Feeling ‘Seen’ At Work Key To Employee Engagement And Profitability, Study Finds

Amid headlines about economic insecurity, return to office mandates, and “quiet quitting,” a new study from Quantum Connections reveals the key to employee retention and engagement isn’t higher salaries or more benefits, but rather, feeling “seen” by their supervisors.

The nationwide survey of 12,000 employees identified a significant link between feeling recognized at work and increased job satisfaction and productivity. Quantum Connections, known for pioneering insights into workplace dynamics, introduced a new metric for the survey, the Net Connected Score (NCS), to gauge leadership effectiveness through employee connection.

“Our work has proven that the relationship between employees and their direct supervisors represents the crucial intersection where organizational success meets human need,” said Dennis S. Holland, CEO of Quantum Connections. “The degree to which employees feel seen and heard by their immediate supervisor is directly correlated to the key performance indicators of employee engagement, retention, and profitability.”

The report found that employees who feel seen stay in their jobs nearly 10 months longer, and those employees are far more likely to share new ideas and take smart risks.

Workplaces with high connection scores were found to be 38.7% more profitable. There’s a significant gap across industries, however. Industries like finance lead in connection scores, while postal services fall far behind.

Holland says there are simple changes in management style companies can make to transform their teams. The research underscores that employees often just want to feel like their voice matters, and that employers can build success and loyalty one conversation at a time.