontline workforces.

When employees feel overwhelmed, unsupported or disconnected from leadership, engagement levels decline quickly.

3 key business areas impacted by employee engagement

• Business area | How engagement impacts it | Common outcomes
• Employee retention | Engaged employees are more likely to feel connected, recognised and supported at work | Lower turnover, stronger loyalty and improved retention
• Productivity | Employees who feel motivated and informed tend to work more efficiently and collaboratively | Higher productivity, better performance and improved customer experience
• Employee wellbeing | Strong engagement often improves morale, communication and workplace support | Lower absenteeism, reduced burnout and healthier workplace culture

Why employee engagement is harder in 2026

Improving employee engagement has become more difficult as organisations manage increasingly distributed and digital workforces.

Many employees now experience:

• communication overload from too many workplace channels
• disconnected frontline experiences
• notification fatigue
• difficulty finding information quickly
• reduced visibility from leadership
• fragmented workplace systems
• burnout caused by constant digital communication

As a result, organisations increasingly focus on creating simpler, more connected employee experiences that reduce friction and improve communication clarity across both desk based and frontline teams.

How to improve employee engagement: 10 practical steps

• Strategy | Why it matters
• Improve communication | Clear communication helps employees feel informed and connected
• Recognise employee contributions | Recognition improves morale, motivation and retention
• Support employee wellbeing | Wellbeing support reduces burnout and absenteeism
• Encourage employee feedback | Employees are more engaged when they feel heard
• Improve onboarding | Strong onboarding improves early engagement and retention
• Invest in career development | Growth opportunities increase long term commitment
• Strengthen company culture | Shared values help employees feel connected to purpose
• Improve workplace efficiency | Better systems reduce frustration and wasted time
• Encourage collaboration | Social connection improves teamwork and belonging
• Offer flexibility | Flexible working improves work life balance and satisfaction

These steps show how organisations can improve employee engagement through everyday communication, recognition and employee experience improvements.

1. Improve efficiency in the workplace

Outdated or disparate workplace processes and systems will slow your teams down and ultimately frustrate them.

The big question is how can we improve the employee experience?

By making sure an efficient content management process is in place, an employee’s workload is made much more manageable and easier to handle.

2. Improve communication

When considering how to make positive changes, communication is one of the most important factors to bear in mind.

After all, communication is integral to our everyday lives, especially in the workplace!

Maybe you’re seeing increased miscommunication between your employees.

Especially if you’re a large organisation or enterprise.

This is probably due to staff unable to communicate with one another or they rely on outdated ways to exchange information.

Of course, with fewer staff relying on desktop-based devices than ever before, facilitating communication through an engagement strategy that includes office based and deskless employees is vital!

Improving your workforce communication methods should be one of the first things to look at.

Take a look at our top internal communication tools to facilitate better communication.

3. Give recognition

Recognition for hard work and effort is important for 37% of employees.

Not only will their motivation increase, but others will feel inspired to work for the very same recognition, ultimately boosting workplace morale.

Modern employee engagement platforms help organisations make employee recognition more visible, consistent and accessible across distributed teams.

Public recognition, peer appreciation and milestone celebrations all help strengthen employee morale and workplace culture. For example, platforms like Oak Engage

help organisations surface recognition across both desk based and frontline employees through social feeds, communities and employee recognition tools.

4. Encourage interaction

Building relationships in the workplace and outside of a professional environment can be an effective way of improving communication and the employee experience throughout your business.

By creating events or communities within your workplace, like minded people can solidify bonds with others from different departments and create relationships that may not have otherwise existed.

Oak’s hubs bring like-minded people together, allowing your teams to share and collaborate on common interests. Through these pages, employees can communicate in a social and project setting.

5. Invest in your employees, invest in your company

Did you know that, if you don’t invest in the very things in which your employees feel they are lacking, you could end up losing the engagement of your employees?

By putting aside a budget to cater to your employees wants and needs, you are, in essence, investing directly into the company itself.

If you're unsure of what your employees need to feel satisfied, boost their engagement and productivity levels, Pulse Surveys are a great way to take and measure feedback that can be actioned upon.

6. Focus on employee wellbeing

Employee wellbeing and engagement go hand in hand.

It’s far easier for individuals to engage with their work when the organisation makes an effort to enhance their overall wellbeing.

The links between burnout and disengagement are clear with Oak's Mental Health in the Workplace Report finding that 19% of us who have suffered health issues because of work did so because of burnout.

By having suitable, clear, easy to access wellbeing policies you will help employees alleviate stress and keep engaged in their work.

7. Encourage feedback, increase employee satisfaction

More often than not, employees crave feedback. It boosts their level of workplace engagement.

More than 33% of workers still want more regular feedback, according to a survey by Joblist of over 1000 full-time employees.

Regular check-ins and 1:1s are important, but it's also important to give employees who may not feel comfortable with sharing issues with managers, safe spaces to feedback.

Pulse Surveys are used to gather anonymous, targeted feedback with actionable insights that businesses can use to better their approaches and increase employee satisfaction.

8. Emphasise your company culture

Did you know that employees will be more engaged if they have a common goal and a shared culture. Having a shared culture not only promotes consistency in the business, but also allows organisations to benefit from an open and friendly workplace.

Oak allows you to harness the culture your organisation wants and ingrain it in the workforce. Not only will your branded solution display your brand in an innovative, user-friendly way, with curated content you can focus on messaging that aligns with your vision and values and give employee satisfaction a real boost!

9. Provide a good onboarding experience

Onboarding is sets the tone for your employees from day one. Research shows that a positive onboarding experience can improve employee retention by up to 82%.

This is why building an inclusive onboarding experience is so important to creating a great company culture and supports your engagement strategy.

From learning materials to cultural and information signposts, your intranet can be the springboard for a great onboarding experience.

Burger King UK transformed their onboarding and pre-boarding processes with their employee app, BK Hub, which contributed to a 40% reduction in new starter dropout in just 6 months - and a 32% reduction in turnover of hourly paid crew in new sites within 3 months of launch!

10. Give working flexibility

87% of employees expect their organisations to support them in balancing work responsibilities with personal commitments.

Why not provide your employees with the ability to adjust their work hours to accommodate their personal needs? This shows that you value your team members on a personal level.

With the tips in this blog you will be able to allow employees more freedom without the risk of lost productivity . If you are too rigid in your approach when you don't have to be, you may undo all your hard work as a manager.

• Area to focus on | What to look out for | Impact on employee engagement
• Communication | Outdated channels, unclear messaging, lack of feedback loops | Improves collaboration, trust, and transparency across teams.
• Recognition | Lack of acknowledgment for effort or achievements | Boosts morale, motivation, and a sense of belonging.
• Employee wellbeing | High stress levels, burnout, lack of mental health support | Reduces absenteeism and creates a healthier, more committed workforce.
• Feedback culture | Infrequent check-ins, no safe way to share feedback | Builds trust, promotes open dialogue, and drives continuous improvement.
• Company culture | Unclear values, inconsistent communication from leadership | Strengthens connection to organisational goals and identity.
• Onboarding | Unstructured or inconsistent new starter experience | Increases early engagement and helps new hires feel supported from day one.
• Work flexibility | Rigid schedules, lack of autonomy | Encourages loyalty, reduces turnover, and supports work-life balance.
• Efficiency and tools | Siloed systems, hard-to-find information | Streamlines workflows and reduces frustration, helping teams work smarter.
• Learning and growth | Limited opportunities for skill development | Inspires ambition, creativity, and long-term commitment.
• Engagement measurement | No regular tracking or unclear metrics | Enables data-driven improvements to communication and engagement strategies.

Learn more about employee engagement in our ultimate guide for engaging deskless workforces.

How to measure employee engagement

So, you’ve launched initiatives to improve engagement but how do you know if they’re actually working?

Measuring employee engagement isn’t just about sending out an annual survey. It’s about understanding how your people feel, tracking how that changes over time, and turning those insights into meaningful action.

1. Use Pulse Surveys regularly

Short, focused Pulse Surveys allow you to take the temperature of your teams more frequently.

• Keep them quick (5–10 questions).
• Repeat them quarterly or even monthly.
• Focus on specific themes — communication, recognition, wellbeing, or leadership visibility.

2. Track key engagement metrics

Numbers tell a story, here are a few that matter most:

• Metric | What it tells you | Why it matters
• Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) | How likely employees are to recommend your organisation as a great place to work | A simple, powerful indicator of advocacy and pride
• Turnover rate | How many people leave voluntarily | High turnover often signals disengagement or cultural issues
• Absenteeism rate | Frequency of unplanned absences | Engaged teams tend to have lower absenteeism
• Participation rates | Attendance at internal events, training, or comms campaigns | Shows how connected employees feel to company life
• Wellbeing scores | Self-reported stress, energy, or work-life balance levels | Tracks how supported employees feel in their roles

3. Combine quantitative and qualitative feedback

Engagement data is only half the picture. Use open comments, listening sessions, and town halls to dig deeper into why people feel a certain way.

Your company intranet is a great space to gather insights — from polls on the homepage to feedback forms on wellbeing or culture hubs.

• Ask: What helps you do your best work?
• Ask: What could make communication clearer or more meaningful?
• Capture stories and examples, they bring your metrics to life.

4. Turn insights into action

Data is only valuable if it drives change.

• Share results openly with employees through your news feed or internal comms hub.
• Create an engagement action plan with clear owners and timelines.
• Re-measure after three to six months to track improvement.

5. Keep it continuous

Employee engagement isn’t a once-a-year exercise — it’s an ongoing conversation.

By using tools like Pulse Surveys and intelligent analytics and reporting together, you can build a rhythm of listening, acting, and communicating that strengthens engagement over time.

Employee engagement FAQs

What causes low employee engagement?

Low employee engagement is commonly caused by poor communication, lack of employee recognition, burnout, weak leadership visibility, limited career development opportunities, disconnected workplace systems and lack of employee feedback opportunities.

Why is communication important for employee engagement?

Clear communication helps employees feel informed, connected and aligned with company goals. Poor communication often leads to confusion, disengagement and reduced trust in leadership.

How do you measure employee engagement?

Employee engagement is commonly measured through Pulse Surveys, employee feedback, retention rates, absenteeism, employee Net Promoter Scores (eNPS), participation rates and workplace analytics.

What improves employee engagement the most?

Employee engagement improves most when organisations communicate clearly, recognise employee contributions, support wellbeing, encourage feedback and create opportunities for career growth and development.

How does employee recognition improve engagement?

Employee recognition helps employees feel valued and appreciated for their contributions. Regular recognition improves morale, motivation, employee satisfaction and long term retention.

What tools help improve employee engagement?

Employee engagement platforms help organisations improve communication, recognition, employee feedback, onboarding, collaboration and workplace experience through a centralised digital platform.

Why is employee engagement important for retention?

Employees who feel engaged are more likely to stay with their organisation, feel connected to their work and recommend their workplace to others. Low engagement is strongly linked to higher turnover and burnout.