4 Lessons Learned About What Doesn’T Work in Employee Engagement
EmployeeRelations.io
4 Lessons Learned About What Doesn’T Work in Employee Engagement
Unveiling the counterintuitive truths about employee engagement, this article demystifies common misconceptions with insights directly from industry experts. It tackles the pitfalls of 'forced fun', the essence of engagement as an outcome rather than a program, and the delicate balance of feedback in the workplace. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of how trust and autonomy play crucial roles, especially in remote work settings.
- Forced Fun Fails to Foster True Engagement
- Engagement: Outcome, Not Program
- Build Trust and Autonomy in Remote Work
- Too Much Feedback Can Decrease Engagement
Forced Fun Fails to Foster True Engagement
What We Learned About Employee Engagement - and What Didn't Work
It's tempting to think employee engagement hinges on big gestures: team socials, company-wide initiatives, themed days, or quirky perks. While those things can help, they don't always land. We've learned the human way - by trying, failing, and listening.
Here's one example that stuck with us.
We worked with a company keen to lift remote team morale after a period of fast-paced change. Leadership introduced a weekly "Friday Fun Hour" - a virtual session with games, quizzes, and a chance to wind down together. The goal? Boost connection and end the week on a high.
At first, it looked promising.
But the results told a different story.
Some employees showed up each week, full of energy. Others quietly opted out. Not everyone found it fun. Some were drained after a long week. Others had caregiving duties or deadlines. Introverts felt like they had to perform. Parents couldn't join due to school pick-up. A few said it felt like just another meeting - another box to tick when energy was already low.
The intention was thoughtful.
But the approach wasn't inclusive.
That's where the real learning came in.
Here's what we uncovered:
Engagement doesn't thrive on forced fun or blanket initiatives. It thrives on genuine connection, on feeling seen, on choice, and on safety to show up just as you are.
So, what changed?
We helped the leadership team shift to a more human-centered approach. Instead of rolling out the next top-down idea, they invited the team into the conversation. They asked better questions. They truly listened. And that's when the magic happened.
Managers began having open conversations - not just about tasks, but about wellbeing, capacity, and personal needs. Some people wanted mentoring. Others asked for coaching. A few simply needed space to switch off early on Fridays without feeling guilty.
When people had options - and those options were respected - everything changed.
Engagement stopped being an event.
It became a culture.
A culture where people didn't need to earn rest.
Where connection didn't come with pressure.
And where belonging wasn't tied to joining a quiz.
The takeaway?
There's no quick fix for employee engagement. But when you lead with empathy, listen deeply, and give people space to choose what works for them - that's when true engagement takes root.
Engagement: Outcome, Not Program
The concept of employee engagement was revolutionary when it was first introduced two decades ago. It helped us think about the impact that seeing business through people had - that people weren't just cogs or resources but were the lynchpin to how business got done, and the more engaged they were in it, the more got done. But in this realization came bad practice - namely, we tried for two decades to "do engagement." That is, we created programs expressly to engage people, and with it, the myth that engagement programs are costly and hard. And by perpetuating this myth, we've only succeeded in making companies nervous or even unwilling to deploy experiences that would drive deeper engagement.
The reality is that engagement is not something you can do, and it doesn't need to be hard or costly. Engagement is not a thing that can be created or mandated. Engagement is an outcome of a positive culture that is congruently embedded across your employee experiences. And in spite of the myth, it doesn't have to be hard or expensive. Positive and congruent experiences can include asking how someone is (and really meaning it), giving forward-looking feedback instead of backward-facing evaluation, supporting someone's need for family time, and recognizing someone for a job well done.
If you want an engaging environment, start with culture, then build great employee experiences related to it, and employee engagement is the result. So then what is the biggest misstep I see with engagement? - When we make it into a big thing instead of the outcome of all the little things.
Build Trust and Autonomy in Remote Work
One of the most important things companies can do to keep employees engaged in a remote environment is to build a culture where people feel trusted, supported, and connected, even when they are not in the same room. At Carepatron, we learned early on that remote work only works well when there is a strong sense of clarity and autonomy. People need to know what they are working toward and feel like they have the freedom to get there in a way that works best for them.
Start with purpose. When teams understand the mission and feel like their work contributes to something meaningful, motivation becomes more intrinsic. We try to connect every role and every task back to the impact it has on the people we serve. That shift from output to outcome makes a difference.
Then there is communication. Not more meetings, but better ones. Make space for regular check-ins that are not just about work status, but about how people are doing. Create open channels where people can ask questions, share wins, or even just talk about non-work topics. Connection does not happen by accident in remote teams. It has to be built in.
Flexibility is also key. Everyone works differently, and one of the best things about remote work is the ability to adapt to different rhythms. Giving people ownership over their time shows trust, and in return, you often get higher engagement and better results.
Finally, celebrate progress. Remote work can sometimes feel like you are just moving from task to task. Taking time to acknowledge achievements, big or small, helps people feel seen and valued. It builds momentum.
At the end of the day, it comes down to creating a remote environment that supports people as humans, not just workers. When people feel respected, trusted, and connected to something bigger, engagement follows.
Too Much Feedback Can Decrease Engagement
Customer usage data from the PerformYard platform shows that at companies where many employees feel empowered to provide qualitative feedback, employee engagement scores are lower. For companies with 250+ employees, engagement scores decrease when qualitative feedback is solicited from too many people.
Companies may attempt to boost engagement by encouraging everyone in the company to provide feedback on every employee's performance. However, we found that when qualitative feedback comments are being provided by over 200 people, engagement scores dropped by 12% compared to when qualitative feedback comments are being provided by 20-30 people. These findings highlight the importance of focusing on the quality and relevance of feedback, rather than just the quantity.
