If your team is unmotivated, checked out, and potentially browsing the job ads, you're absolutely not alone. Old-school engagement strategies aren't working anymore, and, in some cases, they're backfiring horribly. In 2025, the old-world promises of career development and the distant dangling carrot of promotion just won't cut it.

Constant employee recognition is the key to engagement, but you must get it right.

The Problem: Outdated Engagement Tactics

We all know that employee engagement is a good thing. According to the Gallup State of the Workforce report, low employee engagement costs the global economy $8.8 trillion annually. On a smaller scale, highly engaged employees are 51% less likely to leave, and when you do have to replace a valued member of the team, it can cost between 50% and 200% of their salary.

While the basics are well-known, many companies still don't fully understand employee engagement and recognition. Perks like bonuses and gift cards are all well and good, but they don't really make employees feel valued and motivated.

The latest Gallup report revealed that only 23% of global employees feel engaged at work, and an incredible 59% are already in the process of quiet quitting.

Engagement Starts from Within

True engagement has nothing to do with turning up every day, or hitting KPIs. It's about the psychological and emotional connection to their work and team. So, engagement starts internally and can't be bought, which is where most companies get it badly wrong.

Psychologists Fred Luthans and Carolyn M. Youssef-Morgan, in their book Psychological Capital and Beyond, identified four critical internal drivers of engagement: Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, and Optimism, which conveniently spells HERO.

The key to true engagement lies in encouraging and cultivating these basic human emotions to produce a healthier working environment for the individual and the team. Choose one of the HERO elements for the best results, track your progress over a quarter, and then build from there.

Raechel Duplain, VP of Marketing at Motivosity, says, "In 2025, the secret to real employee engagement is not in perks or rewards alone. Those may provide short-term motivation, but they don't drive consistent engagement. The secret is in the social well-being of each individual, which starts with creating meaningful, authentic connections and building community at work. At Motivosity, we help companies deliver personalized and consistent social recognition that creates those bonds between peers, between people and their managers, and between employees and executive leadership. By focusing on these internal drivers of engagement, we empower teams not just to meet their goals, but exceed them, creating a culture where people truly feel valued and motivated every day."

Hope: Help Employees See a Path Forward

Hope goes well beyond vague wishes. It's about helping your employees identify their long-term goals and then finding the path to reach them. Do that, and you have already mastered the art of giving hope.

Encourage employees to brainstorm ideas and multiple ways to hit certain targets. Help them think creatively and experiment with concepts that might not work. This kind of collaboration and working towards goals will help everybody on the team and show them how progress is always within reach.

Efficacy: Build Confidence Through Coaching

Self-efficacy is the simple belief that you can rise to the challenge and get things done. Employees without this inner strength and confidence often disengage as the fear of failure weighs them down.

Give your team the small wins that help them overcome their fears. That will help them build the confidence they need to take on bigger challenges as and when they arise.

Resilience: Equip Teams to Bounce Back Stronger

Workplace stress is a part of the modern world, but resilient employees will deal with it and respond. Less resilient employees will burn out or simply disengage and mentally head for the exit.

Resilience training can include workshops on reframing challenges and disappointments or open lines of communication that allow employees to reach out for support when they feel stressed. Let your team know they will experience setbacks, and they won't be punished for them, and celebrate the comebacks and victories as they happen to foster a stronger mindset in your team.

Optimism: Focus Conversations on What's Possible

Optimism is the natural cure for negativity. Much of the responsibility for this lies with the team leader, who must always focus on possibilities and potential solutions rather than problems. When disaster strikes, the same team leader will have to take lessons and immediately look forward.

Employee Recognition Tactics That Work

Be careful with employee recognition. If you get it wrong, it can feel inauthentic and isolate employees even more. It's up to you to personalise the recognition and make it authentic and timely. Do this, and you will slowly build engagement, morale, and a stronger workforce.