It is possible to create a timeline of how employee engagement has changed in recent years, but what are the new patterns in employee engagement that you should pay attention to?

Over the years, employers have gradually understood the link between an engaged workforce and a thriving company. Historically, employee engagement has been measured by factors such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and motivation.

However, with the rapid pace of change in the modern workforce, there are several new patterns in employee engagement that you should pay attention to.

Employment Engagement Trends

#1 – Hybrid working

Flexible or hybrid employment is now common in nearly every industry. Indeed, it is on the brink of transitioning from a trend to an accepted norm.

The desire to work from home or a remote location is not new. According to a 2022 Cisco article, 62% of employees agree that their ability to work from anywhere impacts whether they stay at or leave a job. This number is likely to be much greater in 2023.

Therefore, to remain competitive and attract top talent, companies must offer flexible and hybrid working options as a standard practice, in addition to providing a supportive and inclusive work environment that empowers employees to thrive both professionally and personally.

#2 – A people-first culture – an essential employee engagement trend

Another employee engagement trend that has shifted from desirable to necessary in 2023 is a people-first strategy. The reasons for this are the same: competition for talent and increased expectations among workers.

Organizations that prioritize the well-being and growth of their employees are more likely to attract and retain top talent, as well as foster a positive and productive work environment that benefits both employees and the business as a whole.

A people-first strategy can also lead to increased employee engagement, motivation, and loyalty, which in turn can boost productivity, reduce turnover, and ultimately contribute to the overall success and profitability of the organization. Therefore, implementing a people-first strategy is no longer just a nice-to-have, but a critical component of a successful and sustainable organization in 2023 and beyond.

#3 – Beyond HR

According to HR Zone’s History of Employment Engagement , company culture is no longer left to HR: “Employment engagement must be owned and driven by the CEO and senior leadership team.” In fact, to be truly successful, involvement must be held by everyone; it has to be embedded in an organization’s DNA.

The importance of engagement to a company, and the gradual shift of control away from the HR department, has resulted in the rise of positions such as Head or Director of engagement and their presence at the board table.”

#4 – The role of AI

Top executives believe that skilled and well-paid workers spend too much time doing administrative duties, which kills output. An employee engagement trend that will only continue to grow is the digitization of organizations’ people strategies.

People thrive when their job has meaning, according to one of the most commonly seen outcomes from our employee engagement surveys. Your team members are less likely to be involved with their job if they are weighed down with repetitive or administrative duties.

You can maximize your employees’ abilities by using technology to automate, and they will be more driven as a result. In a lot of companies, AI is being used to improve the workplace experience.

Overall, these employee engagement trends cannot be ignored.

And the time is now for CEOs and senior leadership teams to take charge of it themselves.

But how?

Introducing Celebrate – an employee engagement platform for your workforce to stay engaged and to build a positive work environment filled with recognition and growth.

• Recognize teammates’ efforts with badges

• Never miss out on birthdays, anniversaries, and events

• Share valuable One-to-One feedback

• Deploy poll and take quick decisions

• Do all this straight from Google Chat