Employee engagement is the level at which employees are committed to their work and the organisation’s values and goals. Employee motivation goes hand in hand with that, and is described as the level of commitment, innovation and energy that employees hold during the working day.
Interestingly, a study by Qualtrics showed that only approximately half of UK workers are engaged with their work. So, what can be done to increase this figure? In this blog we look at a number of things organisations can do to increase motivation and engagement among employees. But first, it’s important to understand the various signs of low engagement.
Signs of Low Employee Engagement
Signs of low employee engagement can vary from person to person, but the main signs include:
- Lack of desire to develop new skills – Disengaged employees might show little interest in skills development or career growth opportunities. For example, declining or showing no enthusiasm for training sessions or workshops aimed at growing their knowledge.
- Decreased productivity – Disengaged employees may also produce poor quality work, fail to complete tasks on time or miss deadlines completely.
- Increased absenteeism and employee turnover – These are another major sign of low employee engagement, as disengaged employees often take unplanned days off, such as sick leave or personal days, without a legitimate reason. They are also more likely to seek employment elsewhere, leading to higher turnover rates within the company.
- Decreased desire to collaborate with others – Employees with low engagement may also withdraw from collaborative efforts and choose to work independently, which shows a lack of interest and engagement in the collective goals of the team.

Here are 6 ways you can increase employee motivation and engagement:
- Set clear company goals and expectations
- Give regular constructive feedback and recognition
- Foster a positive work environment
- Offer development opportunities
- Create reward systems and competitive benefits
1. Set Clear Company Goals and Expectations
First and foremost, it is essential that your employees have a solid understanding of the organisation’s goals and their individual performance expectations.
This is because, when employees understand the business goals and how their role contributes to achieving those goals, they develop a sense of purpose within the company. By understanding how their performance directly affects the success of the company, their motivation and commitment to do well is likely to increase as a result.
Understanding clear goals also provides employees with a strong focus, as they’ll know what they need to achieve and can prioritise their tasks with their goals in mind. This clarity eliminates any vagueness and helps reduce any distractions, resulting in increased engagement and productivity.
2. Give Regular Constructive Feedback and Recognition
For your employees to improve and grow within their role, you must provide regular constructive feedback. It’s not about pointing out their mistakes and making them feel like they’re doing a poor job, it’s simply part of their development and learning process, and helping them improve to be the best they can be.
As well as feedback, you should also provide recognition and validation when your employees have done a good job. Recognition is a powerful tool for engagement and motivation as it makes employees feel valued by the company, boosting their job satisfaction and morale.
It’s important to note, however, that feedback should be circular, and employees should also be able to give feedback regarding their experience at work to you, for example in 1-1 meetings between yourself and the employee.

3. Create a Positive Work Environment
A positive work environment can mean a number of different things, for example, it can be a supportive and inclusive culture where employees feel valued, respected, and understood. A positive work environment may also encourage teamwork and transparent communication, as well as promoting a healthy work-life balance.
By creating a positive work environment, you are showing your employees that you have a genuine concern for their well-being, and care about them as people, not just staff. This in turn can contribute to higher levels of job satisfaction and make employees actually enjoy coming to work everyday. Naturally, job satisfaction goes hand in hand with motivation and engagement, as happy employees are more likely to invest their entire energy into their job and produce the highest quality work they can. This is a win-win for both the employee and the business.
4. Offer Career Growth & Development Opportunities
Career growth and skills development is super important for employee engagement and motivation. When employees feel like they are growing their skills and constantly progressing to be better, it brings a sense of fulfilment and motivation. Additionally, when employees see opportunities for growth and development within the company, they are naturally more motivated to perform at their best to ensure they seize those opportunities.
How To Develop Staff in the Workplace
There are a number of ways you can develop your employees skills, expertise & overall professional growth within the organisation:
- Workshops/training programs – these sessions offer focused learning opportunities, designed to educate employees about specific areas of knowledge, allowing them to acquire new skills and understanding of a topic.
- Providing additional learning material – providing employees with reading material such as articles, books or industry publications is another great way to enhance knowledge and understanding of a topic relevant to their role or the organisation.
- Encourage job rotation – encouraging employees to take on new roles and responsibilities that challenge their capabilities is a great way for them to develop new skills and grasp a wider understanding of the company.
5. Create Reward Systems and Competitive Benefits
Finally, why not consider creating reward systems within the organisation?
When rewards are linked to performance rankings, achievements, or competitions, it can spur a sense of healthy competition among employees. By having these incentives, employees are more likely to push themselves further, think outside the box and exceed their own performance targets, which is great for both the organisation and the employee themselves.

Why Choose Us?
At Jonas Consultancy, we can help you create a workplace culture that your employees will love. Our team of experts will work with you to identify the main causes of low employee engagement and develop strategies to improve team communication, collaboration, and morale.
If you’re interested in our employee engagement consultancy, or any of our other services, be sure to get in touch today.
Written by Kate Jones for Jonas Consultancy.




