How to boost employee engagement levels

By Lauren Campbell 21/08/2026 3 min read 16 views

One of the most effective ways to boost employee engagement is to provide employee benefits. Research from Vitality indicates that 52% of staff view health and wellbeing perks as a mere box-ticking exercise by their employer. Over half of the participants in the study expressed a desire for benefits tailored specifically to them. In contrast, occupational sick pay is rated as the highest priority by staff, followed closely by pay increases matching inflation and flexible working arrangements.

Some perks that sound optional are actually required by law. New measures under the Employment Rights Act 2025 will make previously optional benefits mandatory. These changes include sick pay from the first day of illness, the right to request flexible working from day one of employment, and expanded paternity and parental leave rights. Companies like Airbnb and Netflix are pioneering benefit concepts that appeal to new generations of job candidates. Rather than focusing on conventional monetary benefits, these organizations are providing a better quality of life both inside and outside of work.

Gen Z employees place high value on training opportunities and in-person counseling. Health and wellbeing benefits are proving popular with the latest generation of workers and are becoming a strong tool to help businesses maximize profits. Advantages include the retention of employees, increased productivity, and fewer workplace accidents. The World Health Organisation lists the advantages of health promotion at work, which includes promoting a caring public image.

Wellbeing initiatives can be implemented based on business objectives, incorporated as flexible benefits that address particular HR concerns, or can be based on employee feedback. When benefits are driven by feedback, it can encourage increased engagement in wellbeing efforts. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has identified three parts to employee engagement: physical, emotional, and cognitive. When teams are engaged on each of these levels, they are more invested in their work. However, Gallup’s research reveals that worldwide employee engagement has fallen to 20%.

Building a Culture of Engagement

When employees are engaged with their job, they are connected with the company’s overall vision and see their role as integral to achieving the organisation’s aims. This is a positive emotional attachment to their work. Another key ingredient is company values; these should be embedded throughout the organisation and ‘lived on not just spoken’.

To create engagement, build a supportive environment where employees help each other and treat one another with respect and integrity. Engagement involves a cultural shift in the way organisations behave. It should be rooted into the business culture, rather than addressed annually, for instance when staff return an employee survey. Employee engagement should be at the forefront of every interaction between management and their teams.

Research from Gallup shows that when management focuses on strengths rather than weaknesses, the result is greater engagement among staff. It found that employees learn their roles more quickly, produce more and significantly better work, and stay with their company longer. When managers support their employees’ growth and development by focusing on their strengths, team members are more than twice as likely to be engaged. Employees are more engaged when they have a strong connection to shared goals, and an understanding of how their role fits in with the wider organisation. When staff are aligned with company objectives, they – and the company – are more likely to be successful.

It is difficult to maintain a high level of engagement without a structured approach to benefits and culture. As the workforce evolves, companies that fail to adapt their engagement strategies may find themselves unable to attract top talent. The shift toward personalized benefits and legal compliance suggests a future where engagement is less about perks and more about meeting actual needs. However, this transition requires consistent effort and genuine investment in employee welfare rather than temporary fixes.