In our last blog, The Great Detachment, we explored Gallup’s alarming 2024 data showing that over half of U.S. workers are disengaged and job hunting. While quit rates are stable, morale is at its lowest in a decade—and it’s quietly draining productivity, culture, and retention.

So how can HR leaders and executives reverse this trend?

In this follow-up, we’re breaking down three high-impact strategies that can immediately increase employee morale and engagement—starting with the people who influence it most: your managers.

---

1. Empower Managers and Supervisors: Your Most Underrated Retention Strategy

We’ve all heard it: People don’t leave companies—they leave managers.

It’s true. According to Gallup, managers are responsible for 70% of the variance in employee engagement. A disengaged manager can tank a team. A great one can transform culture.

Why it matters:
Manager development isn’t just internal improvement—it’s a selling point. A culture of strong, supportive leadership boosts your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and helps attract top talent.

What Engaged Employees Want from Their Managers:

• A collaborative, not top-down, leadership style
• Psychological safety and openness
• Accountability and high standards
• Ongoing, meaningful feedback
• Personal and professional support

The Reality Check:

There’s often a gap between what managers think they’re doing and what employees experience:

• 50% of managers say they give weekly feedback, but only 20% of employees agree
• 59% of managers believe they give regular recognition, but only 35% of employees feel recognized

Intent doesn’t drive engagement. Behavior does.

4 Ways to Build Better Managers:

• Promote for potential, not tenure – Use leadership assessments and coaching skills as qualifiers
• Train with intention – Teach communication, feedback, and emotional intelligence
• Make engagement a metric – Hold managers accountable for culture, not just KPIs
• Frame leadership as a benefit – Talk about strong managers in your hiring materials and onboarding

By investing in managers, you don’t just improve morale—you create a ripple effect of trust, clarity, and performance.

---

2. Radical Transparency: Build Trust Through Openness

In today’s hyper-connected world, silence breeds suspicion. Employees don’t expect full access to financials—but they do want to feel like trusted stakeholders, not just task-doers.

What transparency looks like in practice:

• Sharing the why behind business decisions
• Acknowledging both wins and losses
• Tying individual roles to broader company goals
• Acting visibly on employee feedback

Transparency builds:

• Trust
• Respect
• Alignment
• Empowerment

When people understand what’s happening and why, they feel included—and they make better, more engaged decisions.

---

3. Prioritize Training and Development: The Growth Mindset Advantage

Henry Ford said it best:

“The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.”

When employees don’t see a path forward, they start looking elsewhere. Training and development is one of the most effective ways to boost both morale and retention.

Benefits of Continuous Development:

• Increases confidence and competence
• Reduces turnover and promotes internal mobility
• Enhances customer service and innovation
• Signals a culture of investment in people

Make Development Tangible:

• Set clear goals tied to performance growth
• Offer cross-training for variety and flexibility
• Use coaching—not just performance reviews—as a growth tool
• Train managers in:
  • Conflict resolution
  • Recognition strategies
  • Constructive feedback
  • Motivational leadership

Organizations that embed growth into everyday work see higher retention and loyalty.

---

Bonus: Recognition—The Free, Often-Missed Superpower

Recognition is often overlooked because it seems simple—but when done well, it supercharges engagement. Gallup found that fulfilling all five elements of recognition drives engagement to 90%+.

5 Elements of High-Impact Recognition:

1. Frequent and fair
2. Authentic
3. Tailored to individuals
4. Equitable
5. Built into culture—not just celebration weeks

Use multi-layered systems:

• Manager-to-employee praise
• Peer shoutouts
• Team-based awards
• Company-wide recognition moments

Tech platforms can help scale and systematize this—MP can show you how.

---

Final Reflection: Ask the Right Questions

Before launching new initiatives, take a pause:

• Are managers giving consistent feedback?
• Do employees feel known and supported?
• Are your teams connected to the mission?
• Are you recognizing people in meaningful ways?

Engagement isn’t about more work. It’s about better leadership and intentional connection.

---

The Path Forward

This isn’t an overnight fix—but change doesn’t need to be complicated. Start with small, consistent actions:

• Recognize one employee today
• Explain the “why” behind a shift in priorities
• Coach a skill, not just correct behavior
• Ask your team what’s working—and what isn’t

When you get engagement right, everything else gets easier—hiring, retention, performance, and ultimately, profitability.

Let MP help you move from disconnection to dedication. Schedule a quick conversation with our HR experts and start building a workplace your team wants to be part of.

Make sure to subscribe to MP’s blog and stay on top of the most up-to-date news and trends in the business realm.