15 Employee Engagement Initiatives We Love
Happy teams don’t happen by accident. But what actually creates that sense of satisfaction and belonging? Is it flexible working hours? A strong sense of purpose? Maybe it’s feeling recognised, supported, and heard? In truth, it’s a combination of all these elements - woven together through intentional employee engagement strategies that make people feel valued, motivated, and proud to contribute.
Whether you’re in HR or part of a leadership team, taking inspiration from proven examples can be a powerful step. From flexible schedules to wellness schemes, we’re sharing 15 employee engagement initiatives that we think genuinely move the needle.
This is supported by research from Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report, which notably reveals a striking reality: only 23% of employees worldwide are engaged in their work. Meanwhile, 62% are not engaged, and 15% are actively disengaged.
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So, What Are Employee Engagement Initiatives?
They’re the strategies that turn a job into a mission. At their core, employee engagement initiatives are designed to spark emotional commitment within your business - the kind that drives people to care about the company’s success as much as their own.
In contrast, disengaged employees may do the bare minimum and show less interest in contributing. Therefore, work to improve engagement levels not just as a cultural goal, but as a strategic one.
What Really Drives Engagement at Work?
(Hint: It Starts with the Right Initiatives) Successful employee engagement initiatives are often built on a few consistent foundations:
- Leadership and trust: Open communication and integrity from management creates a sense of safety and purpose.
- Recognition: Valued employees are motivated employees.
- Career growth: When businesses invest in employees’ development, it cultivates loyalty and ambition.
- Work-life balance: Respect for employees’ time outside of work is vital for wellbeing.
- Inclusivity: Environments that welcome diverse voices create stronger collaboration and innovation.
- Clarity and alignment: Employees want to understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture.
15 Employee Engagement Initiatives We Love
1. Flexible Working Options
Buffer, a fully remote social media content creation company, lets employees choose where and when they work. They openly share their remote-first practices, offering a useful blueprint for others exploring flexible work environments.
Flexibility is - rather unsurprisingly - a powerful driver of employee satisfaction and work performance. Whether it’s adjusting (or adjustable) start times or allowing hybrid work, giving staff control over their schedules can massively improve their well-being and output.
How you might implement it:
- Remote-first options for those whose roles allow it
- Hybrid models that mix home and office time to suit both teams and tasks
- Flexible start/end times to help employees better manage work-life balance
- Compressed weeks where staff work longer hours across fewer days
If you’re rethinking the future of work, you may also find our insights on office vs. work-from-home culture helpful.
2. Meaningful Team-Building Activities
Perkbox, an employee engagement platform, organises “Creative Hack Days” that give teams the freedom to work on fun, impactful projects outside their normal scope - encouraging collaboration and innovation during the job.
But the sky is the limit here. From creative workshops to outdoor challenges, shared experiences just build trust. Just be sure these don’t feel forced - fun, inclusive activities work best.
Whether it’s a creative problem-solving workshop or an outdoor escape-room-style challenge, the goal is the same: help colleagues connect as people, not just coworkers.
3. Learning & Development Opportunities
Learnerbly, a London-based L&D platform, gives every employee a personalised learning budget to spend on courses, coaching, or books - empowering individuals to grow in the ways that matter to them.
This career growth boosts confidence. When you invest in your people, they’re more likely to invest their energy back into the business.
What this could look like for you:
- Sponsoring industry workshops or in-house seminars
- Facilitating mentorships between junior and senior team members
- Covering tuition for courses relevant to their role
- Giving access to online learning platforms for continuous upskilling
4. Recognition Programmes That Actually Work
At Salesforce, employees can nominate peers for Aloha Awards when they demonstrate core company values like trust or innovation. Winners are recognised company-wide, often with personal shoutouts from leadership. It’s a great example of tying recognition directly to culture.
Acknowledging your team’s hard work can go a long way in building a culture of appreciation. There are many ways to do this. From peer-to-peer shoutouts to monthly awards, when people feel valued, they’re more likely to stay engaged and go the extra mile.
5. Wellness Programmes That Go Beyond Yoga
CharlieHR, a UK-based HR software startup, provides a monthly £30 wellness budget to each team member, which they can use however they like - from therapy apps to fitness memberships (and of course yoga if you’d like!)
Wellness at work is about creating an environment where people feel supported both physically and mentally. This could mean offering access to professional mental health support, covering part of a gym membership, or simply making space for mindfulness during the workday.
If you’re curious about practical ideas, our blog on health tips for office workers dives deeper into strategies that really work.
6. Transparent Internal Communication
Trust thrives in environments where information flows freely. Keeping employees in the loop helps them feel like true stakeholders in the company’s direction. Wildbit, a small remote software company, shares internal metrics and decisions openly via a team forum, and holds regular Q&As to maintain transparency and trust.
Some ways you can foster open communication:
- Regular company-wide updates, even when the news is tough
- Town halls where leadership takes questions (and answers honestly)
- Anonymous suggestion boxes or digital feedback channels
- Encouraging leadership to be visible, approachable, and human
7. Promoting an Inclusive Workplace Culture
A focus on DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging) ensures every team member feels respected and seen. ThoughtWorks, a global tech consultancy, shows what it should look like by actively supporting DEI through employee-led affinity groups, transparent reporting, and inclusive leadership programmes.
Creating this environment means actively supporting underrepresented groups, encouraging open dialogue, and fostering spaces where people feel comfortable being themselves.
8. Empowering Autonomy
Micromanagement is a fast track to disengagement. Empowering people to make decisions, set goals, and lead projects signals trust - and people tend to rise to that trust. Basecamp, a remote-first project management company, empowers employees by letting them determine how best to reach team goals, encouraging ownership and reducing micromanagement.
Practical steps you could follow:
- Let teams define their own milestones within broader business goals
- Involve staff in shaping how their work is done
- Assign ownership of projects with real decision-making power
- Focus on outcomes, not how many hours are spent at the desk
9. Clear Strategic Direction
When employees understand where the business is heading and how their role fits in, they’re more likely to stay committed. Clarity breeds engagement. 10x Banking, a UK-based fintech firm, holds strategy alignment sessions that connect day-to-day work with company-wide goals, helping teams stay clear on how they contribute to the bigger picture.
And this is not just about sharing mission statements once a year - it’s making strategy part of everyday conversation. When teams are aligned with where the overall business is headed, they’re focused, motivated, and invested in the journey.
10. Strong Values and Ethics
Standing for something more than profit is fantastic PR - but also for company culture. Let’s use Patagonia as a prime example of how a clear ethical stance can inspire both customers and employees.
Patagonia has built a strong internal culture by aligning its business practices with environmental and social values, which attracts employees who are passionate about making a difference. From donating profits to environmental causes to encouraging activism, it’s a brand that lives its values daily - making it a workplace people are proud to be part of. Read more about Patagonia’s approach here.
Employees want to work for companies whose values align with their own. For our own journey at OCC, we shared more on this in our post on sustainability in the workplace.
11. Proactive Change Management
Change is inevitable - but support matters. By involving employees early and supporting them through transitions, you build trust even when the path is uncertain.
What supportive change looks like:
- Explaining why the change is happening (not just what)
- Inviting staff input and making adjustments based on feedback
- Providing extra training or resources to ease the shift
- Regularly checking in and keeping communication lines open
12. Competitive Pay & Perks
A fair salary is just the starting point. What really sets companies apart are the thoughtful, meaningful extras that show genuine care for employee well-being and financial security. These benefits go beyond the basics and signal a long-term investment in your team.
Here’s what that might include:
- Generous leave policies – including extended holiday allowance, parental leave, and mental health days
- Robust pension contributions – helping employees plan confidently for the future
- Employee discounts – on products, services, or wellness perks that feel personal and valuable
- Performance bonuses or profit-sharing – rewarding individual and collective contributions
Example in practice:
Monzo, a UK challenger bank, offers extended mental health leave, learning budgets, and paid sabbaticals after four years - perks designed to match employee needs, not just industry standards.
13. Acting on Employee Feedback
Gathering feedback is easy - doing something with it is where the real work (and impact) lies. Surveys and suggestion forms are only valuable if they lead to visible change.
Chattermill, a customer experience analytics startup, runs monthly pulse surveys and publishes a “You Said, We Did” digest to show which suggestions led to tangible change. One of the most powerful ways to build trust is to close that feedback loop: share what you heard, explain what’s being done, and acknowledge where improvements are still underway.
Let your people know their input isn’t just heard - it’s acted on.
14. Smarter Workflows
When work flows smoothly, people can focus on what actually matters. If your team is spending more time navigating clunky systems than solving meaningful problems, it’s time to reassess. Streamlining processes, embracing automation, and removing admin bottlenecks can free up time, reduce stress, and boost productivity across the board.
One example of this we love in practice is how Timely, a time-tracking software company, uses its own product to automate time logging, cutting admin work significantly and giving employees more time to focus on meaningful tasks.
15. Supportive Resources & Leadership
Employees can only do their best work when they have the tools, systems, and support to thrive. This includes everything from up-to-date tech to the guidance of well-equipped managers. Leadership plays a pivotal role here - in fact, Gallup research found that 70% of the variance in team engagement is directly linked to the manager.
Ometria, a marketing tech company, makes improvements here by training new managers with a bespoke leadership programme focused on coaching, empathy, and feedback - strengthening leadership from day one.
Make Engagement Part of Your Culture
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for employee engagement. But by learning from successful employee engagement initiatives, you can craft a plan tailored to your organisation’s needs.
And remember, simple changes can have a big impact. Providing better coffee, for example, is more than a caffeine fix - it’s a small signal that you care about the employee experience.
Explore our coffee machine packages for business, serve better coffee with Puro, or speak to our team about how to upgrade your office environment.
