Workforce Management
5 Drivers of Employee Engagement That Work
New Korn Ferry research reveals the key drivers of employee engagement—and it’s all about making people feel valued, supported, and purpose-led.
July 17, 2025
5 Key Drivers of Employee Engagement
Even the best hiring strategy can’t fix a weak employee experience.
To boost employee engagement and productivity, organizations need a strong employee value proposition (EVP). It should be shaped by what your current and future workforce values most.
“But different people want different things,” you say. And it’s true.
Generationally, for example, Gen Z employees tend to be energized by opportunities for growth and development. Millennials, on the other hand, are more likely to be fueled by compensation and financial rewards.
But what we've seen at Korn Ferry is that there are a few things that tend to motivate just about everyone at work. These have been revealed in our Workforce 2025 survey of 15,000 workers around the world and through our work with thousands of global clients.
Regardless of generation, geography, or industry, employees want to feel valued, supported, and connected to a purpose.
Here’s what we’ve discovered drives engagement for workers around the world.
Five Effective Drivers of Employee Engagement
1 Security and Confidence in Leadership
If there’s one universal truth right now, it’s that workers are feeling the strain of uncertainty, caused by everything from the rapid growth of AI to economic issues. And it’s driving them to seek security.
“Over the last year, we’ve seen that what's really important to employees is security,” says Korn Ferry’s Maria Amato. “Job security, financial security, and the security of working for a business and leadership team they can trust.”
In Korn Ferry’s Workforce 2025 survey, trust and confidence in leadership emerged as top priorities for global employees—something critical to keep in mind when considering your organization’s drivers of engagement.
The keys to building trust are transparency and regular communication, says Amato. Calm, consistent updates help employees feel less anxious, allowing them to focus on the job to be done.
“Even if it’s just saying, ‘Here’s what we know. Here’s what we don’t know. Here’s the path forward. And here are the guardrails we’re putting in place,’” she explains.
Actions also matter. For example, no company is immune to layoffs, but they should never be the first line of defense.
“Employees notice when organizations make other sacrifices instead,” says Amato. “That’s going to have a big implication for your employer brand and reputation, both internally and externally.”
Try This
Allow employees to ask tough questions in a safe way, followed by leadership providing some answers. This can help build trust and drive engagement.
Create regular opportunities for two-way or employee-driven communications, recommends Amato. It could be as simple as an anonymous question box leading up to your town hall meetings.
2 Caring and Human-Centric Culture
The idea of the workplace as a “second family” doesn’t resonate the way it once did. Many employees today are more cautious about forming deep bonds with their employers, especially after witnessing waves of layoffs and organizational restructuring in recent years.
That said, our research shows that organizations that demonstrate genuine care and concern for their people consistently see stronger engagement scores. When employees feel supported as individuals—not just as workers—they’re more likely to stay, contribute, and thrive.
Amato believes companies should design their systems, policies, and culture around the real lives of their people—not just around operational efficiency or legacy structures.
“People are trying their best to do good work,” she says. “Organizations should be asking themselves, ‘How can we make it easier for employees to do that and live their lives?’”
“It’s about understanding that people have different needs and allowing for that flexibility and autonomy, as long as the work is getting done.” This creates greater equity—and better business results.
Try This
Leverage employee listening tools to help you understand your employees on a deeper level. This takes the guesswork out of determining which resources to put in place to support them and avoids wasting time and resources.
3 Growth Opportunities
No matter the job market, companies that provide strong opportunities for growth and development tend to come out ahead. The most engaged employees reported being offered good opportunities for learning and development by their companies.
Many organizations struggle with this one, especially in leaner times.
“Smaller organizations feel handicapped because they don’t have the same opportunities for growth that larger companies do, while larger organizations may feel handicapped because they aren’t growing as quickly,” says Amato.
With that in mind, many organizations are looking at emphasizing career lattices rather than career ladders. When employees can move horizontally to gain different experiences, they see stepping stones to their next big career move.
The important thing is keeping that sense of momentum and demonstrating care for their growth.
Try This
Look into AI-based coaching tools that allow customized learning and real-time coaching, which can be a fraction of the cost of traditional 1:1 coaching.
This can help employees at all levels develop the soft skills they need to thrive, even when budgets are tight.
The $11 Trillion Opportunity
Fortune Global 500 companies averaged a five-year compound annual growth rate of 4.63% from 2018 to 2023.
But companies in the top quartile for employee engagement achieved 9.7%—double the growth rate of those with less engaged employees.
If all Fortune 500 companies performed this well, they’d be earning an extra $22 billion each, adding $11 trillion to the global economy.
4 Fulfilling Work
Our research shows that people want to feel fulfilled by their work. But what does that actually mean?
“It’s not going to be the same for everyone,” says Amato.
It could mean contributing to a cause or industry you’re passionate about, feeling recognized for your hard work, or working with people you genuinely like.
With so much variance, how can employers ensure they’re providing fulfilling work?
“It really does come back to that ability of leaders and managers to understand each of their employees,” says Amato.
And if your organization does good in the world that people are likely to feel proud of, it’s worth making that a part of your employer brand, so candidates and employees know about it.
Try This
Consider the opportunities that might already exist in your organization to create meaning for people.
Do people crave the spotlight and the opportunity to share their skills? They may want to contribute to thought leadership or conduct peer-to-peer training.
Do strong friendships seem to flourish in your organization? Consider enabling employees to team up with friends on projects.
5 Good Managers
“People don’t leave bad jobs—they leave bad bosses.”
It's an expression most of us have heard before, and Korn Ferry data backs it up. In our global workforce survey, 80% said they would stay in a job they hated if they had a great manager.
Clearly, hiring and equipping great managers is a critical factor driving employee engagement.
There are a few ways this is going wrong in some organizations:
- Promoting high performers to managerial roles when they never wanted to lead others in the first place
- Hiring or promoting managers who don’t have the traits of a strong leader
- Lack of training and support for new managers
- Overworked managers who don't have the opportunity to lead effectively because they have too many direct reports
Try This
Consider whether your organization has an effective approach for identifying leadership potential.
Without a structured process that includes things like talent assessments and career development opportunities, organizations can struggle to identify and cultivate those with the potential to lead others.
It All Comes Back to EVP
Employees who feel valued and in the loop are among the strongest assets of any organization.
At the root of any great employee experience is an organization that is clear on the promise they’re making to their employees and candidates with their unique EVP. The companies then make sure they’re delivering on the promise with an authentic employee experience.
Now is the time to review and evolve your employee experience to make sure it effectively drives employee engagement.
Explore our step-by-step EVP road map.
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