The top 3 things getting in the way of engagement

The work-life balancing act

This one’s topping the list of challenges.

The post-pandemic return to office pulled a lot of people out of the comfort (and savings) of home working. No more PJ days or skipping the morning commute. Suddenly it’s back to pricey train fares, petrol, parking, and struggling to secure childcare.

But staying remote hasn’t been all background telly and comfy joggers either. For many, it’s meant blurred boundaries and working extra hours. Add in the realisation that you haven’t spoken to a real person all day, and it’s a tough mix to manage.

Both setups can chip away at engagement. When work-life balance is off-kilter, stress goes up, burnout creeps in, and in a lot of cases, people start looking elsewhere.

There’s a real opportunity here for HR leaders to step in and make a difference. We’ve pulled together a few practical ways to help you hit that sweet spot and bring balance back into focus here.

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It’s a great feeling, knowing you’re valued. In fact, it’s a basic human need – and that need doesn't go away when we get to work. It gives us a sense of belonging, lifts our self-esteem, and quite literally makes us healthier in our minds and our bodies.

So it makes sense that lack of recognition is one of the biggest drivers of disengagement. And in today’s world of hybrid teams, split shifts, and remote setups, it’s not always easy to keep recognition consistent or meaningful.

But getting it right makes a huge difference. A strong recognition programme helps people feel seen and appreciated for the work they do. It’s good for morale, good for mental health – and great for engagement.

Tools like Perkbox’s Celebration hub help teams build those feel-good moments into everyday culture. With instant peer-to-peer shoutouts and personalised rewards, it’s easy to celebrate wins, share the love, and stay connected – wherever your people are and whatever roles they do.

When the perks aren’t perking

Third on the list is lack of benefits – or rather, benefits that don’t quite hit the mark.

That’s surprising, considering 63% of HR leaders in our survey said they’re confident their benefits are meeting the diverse needs of their teams.

There’s clearly a bit of a disconnect here. Which is why it’s so important to check in regularly and ask people how supported they really feel. If the answer’s anything less than “very,” it might be time to head back to the drawing board.

An all-in-one platform like Perkbox helps you deliver benefits that make life a little smoother. Whether it’s mental health support, supermarket savings, or a less stressful commute, each perk should (and can) support everyday life in a meaningful way.

Knowing’s nice, but action’s better

We’ve been diving into engagement challenges a lot in our recent blogs. For leaders, recognising the challenges in your own organisation is the first step. But it’s what you do next that really counts.

Teaming up with the right benefits partner can set your engagement strategy up for success – connecting your people to the support they need, when they need it. That way, they can stay focused on doing their best without life’s little niggles getting in the way.

We’re right here when you’re ready. Whether you fancy a quick chat about what we do or want to see the platform in action, just give us a shout and we’ll help you make engagement feel easy.

Or if you’d rather dive into the full picture of what engagement looks like in 2025, you can pick up the full report here.