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What is the Diving Force Behind Employee Engagement?

HR Tech Outlook | Friday, September 26, 2025

FREMONT, CA: Engaged employees—those who are motivated, passionate, and dedicated—tend to have a strong commitment to both their role and the firm. Organizations with a high level of employee engagement are more likely to retain their workforce compared to those with lower engagement and satisfaction. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the focus on how companies interact with their employees, especially as the future of work embraces more flexible hybrid and virtual models. Employees are increasingly unwilling to stay with organizations whose values, culture, and benefits don't meet their expectations, especially when it comes to work-life balance, comprehensive benefits, and company culture, all of which have become more important to them. As a result, enhancing employee engagement has become a top priority for many HR leaders fueled by these factors and the challenges surrounding employee satisfaction and retention

Culture, Customer Focus, Company Potential, Department Relationships, and Senior Management Relationships are all factors that influence an employee's contentment and dedication to their company. Remote and hybrid work does not affect employee perceptions of culture; however, onsite employees are 9.0 percent more likely to believe that their company's departments work well together. While satisfaction with senior management connections improved by about eight percent from 2019 to 2021, onsite workers accounted for most of the gains. Employees' perceptions of senior management ties remained substantially unchanged in a remote or hybrid working environment. Large firms showed the highest jump in senior manager relationship scores between 2019 and 2021, although organizations of all sizes increased senior management relationship ratings.

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Employee empowerment, learning and development, rewards and recognition, co-worker relationships, and manager relationships are all factors that influence an employee's pleasure and devotion to their day-to-day employment. From 2019 to 2021, job driver scores increased by 4.4 percent in Employee Empowerment, 6.0 percent in Learning and Development, 7.0 percent in Rewards and Recognition, 2.2 percent in Co-Worker Relationships, and 6.6 percent in Manager Relationships, with increases of 4.4 percent in Employee Empowerment, 6.0 percent in Learning and Development, 7.0 percent in Rewards and Recognition, 2.2 percent in Co-Worker Relationships, and 6.6 percent in Manager Relationships. In general, employees are less satisfied with Learning and development, rewards, and recognition than other job drivers. The impact of work style on relationships, such as remote or hybrid versus onsite, should not be disregarded because it affects other job factors such as empowerment and learning and development. Compared to those hired after work-from-home began in early 2020, workers hired before the change to remote work in 2020 express a stronger sense of having a good buddy within the firm. This shows that newly hired remote and hybrid employees may be finding it difficult to form relationships with their coworkers in a virtual setting.

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