According to Gallup's latest findings, employee engagement is experiencing a significant downturn in early 2026, reaching its lowest level in a decade, with only 31% of U.S. employees actively engaged.
The US Office of Personnel Management defines employee engagement as "the employee's sense of purpose that is evident in their display of dedication, persistence, and effort in their work or overall attachment to their organization and its mission."
An engaged employee's key descriptors include:
- Having a sense of purpose;
- Having an attachment and dedication to the employer and its mission and goals; and
- Exerting persistent effort towards achieving those goals.
You can help employees see how their work drives business outcomes and how organizational success affects them. One way to help align employees with company success and increase their engagement is to give them more ownership of their work. Here are 3 ways to offer your employees ownership:
1. Delegate Authority – establish the expected outcome, but let employees own the process. Don’t micromanage the workflow, but tell them what needs to be achieved.
2. Provide Context – when employees understand the reasoning behind what they do, they can feel more confident to claim ownership of their role. When employees know how their work impacts the company, it can also create a greater sense of purpose.
3. Encourage Decision Making – give employees decision-making ability so they can have a personal stake in the outcome. This can empower employees to brainstorm and solve problems creatively.
A supportive working environment is also needed. Ownership requires having the right resources, such as the necessary tools. It requires good communication: managers should convey the big-picture vision and hold regular one-on-one meetings. Finally, employees must not be afraid to fail; if an employee is punished for a mistake while taking initiative, they will be hesitant to take ownership again (you can use it as a learning opportunity).
Engagement increases when employees understand how their work contributes to organizational success and are given greater ownership through delegated authority, meaningful context, and decision-making power. Creating a supportive environment with strong communication, proper resources, and psychological safety enables employees to take initiative, apply their skills, and drive better performance and engagement outcomes. Ownership fuels engagement, so give your employees the opportunity to step up.