Listening for Pride: Driving Employee Engagement in the Workplace

As of 2023, employee pride is on the rise. After declining in 2021 and 2022, Perceptyx data shows a slight uptick in how proud employees feel about working at their organizations. I want to discuss what's driving this shift and how companies can leverage it to improve business outcomes.

Getting to the Essence of Organizational Pride

Organizational pride goes beyond job satisfaction. It's a deep-seated belief in a company's values, mission, and impact. Proud employees don't just clock in and out; they're emotionally invested in their company's success.

In practice, organizational pride looks like:

• Employees who eagerly share company achievements with friends and family
• Team members who wear company-branded items outside of work
• Workers who defend the organization against criticism
• Staff who consistently go above and beyond their job descriptions
• Individuals who feel a personal connection to the organization's mission

The Business Case for Pride

The benefits of a proud workforce are substantial and well-documented.

• Higher retention rates: Proud employees are less likely to jump ship, reducing turnover costs.
• Increased productivity: Pride often translates to discretionary effort and higher output.
• Better customer service: Employees who believe in their company tend to provide superior customer experiences.
• Enhanced recruitment: Proud employees become brand ambassadors, which aids in attracting top talent.
• Innovation boost: A sense of pride can fuel creativity and problem-solving.

A 2021 study published in the Journal of Business Research found that organizational pride was positively associated with job performance, organizational citizenship behaviors, and reduced turnover intentions. The effect was particularly strong in customer-facing roles.

Perceptyx Pride Insights: What Drives Organizational Pride?

Through years of data analysis across industries, we've identified key factors that contribute to employee pride. Let's explore these drivers and how organizations can leverage them.

1. Employee Satisfaction

At the core of organizational pride is employee satisfaction. When workers feel energized and fulfilled, pride naturally follows.

Here are two ways organizations can boost satisfaction:

• Reimagine job design: Apply the Job Characteristics Model (Hackman & Oldham, 1980) to enhance: 

• • Skill variety: Diversify tasks and skills needed to keep work engaging. 
  • Task identity: Let employees own entire processes or projects, if possible. 
  • Task significance: Connect individual work to larger impacts. 
  • Autonomy: Offer independence and employee discretion in how tasks are accomplished. 
  • Feedback: Offer regular, constructive performance insights.
  
  Personalize growth opportunities: Recognize varying levels of "growth need strength" among employees. High-growth individuals thrive on challenge and variety, while others prefer consistency. Tailor roles and development paths accordingly.

2. Employee Advocacy

Proud employees are natural brand ambassadors. They recommend their organization’s products and tout it as a great workplace. Here’s what organizations can do to increase advocacy:

• Spotlight successes strategically: Don't just blast achievements. Create a narrative that connects wins to the company's mission and employee contributions.
• Emphasize meaningful impact: Highlight how the organization benefits society. A 2023 Deloitte survey found that 59% of Gen Z and 39% of millennials say they would refuse to work for a company that didn't align with their values.
• Empower employee storytelling: Create platforms (internal blogs, social media takeovers, etc.) for employees to share their experiences. Authenticity matters; let real voices shine.

3. Future Optimism

Employees who feel proud often have significant confidence in the organization's future and strategy. Here are some ways that organizations can encourage their employees to feel more optimistic about the future:

• Master the art of strategic communication: Don't just share the "what" of company strategy. Explain the "why" behind decisions and how they connect to the bigger picture.
• Make values tangible: Bring company values to life through recognition programs, decision-making frameworks, and everyday behaviors.
• Cultivate a learning culture: Show how the organization is adapting to change. Highlight investments in upskilling and emerging technologies.

4. Belonging

No matter how you slice it, the pandemic reshaped employee engagement. Our data at Perceptyx captures this fascinating journey.

2020 saw an unexpected spike in engagement. As companies rapidly adapted to support their workforce during the initial waves of the COVID crisis, many employees felt a surge of pride in their organizations' responses. The sentiment of "we're all in this together" prevailed, boosting overall engagement.

However, this high was short-lived. Moving into 2021 and 2022, prolonged uncertainty took its toll. "Zoom fatigue," isolation, and burnout set in. Many organizations struggled to maintain their initial level of support, leading to widespread disengagement. This period saw the rise of the "Great Resignation" as record numbers of workers sought new opportunities.

2023 represented something of a turning point. For the first time since the pandemic began, we observed an increase in overall engagement levels. This uptick suggests both employees and organizations are finding their footing in the "new normal" of work. Companies have had time to refine remote and hybrid policies, invest in collaboration technologies, and adapt their cultures. Breaking down specific metrics:

• Pride: Improved from 2022 lows, but still slightly below pre-COVID levels.
• Personal Accomplishment: Surpassed pre-COVID levels in 2023, showing a high degree of resilience.
• Commitment: "Great Resignation" trends are reversing; intention to stay is rebounding.
• Advocacy: The only metric not improving in 2023, perhaps reflecting lingering uncertainty.

These trends suggest a workforce that's finding renewed meaning in their work but remains cautious about fully endorsing their employers.

The Road Ahead: Fostering Organizational Pride in a Post-Pandemic World

To remain competitive in 2024 and beyond, organizations must continue to build and strengthen employee pride. Here are a few strategies to consider:

• Double down on purpose:
  • Regularly communicate how individual roles contribute to the larger mission.
  • Create opportunities for employees to directly engage with those benefiting from their work.
  • Integrate purpose-driven goals into performance reviews.
    
    
• Invest in holistic employee development:
  • Offer personalized learning paths that align with both company needs and individual aspirations.
  • Provide stretch assignments and cross-functional projects to broaden skills.
  • Implement mentorship and reverse-mentorship programs to facilitate knowledge sharing.
    
    
• Prioritize well-being as a strategic imperative:
  • Move beyond surface-level wellness programs to address root causes of stress.
  • Train managers to recognize and respond to signs of burnout.
  • Normalize discussions about mental health and work-life integration.
    
    
• Foster meaningful connections:
  • Create structured opportunities for cross-team collaboration, for example, via employee crowdsourcing.
  • Leverage technology to facilitate virtual water cooler moments for remote teams such as casual 1-on-1 catch-ups (video calls with no set agenda) or Zoom happy hours.
  • Invest in team-building activities that align with company values and mission.
    
    
• Reimagine recognition:
  • Implement peer-to-peer recognition platforms to celebrate daily wins.
  • Tie rewards to specific company values and behaviors.
  • Share success stories widely, connecting individual achievements to organizational impact.
    
    
• Practice radical transparency:
  • Hold regular town halls where employees can ask tough questions.
  • Share both successes and failures, emphasizing learning opportunities.
  • Provide clear, consistent updates on company performance and strategic shifts.
    
    
• Embrace flexibility with intention:
  • Move beyond blanket policies to create flexibility frameworks that balance individual, team, and organizational needs.
  • Regularly assess the effectiveness of flexible arrangements and iterate.
  • Equip managers with technology to lead hybrid and remote teams effectively, like the AI-Assisted Action Planning and Intelligent Nudges delivered by Perceptyx’s Activate solution, or Grow, which combines 360 feedback with AI-powered manager development planning and Intelligent Nudges.

By focusing on these areas, organizations can cultivate a deep sense of pride among their employees, driving engagement, performance, and success.

Partner with Perceptyx to Unlock the Power of Pride

Organizational pride is more than a feel-good metric. It's a powerful force that can propel companies forward, especially in challenging times. Our data shows it's making a comeback, but this resurgence could prove fragile.

Organizations that actively nurture pride — through meaningful work, clear purpose, genuine inclusion,  forward-thinking policies, and world-class employee engagement solutions — will be best positioned to attract top talent, drive innovation, and thrive in the evolving world of work. To learn how an experienced listening partner like Perceptyx can help your organization measure and activate organizational pride, schedule a meeting with a member of our team.