Employee Engagement Strategies: 5-Step Leadership Guide

Not All Employee Engagement Strategies Work
When the goal is higher employee advocacy, stronger discretionary effort, and greater intent to stay, good intentions and employee events are not enough. Some employee engagement strategies move the needle. Others create activity without impact.

If you are serious about improving workplace performance and earning exceptional levels of engagement, face the reality: driving meaningful employee engagement is hard work. There are no shortcuts.  It requires:

• Clarity.
• Consistency.
• Capable leadership.
• Disciplined follow-through. 

The upside, however, is undeniable. Organizations that get it right see measurable gains in productivity, retention, customer loyalty, and profitability. The effort is demanding — but the return is worth it.

Companies with Higher Levels of Employee Engagement Report

• 12% greater customer satisfaction.
• 18% increased productivity.
• 51% fewer voluntary job losses.

Companies with Lower Levels of Employee Engagement Report

• 12% lower profits.
• 19% less operating income.
• 28% decreased earnings per share.

How Do You Become a Truly Great Place to Work?
Becoming a great place to work is not an employee branding or comms exercise. It is an operational discipline. If you are serious about strengthening employee engagement and honoring your commitments, you must go beyond slogans and surface-level perks.

It starts with a genuine commitment to listening — not just collecting survey data, but understanding what it means and acting on it. That requires credible data, transparent conversations, and leaders willing to confront uncomfortable truths. It also demands sustained effort. Engagement is built through daily leadership behaviors, not annual campaigns.

Most importantly, your employee engagement strategies must drive real impact — for your people and for the business. When engagement initiatives align with strategy, clarify expectations, build trust, and reinforce accountability, performance improves. When they do not, they become noise.

The difference between a company that talks about being a great place to work and one that truly earns that reputation comes down to execution. While intentions matter, consistent and transparent follow-through matters more.

5 Game Winning Employee Engagement Strategies That Work

If you want to win the so-called “game” of employee engagement — increasing advocacy, unlocking discretionary effort, and strengthening intent to stay — you need more than enthusiasm. You need disciplined, evidence-based employee engagement strategies that connect people’s day-to-day experience to meaningful business outcomes.

Here are five employee engagement strategies that consistently separate high-performing organizations from the rest:

1.  Conduct Annual Engagement Surveys and Close the Loop
   Our research consistently shows that organizations that conduct annual employee engagement surveys achieve higher and more sustainable levels of engagement. When surveys occur less frequently, feedback becomes outdated, momentum fades, and employees lose confidence that their voices matter. A predictable annual cadence signals commitment and builds trust in the process.

   That said, the survey itself is only the starting point. The real differentiator is what happens next.

   Your initial survey should focus on gathering clear, candid feedback about the employee experience — what is working, what is not, and where leadership attention is required. In subsequent years, raise the bar. Measure not just sentiment, but accountability. Evaluate how well leaders and teams follow through on engagement commitments.

   For example, include questions such as:

   — Did your manager share the survey results with the team?
   — Did your team develop a clear action plan to address the issues raised?
   — Do you believe senior leaders are fully committed to resolving those issues?
   — What, if anything, has changed as a direct result of the employee survey?

   These follow-up questions reinforce a simple truth: engagement improves when employees see visible action tied to their input. Without transparency and follow-through, surveys become performative. With them, surveys become a powerful lever for trust, alignment, and measurable performance improvement.

2. Disseminate All Survey Results
   Sharing the full, unfiltered results of employee surveys is essential to building credibility and demonstrating a genuine commitment to improvement. Attempts to soften, withhold, or selectively present feedback erode trust and signal that leadership is unwilling to face reality.

   True change starts with transparency. When employees see that their voices are heard — even when the feedback is uncomfortable — they are more likely to engage, contribute solutions, and believe in the organization’s commitment to change. Transparency turns survey results from a reporting exercise into a foundation for meaningful engagement action and lasting improvement.

3. Choose the Right Communication Channels for Each Audience
   Effective communication is not one-size-fits-all. Remote employees may respond best to webinars or emails, but whenever possible, prioritize in-person interactions that allow people to ask questions, share concerns, and engage in meaningful dialogue. A thoughtful, multi-step engagement communication strategy is essential for turning survey results into actionable change.

   Start with a high-level overview delivered by the CEO during an all-hands meeting to demonstrate leadership team alignment and commitment. Keep engagement on the agenda in every team meeting — large or small — and actively encourage constructive debate about strengths and opportunities.

   Next, establish cross-functional teams tasked with developing targeted recommendations for improving engagement in the areas with the greatest potential impact. Ensure these recommendations reach senior leaders, providing the insight they need to take focused, actionable steps in their respective areas. This approach not only reinforces transparency and accountability but also mobilizes employees as partners in shaping a more engaging workplace.

4. Hold Leaders Accountable and Empower Managers
   Two of the most critical levers for sustained employee engagement lie in leadership accountability and managerial empowerment. First, appoint an Executive Project Sponsor for your engagement initiative — someone who is visibly responsible for driving the project to a successful outcome. Their role is to champion the effort, secure resources, and maintain momentum, not to manage day-to-day execution; that responsibility rests with the project manager.

   Equally important is giving managers the authority and responsibility to own their team’s engagement challenges. Empower them to identify, address, and resolve the most pressing issues in ways that align with the organization’s strategic priorities and culture. When leaders are accountable and managers are empowered, engagement initiatives move beyond theory and become tangible actions that improve both the employee experience and business performance.

5. Create Exposure and Transparency
   Track and share engagement progress consistently to appropriately pressure underperformers, highlight successes, share best practices, and reinforce the organization’s commitment to continuous improvement. Transparency signals that engagement is a shared responsibility, making it clear that directors are accountable for coaching their managers and guiding their teams toward meaningful, measurable progress. By openly reporting on initiatives and outcomes, you create a culture where improvement is expected, celebrated, and achievable.

The Bottom Line
Successful corporate initiatives share a few key traits: clear goals, visible results, active participation, and consistent leadership follow-through. Employee engagement is no different. Involve everyone in defining what matters, measuring progress, and identifying opportunities for improvement. When engagement becomes a shared responsibility rather than a top-down mandate, momentum builds, trust deepens, and performance occurs.

To learn more about game winning employee engagement strategies, download The Top 10 Most Powerful Ways to Boost Employee Engagement.

by Tristam Brown: CEO

Tristam Brown is an executive business consultant and organizational development expert with more than three decades of experience helping organizations accelerate performance, build high-impact teams, and turn strategy into execution. As CEO of LSA Global, he works with leaders to get and stay aligned™ through research-backed strategy, culture, and talent solutions that produce measurable, business-critical results. See full bio.