How to beat ‘the big three’ future engagement challenges

Time to tackle ‘the big three’

Now we’ve got a clear view of what’s coming, it’s all about taking action. Specifically, how you as a people leader can get ahead of the big three: career growth and learning opportunities, mental health and wellbeing support, and compensation and salary.

Nail these now, and you’ll save yourself tonnes of reactive firefighting later. More importantly, you’ll keep engagement strong and steady as your organisation moves forward.

The skill of staying relevant

As The Clash put it back in 1977 (yep, we’re really showing our age now): “Career opportunities, the ones that never knock.”

But in 2026, if doors aren’t opening – or at the very least creaking – your people won’t hang around waiting. They’ll go find someone who’s willing to answer.

And with AI and other tech marching forward faster than you can say Wall-E, it’ll take more than ambition to get through those doors.

The need to upskill and reskill is real. These days, growth is less about climbing ladders and more about staying relevant in a world that’s constantly changing.

Here’s how to keep learning alive in your organisation:

• Create structured development pathways
  Offer clearly defined, practical career routes with specific milestones so people can grow with direction and purpose.
• Introduce an internal mentorship programme
  Pair senior leaders and managers with junior colleagues to spark guidance, networking and skill-building.
• Have regular career conversations
  Equip managers to talk confidently with their teams about aspirations, progression and levelling up – not once a year, but all year round.

‘Push-through’ culture has had its moment

Not too long ago, the unspoken rule was: work comes first. Before family, health, sleep, hobbies, or, well… you. Thankfully, times have changed.

Mental health’s finally getting the airtime it deserves – and it seems it’s here to stay. But despite all the progress, 43.4% of HR leaders say wellbeing will continue to challenge engagement. That’s a sign we haven’t quite got it right yet.

Younger generations are a big part of why wellbeing isn’t going anywhere. Gen Z and younger millennials aren’t here to push through burnout or treat stress like a rite of passage. They expect genuine support, value balance – and know exactly when it’s time to take their talent elsewhere.

How can you make sure your approach to wellbeing holds up in the future?

Here’s a good place to start:

• Introduce an EAP
  Despite Employee Assistance Programmes delivering up to £11 in ROI for every £1 spent (EAPA, 2023), only 14% of the organisations we surveyed offer one. EAPs give people confidential, accessible support when they need it most. No matter how open your culture is, external support offers a different kind of safety.
• Build a well-rounded wellbeing strategy
  Support your people from every angle; mental, physical and financial. Benefits like gym memberships, Cycle to Work schemes and everyday savings all play a part in helping people feel steady and supported.
• Recognise regularly
  Being seen and valued builds resilience – and resilient people are better equipped to manage stress, avoid burnout and keep showing up at their best.

Passion needs a payslip

Passion’s great, but it doesn’t pay the bills. Even if someone did love their job enough to do it for free (and hey, we salute the dedication), the price of simply getting by makes that impossible to pull off.

With the cost of living still stretching budgets to the brink, pay has become much more than a payslip. It’s a symbol of fairness, trust and value. Put it high on your agenda, and you’ll be giving people a real reason to stay.

Here’s how to get it right:

• Be open about benchmarking
  Regularly check salaries against market rates and explain what you’re doing – and why. It builds trust and shows people you value fairness.
• Offer benefits that help pay go further
  Think savings and salary sacrifice schemes that help people spread the cost of everything from tech to travel. It’s all about giving employees more control over how far their pay goes.
• Support financial confidence
  Workshops and online tools can help people manage their money, reduce stress and feel more in control. It’s also a great way to make money talk less of a taboo.

Now that the future’s in focus...

Teaming up with the right benefits partner can help you stay ahead of the trends rather than just reacting to them. At Perkbox, we connect your people to meaningful support that evolves with their needs, so you can keep engagement strong no matter what the future throws your way.

Want to see how it works? Let’s get something in the diary. Or if you’re more of a read-first, chat-later type, you can download the full 2025 Engagement Report.