Skip to content Free lunches. Wellness apps. Casual Fridays.
They all sound like good things, until they become substitutes for what people actually need.
Many organizations still rely on surface-level perks to signal that they care. But caring is not a campaign. It is a daily practice, reflected in how work gets done, how people are treated, and whether managers have the tools and time to show up for their teams.
According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024, only one in four employees strongly agree that their organization cares about their well-being. Those who do feel cared for report higher performance, stronger advocacy, and lower burnout. The connection is clear. When people experience genuine care, engagement follows naturally.
Organizations that design for real people experience focus less on visible perks and more on invisible conditions such as clarity, trust, belonging, and growth. These are the elements that quietly shape how people feel each day and, in turn, determine how they perform.
Everyday Moves
Audit your “engagement activities.” Which ones actually enhance the experience, and which ones are stand-ins for the real work of connection and trust?
Replace the phrase employee engagement program with people experience design. Language directs attention and accountability.
Give managers time, training, and autonomy to influence the moments that matter. Culture is built interaction by interaction.
Share outcomes, not optics. When you recognize progress, highlight what improved and why it mattered.
Engagement signals how well your people experience meets expectations today and adapts to what people need next. There is no substitute for genuine connection. Clarity, trust, and care are the essentials that keep every workplace balanced and human. They are the staples that should always stay on the menu.
Which of your organization’s “engagement” efforts truly improve the people experience, and which are just substitutions?
