8 Employee Engagement Mistakes
to Avoid in 2025
Employee engagement refers to an employee’s emotional connection and commitment to their organization and its goals. It is often reflected in their loyalty, motivation, and willingness to advocate for the organization. Engagement is a critical factor in driving retention and productivity.
According to a report from Gallup published in early 2025, the percentage of engaged employees fell to 31% in late 2024 from 33% in 2023. It was the lowest level of employee engagement recorded in a decade. Previous years saw high levels of employee quits, while employees are now more likely to stay in their current jobs—even if they are not satisfied with their role or their employer. This means employers may face lower productivity and a damaged workplace culture, which can lead to attraction and retention difficulties.
Because employee engagement initiatives are often low-cost, these strategies are a popular route for employers to improve employee retention and productivity without excessive spending. Zywave’s 2025 State of the Market Survey found that “focusing on employee engagement” was the number one strategy employers are exploring to improve attraction and retention.
Specific Challenges
A mix of economic uncertainty, shifting workplace dynamics, and changing employee expectations drive rising levels of disengagement. Researchers at TalentLMS found that in 2025, more than half (54%) of U.S. workers are experiencing a phenomenon called “quiet cracking,” in which they feel some degree of unhappiness at work that leads to disengagement. Individuals who suffer from this tend not to go the extra mile, pitch in with new ideas, or show up for team or company events. Many also have a strong desire to quit their jobs.
The root causes of this trend are often job insecurity and a lack of professional development. Without training, mentorship, or clear career paths, employees may feel stagnant, overlooked, or unprepared for future roles. Gallup also cites several issues behind the drop in engagement, including the following:
- Rapid organizational change
- Challenges adapting to hybrid and remote work models
- Shifting customer expectations
- Ineffective or outdated performance management systems
- Successful strategies encourage employees to find meaning in their work and deepen their commitment to the organization. However, many employers neglect to pursue the initiatives that will meet the needs of their workers.
Common Mistakes
Many employers are seeking ways to reengage their teams, but even well-intentioned efforts can backfire if not executed correctly. The following are eight mistakes to avoid when developing engagement strategies:
- Not providing growth opportunities: People are naturally motivated by progress, and the best performers will likely want to grow. Without a clear path forward, they might feel stuck and undervalued. Providing mentorship, offering to spearhead projects, and encouraging employees to train for new roles or responsibilities can help employees stay energized and see a future within the organization.
- Failing to establish clear expectations: Defining what engagement looks like within an organization helps employees understand what is expected of them. While surveys might show disengagement, managers can’t take meaningful action without specific and measurable benchmarks. Having well-defined standards can help workers see how their work contributes to an organization’s success while allowing leaders to easily recognize good performance.
- Not modeling engagement at the leadership level: Employees look to management to set the tone for valued behaviors in an organization. When leaders demonstrate passion, involvement, and commitment, employees are likely to mirror that behavior. A top-down approach shows that engaged behavior is not just encouraged, but expected.
- Failing to share impactful stories: Storytelling is a powerful tool for emotionally connecting employees to their work. Publicly sharing authentic stories of how teams overcame challenges together or how employees contributed to a client’s success can foster pride and reignite a sense of purpose.
- Neglecting employee feedback: Surveys, exit interviews, and skip-level meetings are critical for gauging employee engagement. Getting feedback demonstrates that an employer is serious about learning what they’re doing right and what areas could be improved. Employees who see their feedback acted upon are more likely to stay loyal and engaged.
- Overlooking employees’ hard work: Employee recognition should be part of the culture, not an occasional gesture. Publicly acknowledging contributions helps motivate employees and drives better performance. Celebrating even small accomplishments through shout-outs or handwritten notes can boost morale and inspire them to continue working hard.
- Not recognizing the value of social events: A strong sense of community is a pillar of engagement. Holiday parties, summer outings, team celebrations, virtual meetups, and other social events give employees the chance to have real conversations that can build trust and strengthen relationships.
- Failing to empower managers: Managers are the frontline of engagement, but without the proper tools and resources, they may struggle to boost engagement. Employers can support them by giving them access to feedback, providing budgets for rewards programs and training them in communication, coaching or mentorship.
Employee engagement is imperative to retaining top talent and increasing productivity. While effective approaches to drive engagement may vary per organization, avoiding pitfalls could lay the foundation for a more engaged and productive workforce.
U.S. Supreme Court & the ACA
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the validity of the preventive health services mandate, holding that the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) operates under proper constitutional authority. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires group health plans and insurers to provide specified preventive services without cost-sharing, including items and services recommended by the USPSTF with an “A” or “B” rating. In 2022, a federal trial court held that the members of the USPSTF were unconstitutionally appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and thus lacked the authority to determine the preventive services that must be covered under the ACA. The court later vacated as unlawful all agency actions taken on or after March 23, 2010, to implement or enforce the USPSTF-recommended preventive care coverage requirements, and the agencies were blocked nationwide from implementing or enforcing coverage requirements in response to the USPSTF ratings. On appeal, the Fifth Circuit affirmed that the USPSTF’s members were not validly appointed under the Constitution but reversed the trial court’s decision to vacate agency actions and narrowed the scope of the injunction to only the parties that filed the lawsuit. In early 2025, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.
Reversing the Fifth Circuit, the Supreme Court held the USPSTF members were validly appointed by the Secretary of HHS. The Court explained that whether the appointment was constitutional turns on whether the members are “principal officers” or “inferior officers.” Principal officers must be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, whereas inferior officers may be appointed by department heads, such as the Secretary. The Court held that USPSTF members are inferior officers because they are supervised and directed by the Secretary, removable at will by the Secretary, and their recommendations are reviewable and may be revoked by the Secretary. The Court concluded that, because Congress has the authority to vest the power to appoint inferior officers in the Secretary (and has done so), the Secretary’s appointment of members pursuant to that grant of authority is valid under the Constitution. The case was returned to the trial court for further proceedings.
The Supreme Court’s decision affirms the constitutional authority of the USPSTF to shape the ACA preventive health services mandate. Employer-sponsored health plans generally should not require any immediate action since the Fifth Circuit decision was put on hold pending appeal and the preventive care coverage requirements remained in effect during the litigation.
