Stop measuring engagement. Start measuring connection

For years, organizations have been trying to solve the employee engagement puzzle. We've launched countless surveys, analyzed data, and implemented numerous programs, all aimed at boosting that one critical metric. But what if we’ve been chasing the wrong goal? While engagement is important, it’s often a symptom of something deeper and far more powerful: employee connection. 

When you measure engagement, you're tracking the symptoms without looking into the cause. Your team feels burnt out, demotivated, disengaged... all this information is useful, but not if you don't find out why. You need the whole story, not just the chapter titles. You need to measure connection. 

The limits of traditional employee engagement 

Employee engagement is typically defined as an employee's emotional commitment and enthusiasm toward their work and the company's goals. Metrics often focus on satisfaction, willingness to recommend the company, and discretionary effort. 

An employee can be highly engaged in their specific tasks - hitting targets and completing projects - yet feel completely isolated. They might be productive but lack a sense of belonging. This is the issue with focusing solely on engagement: it measures an individual’s relationship with their work but often overlooks their relationship with the people and the purpose behind that work. Our research found that an employee's sense of connection accounts for 56% of their decision to stay in or leave an organization, and 94% of all respondents of a survey by Enboarder agree they’re more productive when they feel connected to colleagues. 

Why connection is the real game-changer 

By measuring connection, you’re able to track how your employees are feeling about all the facets which feed into overall employee engagement scores, and how you can actively support them. Our psychologists built the Connection Measure which measures connection through six key pillars:  

• Cohesion 
• Belonging 
• Appreciation 
• Contribution 
• Trust 
• Well-being  

Unlike traditional engagement surveys, this model identifies specific gaps and their underlying causes, providing managers with practical, actionable strategies to address them.  

Organizations that prioritize connection experience tangible results, including an 18% boost in productivity and a 23% rise in profitability (Gallup). 

Building team connection  

The Connection Measure is available within the Thomas platform, and can be taken individually or as part of a team. Once your team have taken the Connection Measure and have shared their insights with their colleagues, you’re ready to go. These insights will help build:  

• Respect  

By sharing your work and communication preferences, everyone knows what makes others in the team feel confident at work. These insights will tell you how each member of your team likes to receive information, what motivates them, and where they may need support. It is much easier to respect one another’s needs when you understand them. 

• Trust  

By understanding how you all like to work, you’re laying a foundation of trust, implying you’ll each respect each other’s requirements to work together as a team. This can also give everyone the confidence to trust each other’s strengths, creating an open, supportive culture. Without shared insights to start this conversation, this can be hard to articulate.  

• Psychological safety  

Creating psychological safety within your teams requires intentional practices. With the right insights, a team member can recognize if their colleague processes information differently or needs a more detailed plan of action to feel confident. Understanding each other in depth creates a level of empathy and reduces any anxiety coming from misreading social cues.  Making everyone feel safe to contribute.  

• Productivity  

It is easier to feel productive if you’re working on a task you enjoy. If you know who prefers presenting over a spreadsheet, and who’d rather keep everyone on track, you can cut the part where everyone spends too long procrastinating over tasks they don’t feel confident doing.  

And it's not just us who thinks a more connected team is a more productive team – the 2025 Gallup report found that a connected team is 14% more productive.  

• Well-being  

People are happier when they are connected. They’re physically and mentally healthier and have a better quality of life. It is estimated that we spend a third of our lives at work, and by giving your teams the tools to really understand each other, you’re putting the foundations in place to make sure their well-being is really looked after.  

It's time for a more human-centered approach 

Measuring employee engagement has given us valuable data, but it’s time to evolve. Focusing on employee connection offers a more holistic, human-centered approach to building a resilient and successful organization. 

When you prioritize connection, engagement often follows as a natural byproduct. Connected employees are not just productive; they are advocates, collaborators, and innovators who are deeply invested in their collective success. Stop measuring just the work and start measuring the bonds that will truly power your organization.