How to Keep Employees Engaged: Strategies to Build a Purpose-Driven Workplace

Employers are facing new challenges with keeping their employees engaged at work. Those who are unable to offer job security and long-term commitment may see less loyalty from their part-time or contracted employees. In some workplaces, hybrid work has severed the emotional and social connection between remote employees and their coworkers. Another emerging issue is a new generation of employees who don’t share or understand their employer’s values. According to research from Deloitte, Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to take or leave a job based on purpose.¹

At the heart of a purpose-driven workplace are employees who find meaning in their roles, share common values and goals with their employers, and actively strive to achieve their organization’s mission. Understanding one’s purpose can produce amazing results: employees who live their purpose at work are more productive, healthier, resilient, and more likely to stay at their company.²

Employees want to feel like real people, not just a cog in the machine. They want to feel valuable to their team, energized by their work, and capable of succeeding in their careers. Employers who recognize the potential of purpose-driven work can help employees find meaning and build more engaged, more successful workplaces.

What Is Engagement?

Engagement is one of the 13 psychosocial factors that affects employees’ health and safety at work. Guarding Minds says positive engagement is when “employees are motivated to do their job well and feel connected to their work, co-workers, and organization.”³  This can present in three different ways:

• Physical engagement: based on the amount of exertion an employee puts into their job
• Emotional engagement: when employees have a positive job outlook and are passionate about their work
• Cognitive engagement: when employees are more focused and absorbed in their work

People who are engaged at work might say “I am willing to give extra effort at work if needed” or “I feel I am a part of a community at work.”³

Spotting Disengagement

Managers and coworkers may recognize signs of disengagement or distress in the workplace such as changes in behaviour toward work or coworkers, difficulties with performance, or workplace absences. Employers should consider the root of disengagement: is it a reflection of organizational culture and mismatched values? Or could it indicate an employee has health conditions that are not well managed or supported at work? If disengagement is related to a health condition, an employee may be participating in presenteeism. An employer who notices signs of distress has a duty to inquire in order to provide support.

How to Cultivate Purpose at Work

Purpose-driven work can be a powerful tool to motivate and retain employees. According to research from Gartner, employees find value in their jobs from five key components: shared purpose, deeper connections, radical flexibility, personal growth, and holistic well-being.⁴ Consider, also, how psychosocial factors in the workplace can impact an employee’s perception of value at work. Being psychologically well and seeing work as valuable often go hand in hand.

Try the following strategies to cultivate purpose in your workplace.

Share and Connect Your Purpose

Give employees purpose by answering: why does this work matter? Employees will feel more invested when they know their personal goals and skills align with the workplace’s goals and organizational culture. Employers can:

• Clearly communicate the organization’s mission and values during the hiring process and beyond
• Help employees understand how their individual roles and contributions impact team and company goals
• Regularly share success stories and company wins
• Ensure that employee values and competencies match workplace expectations

Encourage Deeper Connections

People find personal value and happiness in relationships. Consider how employees view their relationships in the context of work. Does work allow them to fully enjoy their families and communities? Do they feel understood by their peers at work? Having deeper connections can help employees see work as something positive that adds value to their life, instead of something unfulfilling that detracts from their life. Employers can:

• Build a culture of civility and respect that promotes consideration for others
• Create policies that encourage and respect work-life balance
• Encourage team-building activities and informal check-ins
• Encourage volunteering or participating in community events

Give Employees Autonomy

Giving employees autonomy can help them feel proud, energized, and interested in the work they do. Ultimately, employees who enjoy their work and find meaning in it are more motivated to actually do the work.

Employers can:

• Involve employees in decision-making about goals and how/where work is done
• Trust employees to take ownership of their tasks – give them the tools they need to succeed and avoid micromanaging
• Create a culture of psychological safety where employees feel safe to contribute new ideas, make mistakes, and innovate without fear of repercussions

Support Growth and Development

Learning new skills fosters a sense of accomplishment. When employers support personal and professional growth and development, they are supporting employees in finding purposeful work. Employers can:

• Offer continuous learning opportunities to help employees expand skills
• Allow employees to take on new challenges that align with their skills and interests
• Provide regular mentorship and coaching opportunities from experienced colleagues that offers supportive feedback
• Provide career development plans and clear paths for progression within the company

Show Your Team Care

When employees feel cared for and appreciated, they can better recognize the value their work brings to the table. Effective wellbeing strategies also keep employees physically and psychologically healthy, which are basic human needs that need to be met to support engagement. Employers can:

• Provide regular and meaningful recognition and reward to employees for their contributions and achievements
• Celebrate employee milestones such as anniversaries and birthdays – try planning a simple, fun activity for the team or send a nice card
• Ask staff what their needs are – this may include providing social support to navigate workplace challenges like workload management
• Always protect employee health and safety – this includes reducing risks to physical and psychological health
• Ensure employees have appropriate work environments that support safety and wellbeing. Consider engaging Occupational Therapists for ergonomic assessments and accommodation assessments for your employees.

How Can Gowan Consulting Help?

Gowan Consulting has many resources for assisting with managing psychological health in the workplace, including auditing for risks and implementing health and safety standards. We also provide training such as Psychological Safety at Work Training and Manager Mental Health Training to help build healthier teams.

For employees experiencing health or performance concerns, our Occupational Therapists also provide mental health support, accommodation assessments, and Success Coaching to help employees navigate their workplace and life challenges. Contact us to learn more about how we can support your healthy business.

Resources

[1] Deloitte. The Deloitte Global 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/content/genz-millennialsurvey.html

[2] Dhingra, N., Samo, A., Schaninger, B., & Schrimper, M. (2021, April 5). Help your employees find purpose-or watch them leave. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/help-your-employees-find-purpose-or-watch-them-leave

[3] Workplace Strategies for Mental Health. Guarding Minds - Psychosocial factors. https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/resources/guarding-minds-psychosocial-factors

[4] Turner, Jordan. (2023, March 29) Employees seek personal value and purpose at work. be prepared to deliver. Gartner. https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/employees-seek-personal-value-and-purpose-at-work-be-prepared-to-deliver