The Paradox of Measuring Employee Engagement in Today’s Office

Goodhart’s Law - xkcd

Navigating the complexities of employee engagement in the modern workplace calls for a shift in perspective—a move beyond traditional metrics toward embracing a more holistic understanding of employee experiences.

Navigating Employee Engagement

In today's data-driven world, our instinct is to measure everything, from productivity to employee happiness. We assume that by quantifying these aspects, we can manage them better. However, Goodhart’s law, "When a metric becomes a target, it ceases to be a good metric," rings particularly true when it comes to employee engagement in the office.

Conventional wisdom suggests that if we can measure employee engagement, we can improve it. But the reality is far more complex. Is a busy office buzzing with activity always an indication of high engagement? Or could it be masking a culture of overwork and stress? Similarly, is an empty office necessarily a sign of disengagement? Or could it reflect a successful adoption of flexible work arrangements?

The challenge lies in the difficulty of obtaining adequate, meaningful data. Traditional metrics such as office attendance fall short in capturing the nuances of modern work life. Tracking office metrics is important, but we must be careful not to fall into the trap of tracking for the sake of tracking. Instead, we should strive to understand what these metrics truly tell us about our employees' experiences.

Leaders need to delve deeper, beyond surface-level data. It's essential to look at employee engagement holistically, considering factors like job satisfaction, work-life balance, and the quality of interpersonal relationships. One might combine all of these components under the headline “purpose.” As Tracy Bower notes in “New Rules for Increasing Engagement at Work:”

Purpose is a gold standard for engagement…[w]hen people feel a sense of purpose, it translates into all kinds of payoffs from productivity to wellbeing.

More than just numbers on a dashboard, understanding purpose gives a more accurate picture of employee engagement.

More than Metrics

During the relocation of our Portland design studio, we used a range of tools to collect both qualitative and quantitative information. Our occupier services team gathered employee sentiment and preferences data through surveys, which included questions like "How connected do you currently feel to your team?" and "How would you rate your current emotional wellness?" We also monitored office occupancy and activity through tools like Empathic Building. We continue to assess employee satisfaction, productivity, and the use of our space to ensure we meet our team's needs and make necessary changes.

No single metric was a primary factor in our decision-making, but led to an understanding of our team's needs and preferences. This enabled us to create a workplace environment that enhances productivity, encourages collaboration, and supports overall well-being

Measuring employee engagement is crucial; it's equally important to interpret the data correctly and not lose sight of the human elements behind the metrics. After all, our offices are more than just physical spaces—they are the epicenters of our organizational culture and employee experience.