4 ways to measure engagement (and why none of them are perfect)

Performance metrics

This method tracks things like productivity, targets hit, and quality of work to see how engaged someone might be. It’s straightforward, trackable, and can surface patterns over time.

But performance can dip for all sorts of reasons that have nothing to do with engagement, like stress, workload, or personal pressures. HR leaders need to keep that context in mind, or they might end up reading the numbers the wrong way.

Regular check-ins

Catching up with people regularly (even if it’s just a quick coffee and a moan about the printer) can give you real-time insight into how they’re feeling. It’s a simple, human way to spot early signs of disengagement and step in with support before things snowball.

Whether it’s workload, lack of recognition, or something going on outside of work, check-ins help you figure out what’s really going on. They also build trust, especially when feedback is taken seriously and followed up with action that feels personal and relevant.

But managers end up carrying the load with this one. They need time, the right tools, and the confidence to have open conversations – then follow through on what they hear.

In busy periods, check-ins can slip down the list. And when follow-ups are missed, even the most open conversations can lose their impact.

Management feedback

Manager feedback can be a useful way to spot signs of disengagement early. Like regular check-ins, it gives you a real sense of what’s going on with your people.

But feedback is personal, and how it’s given (and received) can vary a lot between teams. That makes it tricky to build a consistent picture across the business.

One manager might spot a dip in energy and raise it straight away. Another might chalk it up to a bad night's sleep and move on. Same situation, very different take.

Engagement surveys: useful when used right

While check-ins and feedback offer great insight, they don’t always churn up regular or measurable data to work with. Engagement surveys can help fill that gap. They give you a clearer way to track how people are feeling over time and across teams, so you can start spotting the patterns.

They also tend to be more honest. When feedback is anonymous, people are more likely to say what they really think, which makes the results far more useful for shaping your strategy.

But like anything, it’s about balance. Send out too many surveys, and people start tuning out – or worse, clicking ‘neutral’ all the way down just to get it over with.
That’s why fewer than one in four HR leaders run them monthly or more; most are trying to avoid the dreaded survey fatigue.

At the same time, fewer than half are running engagement surveys at all – even though over 90% say they’ve had a positive impact. That’s a lot of missed potential.

Measuring what matters

There’s no single way to measure engagement, but there’s also no reason to leave it up to guesswork. The more complete your picture, the easier it is to spot what’s working, and what your people need more of.

A strong strategy blends different methods: measurable data, honest feedback, regular conversations, and meaningful follow-up. It means checking in often, not just when performance dips.

Our research shows how much better things work when you mix methods and follow through on what you learn.

We’ll be sharing more findings from our 2025 Employee Engagement Report soon, so keep an eye out.

Want to see how other HR teams are measuring and improving engagement this year? Download the report here.