In this episode of The Accel Advantage Podcast, host Corey Rekers, Partner and President of Property & Casualty Insurance, sat down with Taylor Bierl, Employee Engagement Specialist at The Accel Group, to explore one of today’s most important business topics: employee engagement and culture.
From the power of empathy in leadership to practical ways to boost connection in remote work environments, this conversation offers real-world strategies any organization can apply to build stronger and more resilient teams. Companies with more engaged employees will have a healthier company culture.
Keeping Top Talent Engaged
A Gallup study Corey cited found that companies with highly engaged employees enjoy 21% higher profitability and 59% lower turnover than their peers. The math is clear: engaged employees drive better business outcomes, and it’s directly tied to business success. Taylor agreed, emphasizing that engagement is more than perks or benefits. It’s about connection, trust, and purpose.
When leaders invest in their people and connect with them on a deeper level, engagement follows. Engagement also flourishes when employees are trusted to do their work well and understand how their contributions connect to the company’s mission, vision, and values. This turns people’s work into more than a paycheck.
When it comes to purpose, engagement isn’t about keeping people “happy.” It’s about cultivating a sense of purpose and belonging that inspires commitment and creativity. When employees feel seen and supported, they go above and beyond, driving innovation, strengthening workplace culture, and building long-term loyalty that fuels organizational success.
Barriers to Creating an Engaged Culture
Even the best companies can face challenges when it comes to engagement. Taylor highlighted three common barriers:
- Lack of meaningful recognition – A simple “thank you” or shoutout can make a huge difference.
- Unclear communication – Employees need to understand expectations and how their role fits into the big picture. Regular team check-ins and open feedback loops keep communication clear.
- Limited leadership buy-in – Engagement starts with leaders. Without visible commitment from management, culture-building efforts won’t stick. So how do you get leaders on board? Taylor suggests showing the numbers: disengagement directly affects productivity, performance, retention, and customer satisfaction.
Feedback & Disengagement
Quiet quitting, when employees do only the bare minimum, is a silent threat to culture. Taylor advises leaders to watch for early signs like decreased participation, missed deadlines, withdrawn communication, or increased absenteeism. “If a whole team goes quiet in meetings, that’s a sign something’s off,” she said. Early detection allows managers to re-engage before disengagement spreads.
Employee feedback is your engagement thermometer, but only if employees trust it will lead to action. Taylor recommends pairing an annual engagement survey with shorter pulse surveys every few months. Tracking that over time gives leaders a clear pulse on morale, engagement, and employee retention risks.
Future Trends
Looking ahead, Taylor sees engagement becoming more personalized and flexible. People want to work for companies that align with their values, respect their time, and care about them as whole people, not just workers. As hybrid and remote work continue, connection, inclusion, and communication will be more intentional than ever.
Engagement is a journey! All in all, employee engagement is about building a workplace culture where people feel seen, valued, and empowered to do their best work. When that happens, everyone wins – from employees to customers to the bottom line.
Listen to the Podcast Episode
In the full episode, Taylor shares more employee engagement strategies, real-life examples, tools we use at Accel, and actual questions to ask your team. To hear the conversation between Corey and Taylor, check out The Accel Advantage Podcast on your favorite streaming platform.
- Spotify
- Apple
- YouTube
- Your favorite platform (Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and more)
Still wanting more? Learn more about Accel’s company culture, our agency, and our services.
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