Over the past year, we’ve been looking closely at how employee engagement is really showing up in organisations – and one thing is clear: it’s changing. That work led us to create our 2026 Engagement Trends report, pulling together what we’re seeing across real teams, real campaigns, and real employee responses.
We found that the gestures that once felt meaningful – a Slack shoutout, a team email, an end-of-year gift – just aren’t landing in the same way anymore.
As we head into 2026, the employee experience is at a turning point. And the question we’re hearing most often isn’t “should we be doing more?” – it’s “why doesn’t what we’re doing already feel like enough?”
👇See What’s Really Driving Employee Engagement in 2026 👇
When You Download the 2026 Engagement Trends Report, You’ll Get:
- Clear insight into how employee engagement is changing in 2026 – and why traditional tactics aren’t landing like they used to
- Real data from employee gifting and engagement campaigns, showing what actually drives connection (and what gets ignored)
- The key engagement trends shaping how teams want to be recognised – including wellbeing, choice, and values-led gifting
And so much more!
What Changed?
Digital-first work has blurred the line between meaningful connection and background noise. Well-intentioned gestures can unintentionally feel transactional when they’re rushed, generic, or disconnected from the individual receiving them. And when appreciation becomes predictable or one-size-fits-all, it risks losing emotional impact altogether.
This shift is subtle – and that’s what makes it easy to miss. Many organisations are still investing time, budget, and effort into engagement. But they’re not seeing the return they expect in morale, retention, or loyalty.
In our latest research, we’ve seen a growing gap between what companies intend their engagement efforts to communicate and how employees actually experience them. Understanding that gap is becoming one of the defining challenges for people leaders heading into 2026.
We explore what’s driving this shift in our 2026 Engagement Trends report.
👇Download Our Key Dates Gifting Calendar Now👇
You can also get our free 2026 Key Dates Gifting Calendar. Keep it on your desk or wall and see key engagement moments coming up throughout the year, so you can plan thoughtful activity or gifting ahead of time.
- This is the most effective way to spot important moments early and plan engagement or gifting activity with confidence
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No guesswork, or last-minute scrambling. Just smarter planning.
