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Measure employee engagement, and you’ll find out pretty quickly whether people are genuinely invested — or just really good at pretending on Zoom. When employees feel connected and supported, they’re not just more productive — they actually want to be there.
According to the Achievers Engagement and Retention Report, 72% of employees would take a job where they feel valued over one that pays more but offers zero support or recognition. Turns out, meaning beats money (most of the time).
Engagement metrics give you more than a pulse check — they give you a map. They show you what’s working, what’s wobbly, and where to lean in, so your people stay motivated, not just on payroll.
If you want to measure employee engagement in a way that actually works, you need more than a once-a-year survey. Employees need to be able to speak up when something’s going well — or not — and know that their input matters. The easier you make it to give feedback, the more honest and useful that feedback becomes.
Here are five ways to keep a pulse on engagement, no matter where or how your people work:
Don’t wait for quarterly check-ins to find out how people are doing. Always-on listening tools — like quick polls and pulse surveys — give employees an instant, low-lift way to share what’s on their minds. They surface sentiment in real time, so leaders can spot trends, address issues early, and keep engagement from quietly dipping below the surface. Think of it as a companywide early-warning system — minus the flashing red lights.
Recognition is one of the most reliable engagement metrics there is. When employees are actively engaging in peer recognition — and being recognized themselves — it’s proof of connection, alignment, and belonging. In fact, research from the 2025 State of Employee Recognition Report tells us that employees who receive meaningful recognition on a weekly basis are 9x more likely to feel a strong sense of belonging and 2.6x more likely to be their most productive selves. That’s not just appreciation — that’s impact.
Real-time data turns recognition into a powerful feedback loop. It shows what’s driving engagement — which teams are thriving, which behaviors are catching on, and where leaders might need to lean in. The result? A clearer picture of not just how people feel at work, but how they’re showing up every day.
AI isn’t here to replace connection. In fact, it’s here to make it easier. Smart chatbots help capture feedback in the moment, integrated into the tools people already use day-to-day. They pick up on patterns, flag what needs attention, and help managers turn data into real conversations. Data helps you see what’s happening, which can lead to those conversations that help you understand why.
Even with all the data in the world, nothing beats a real conversation. Regular one-on-ones give managers space to connect the dots — celebrating wins, identifying challenges, and keeping everyone on the team aligned on what matters most. And when it’s paired with the right insights, these chats become less about status updates and more about trust, clarity, and progress.
If you want to understand what’s driving — or dragging down — engagement at your company, start with the questions you’re asking. These five questions cover the fundamentals and help surface what your people are really experiencing at work.
This is your eNPS, or employee Net Promoter Score — a quick read on how people feel about working at your company. A high score usually means your company’s culture is on track. A low one? That’s a sign to dig deeper. It’s not the only metric you need, but it’s a solid pulse check on overall engagement.
People want to feel like they’re part of something bigger — and that their work actually contributes to it. If employees aren’t clear on the company’s direction, it’s hard to stay motivated. Make sure your values show up not just in your mission statement, but in how you recognize and reward people every day.
Simple, but telling. Happiness may be subjective, but when employees say they’re satisfied at work, that usually reflects a strong foundation: clear expectations, meaningful work, supportive teams. If the answers are trending low, it could point to deeper issues around burnout, misalignment, or lack of recognition.
Recognition plays a huge role in how connected employees feel. When people feel seen — by managers, peers, and leadership — they’re more likely to stick around and stay engaged. If scores here are lagging, it might be time to rethink how appreciation shows up day to day (hint: a modern recognition platform helps).
This one gets to the heart of employee empowerment. If employees don’t have the tools, clarity, or coaching they need, engagement drops — fast. Great managers help clear roadblocks, not create them. And strong engagement starts with making sure people feel equipped to succeed.
In 2024, employee engagement in the U.S. dropped to its lowest point in a decade — a wake-up call for organizations to rethink how they’re listening to their people. Measuring engagement isn’t just about checking a box. Done right, it’s how you build a workplace people want to be part of.
Here’s how to approach it with intention:
When you lead with transparency, purpose, and action, measuring engagement becomes more than a metric. It becomes part of a culture where people feel seen, heard, and ready to speak up again.
You can’t improve what you don’t understand — and when it comes to employee engagement, guesswork won’t cut it. That’s where employee engagement software comes in.
Achievers goes beyond traditional tools to offer a centralized, always-on platform that captures feedback from multiple channels — quick polls, open comments, recognition activity, and more — and turns it into real-time insights you can act on. And with flexible, customizable reporting, you don’t just get the data — you get the full picture.
Here’s what makes Achievers stand out:
And it works. Organizations that fully adopt Achievers see up to 5x greater impact on engagement, productivity, and retention. Because when feedback is easy to give, data is easy to interpret, and action is easy to take — engagement becomes something you shape, not just something you measure.
Measuring engagement is only step one. What drives real impact is what happens next — recognizing the right behaviors, acting on employee feedback, and building a culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.
That’s where Achievers comes in. With recognition and real-time feedback built into the flow of work, Achievers makes it easy to uncover what motivates your people — and take action that actually sticks. From AI-powered insights to a global rewards marketplace, everything’s designed to help you strengthen connection, boost retention, and shape the culture you want.
Make engagement more than a metric. Make it part of how your company works — every day.
See how Wesley uses Achievers to measure employee engagement — and act on it
Let Achievers help make engagement work harder for your business.
You can measure employee engagement in a number of ways, including:
Together, these signals show how employees feel, act, and stay engaged — and where you can make the biggest impact.
To measure employee engagement, consider tracking these key metrics:
These metrics go beyond attendance or output. They help you see who’s showing up, contributing, and genuinely connected to the culture.
Pulse surveys are one of the most commonly used tools to measure engagement — and for good reason. They’re quick, focused, and easy for employees to complete, giving you a real-time read on how people are feeling and what they need to stay motivated.
The benefit of pulse surveys is that they do more than collect opinions — they turn feedback into action. You can spot shifts in sentiment, track progress over time, and make meaningful changes before engagement starts to dip.
Written by
Rebecca Mattina
Discover how easy recognition can be with Achievers
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