Leveling up employee engagement: uncovering the new pillars of an employee retention blueprint

Abstract

Purpose

Quiet quitting trends spurred by the pandemic have sent shockwaves through the world of work. It has woken business leaders up to the importance of improving employee engagement among a disparate, demotivated workforce. Previous insights from global research firms like Gallup and Gartner highlight that labor turnover is higher than ever as organizations are struggling to retain their staff. However, leaders are yet to enact meaningful strategies reflective of technological advancements to tackle the problem at its core.

Design/methodology/approach

At Unily, the author conducted extensive research to uncover the new pillars of an employee retention blueprint and unpick the intersection of digital communication, engagement and retention. The survey was completed by 218 Heads of Internal Communications, Heads of HR, IT Leaders and Intranet Managers at international businesses with over 10,000 employees.

Findings

The findings indicate that a high-quality digital experience is key to employee engagement with over half (53%) of those surveyed stating the two are linked. As the consumer world moves in the direction of superapps, such as TikTok, X and Instagram Threads, the digital age has heightened expectations of communication, blurring the lines between personal and work spheres. The author also found that employees now expect a smooth, multichannel, digital experience with WhatsApp (31%) text (47%), emojis (41%) and memes and GIFs (33%) as cited as common new modes of communication.

Originality/value

This study enriches existing research on employee retention and engagement by offering solutions on how to leverage digital communication to re-engage a dissatisfied, dispersed workforce.

Citation

Hassan, K. (2023), "Leveling up employee engagement: uncovering the new pillars of an employee retention blueprint", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 22 No. 6, pp. 195-200. https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-08-2023-0048