HR Insights · 2026-04-29 · 45 min
Employee engagement continues to be one of the most talked-about topics in HR, but also one of the most misunderstood. While many organisations measure it, far fewer truly understand what drives it or how to improve it in a meaningful way. In this episode of the HR Insights Podcast, Stuart Elliott sits down with industry experts Paul Knight, Group Chief People Officer at PA Media, and Rebecca Saunders Jones, Managing Director of Loopin, to explore what employee engagement really looks like today, why it may be stalling in many organisations, and what HR and business leaders can do differently. From leadership accountability to real-time data and shifting workforce expectations, the conversation offers a practical and honest view of where engagement stands today, and where it needs to go next. Key timestamps 03:52 - What does employee engagement actually mean? 05:20 - Where is engagement today? 08:05 - What’s ‘job hugging’? 10:29 - Why traditional engagement surveys fall short 16:36 - Who really owns engagement? 24:42 - Transparency vs psychological safety 28:28 - The biggest risk to engagement 35:12 - Can you over-measure engagement?
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