Cultivating a Culture for Engagement: How a Company's DNA shapes its People

This article examines how organizational culture impacts employee engagement levels. The article defines culture as the shared values and norms that guide behavior in a workplace, and engagement as an employee's willingness to contribute discretionary effort to their work. A review of research finds that cultures with active drivers of engagement, like a clear purpose, opportunities for growth, recognition, autonomy, and input, tend to have higher employee engagement, productivity, retention, and other positive business outcomes compared to disengaging cultures. The article then provides examples of strategies companies have used to cultivate these cultural pillars in areas such as onboarding, mentorship programs, recognition programs, flexible work policies, and soliciting employee feedback. The article concludes that culture is a key lever for leaders to motivate employees and unlock their full potential to benefit organizational performance.