How to Increase Employee Engagement – How to Improve Employee Engagement in the Workplace

How to Increase Employee Engagement Through Smarter Recruiting and Onboarding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Marbles HR | 09/01/25

Creating a culture where employees are engaged, motivated, and thriving starts long before their first day on the job. At Marbles HR, we understand that the most effective way to build an engaged workforce begins with the right recruitment and onboarding approach.

This article outlines how to increase employee engagement by rethinking hiring and onboarding practices—strategies that companies can implement today to improve long-term employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention.

💡 Why Employee Engagement Starts Before Day One

Engagement is no longer a buzzword—it’s a strategic business priority. Research shows that engaged employees are 21% more productive, more likely to stay with their company, and contribute significantly to a healthy workplace culture.

However, many organizations miss a critical window: the period between recruiting and an employee’s first 90 days. Effective recruitment and onboarding strategies are foundational to establishing trust, alignment, and a sense of belonging—factors that fuel high engagement.

🎯 Step 1: Hire for Fit, Not Just Skill

Engagement begins with alignment. When candidates feel connected to your company’s mission and values, they’re more likely to thrive.

Here’s how to hire with engagement in mind:

• Highlight culture in job descriptions
  Go beyond skills—describe what it’s like to work on your team and what the company stands for.

• Ask value-based interview questions
  Questions like “What motivates you at work?” or “Tell us about a time you felt most engaged” reveal a candidate’s intrinsic drivers.

• Involve team members in hiring decisions
  Team-based interviews increase buy-in and ensure cultural compatibility from the start.

🚀 Step 2: Create a Human-Centered Onboarding Experience

Once a new hire says “yes,” your opportunity to build engagement begins in earnest. The best new hire engagement plans are not one-size-fits-all. They’re structured, supportive, and personal.

Best practices include:

• Send a welcome kit or pre-boarding email
  Start building excitement before day one.

• Create a 30/60/90-day engagement roadmap
  Outline learning goals, touchpoints, and social opportunities.

• Assign onboarding buddies
  Peer support reduces anxiety and encourages connection.

• Solicit early feedback
  Show employees their input is valued from the beginning.

🛠️ Step 3: Align Expectations from Day One

Clear communication is essential to sustaining employee engagement in the workplace. Employees need to know:

• What’s expected of them

• How success is measured

• How their role contributes to the company’s mission

Aligning early expectations reduces frustration, increases motivation, and makes employees feel like part of something bigger.

🌐 Step 4: Build Belonging Through Micro-Moments

In the hybrid and remote work era, connection is key. During onboarding and beyond, organizations should look for small, meaningful ways to engage new employees.

Try:

• Virtual coffee chats

• Team trivia or wellness challenges

• Highlighting new hires on internal platforms

• Celebrating small wins early and often

These micro-engagements go a long way in creating a sense of inclusion, even from afar.

📊 Measuring the Impact

To truly improve engagement, companies need to measure it. Use:

• Pulse surveys after onboarding completion

• New hire retention rates

• Time-to-productivity tracking

At Marbles HR, we help clients track engagement metrics from recruitment through retention, ensuring HR leaders have the insights they need to optimize results.

💬 Final Thoughts

Learning how to increase employee engagement isn’t just about offering perks or planning quarterly events. It’s about intentionally designing every phase of the employee journey—starting with how you recruit, and how you welcome new hires into your culture.

With smart recruitment and onboarding strategies, companies can build stronger teams, reduce turnover, and create a workplace where employees feel connected and inspired from day one.

🔗 About Marbles HR

Marbles HR is an integrated workforce platform that empowers companies to manage talent, benefits, and growth through modern HR tools and human-centered solutions. From streamlined onboarding to long-term engagement tracking, Marbles HR supports organizations of all sizes in building stronger, more resilient teams.

To learn more, visit www.marbleshr.com.