What Does Good Employee Engagement Actually Look Like?
Employee engagement has evolved significantly since it was first conceptualised by William A. Kahn in 1990 as “the harnessing of organisation members’ selves to their work roles”. This psychological investment of the whole person in their role laid the foundation for understanding engagement as more than satisfaction or morale. It’s about identity, purpose and emotional commitment.
Today, with hybrid working, persistent external/economic pressures and employees being more vocal about their expectations, engagement is no longer a nice-to-have. It has become a strategic necessity.
Good engagement is not just a score. A well-designed survey is a valuable way to understand how people are feeling and where attention is needed. But engagement also shows up in everyday behaviour, like the energy in a team meeting, how freely people share ideas, low turnover, and the extra effort people choose to give.
At The Survey Initiative, we use a behavioural framework to understand what engagement looks like in practice. One that aligns with the principles championed by Engage for Success and supported by CIPD research.
The Say, Stay, Strive Framework
The Say, Stay, Strive model, originally developed by Aon Hewitt, resonates strongly with the outcomes-focused approach promoted by engagement professionals. It shifts the focus from sentiment to observable behaviours that drive performance.
- Say: Do employees speak positively about the organisation to colleagues, customers and potential hires?
- Stay: Do they intend to remain, demonstrating loyalty and low attrition?
- Strive: Are they motivated to go the extra mile, innovate and contribute beyond their core duties?
This model aligns with findings from the CIPD Good Work Index 2025, which revealed that only around half of UK employees report feeling enthusiastic about or immersed in their work. This is a clear call to action for organisations aiming to move beyond basic satisfaction.
What Has Changed?
Several trends are reshaping the engagement landscape.
- Employees Are More Discerning
The CIPD’s 2025 research found that 3% of employees, around 1.1 million workers, left a job in the past year due to a lack of flexible working. This underscores a shift. People no longer wait for organisations to catch up. They move on when their values: flexibility, purpose and respect are not met. - Managers Are the Critical Lever
The CIPD Good Work Index 2025 found that while 79% of employees say their manager is supportive, only two in three managers receive the training and time needed to manage well. This gap is critical. As widely cited in UK HR practice, 70% of the variance in team engagement is attributable to the manager. Investing in manager capability is not HR ‘fluff’. It is a performance multiplier. - Trust and Transparency Are Non-Negotiable
The Engage for Success movement, established from the 2009 MacLeod Report, identified four enablers of engagement. Strategic narrative, engaging managers, employee voice and organisational integrity. In 2026, “integrity” – walking the talk – is under intense scrutiny. People expect leaders to communicate openly, act on feedback and align values with actions. Silence after a survey erodes trust. Follow-through builds it.
What Good Engagement Does Not Look Like
Good engagement is not:
- A wellbeing initiative that masks poor management
- An annual survey that gathers dust
- A rising score achieved by lowering expectations
As the MacLeod Report warned, too many organisations treat engagement as a tick-box exercise. Running surveys without acting, or confusing activity with impact, undermines credibility. True engagement requires consistent effort – through leadership behaviour, in two-way communication and in creating an environment where people feel safe to speak and contribute.
The Starting Point. Ask, Listen, Act
If you are unsure where your organisation stands, the most honest step is to ask your people. Through a well-designed, independent engagement survey. Done right, this is not about chasing a number. It is about gaining a clear picture of what is driving engagement, where the greatest opportunities lie and what to prioritise.
The organisations excelling in engagement are not necessarily those spending the most. They are the ones listening most carefully. And acting most consistently.
References
CIPD. (2025). Good Work Index 2025. https://www.cipd.org/en/views-and-insights/thought-leadership/insight/risks-rewards-engagement/
CIPD. (2025). Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in 2025. https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/reports/flexible-hybrid-working/
Gallup. (2025). State of the Global Workplace Report. (Widely cited in UK HR circles; non-competitive benchmark data.)
MacLeod, D., & Clarke, N. (2009). Engaging for Success. Enhancing Performance through Employee Engagement. https://engageforsuccess.org/engaging-for-success/
HR Magazine. (2009). The MacLeod Report – Making It Happen. https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/features/the-macleod-report-making-it-happen/