Employee engagement

Employee engagement is the connection employees feel towards their work, their teams, and their organisation. Engaged employees feel connected to their teams, love their jobs, and have positive feelings about the organisation because they:

• know they will be recognised for their contributions
• see opportunities for professional growth and career development
• understand when organisational change happens and why
• know our values are at the centre of how we work and interact with one another
• find alignment between their values and goals and that of the organisation.

Employee engagement goes beyond job satisfaction; it’s about creating an environment where staff members feel connected, motivated, and committed to their work. Engaged employees are happier and more productive which results in:

Trust in leadership	Supportive management	Meaningful work	Positive environment	Growth opportunity
Mission and purpose	Clear and transparent goals	Autonomy	Flexible work environment	Training and support on the job
Continuous investment in people	Coaching	Diverse teams	Respectful workplace	Facilitated talent mobility
Transparency and honesty	Investment in development of managers	Empowered teams	Culture of recognition	Self-directed, dynamic learning
Inspiration	Aligned performance management	Down time	Fair, inclusive, diverse work environment	High- impact learning culture

At Metro North, we are committed to putting our people first. As an organisation, we aim to foster a culture of employee engagement, where each employee feels valued, empowered, and inspired to do their best work. To achieve this, we strive to create an inclusive and supportive culture, where employees know they are valued through a strong sense of belonging, recognition, and professional growth. The Working together – Strategy for Inclusive Employee Engagement 2022-2024 sets out how we propose to enhance staff engagement efforts across Metro North.

Employee engagement is a complex concept, and a combination of the following measures can be used to provide a more comprehensive understanding of engagement levels.

1. Employee engagement surveys:
   • Have Your Say survey: Our primary tool for capturing staff perceptions and experiences.
   • Working For Queensland survey: Annual statewide public sector survey.
   • Pulse surveys: Short, frequent check-ins to gather real-time feedback.
2. Employee lifecycle feedback:
   • First Impressions entry survey: Onboarding helps ensure new employees receive the best start possible. The first impressions entry survey aims to find what newly appointed staff think of our onboarding process. What is their first impression of our culture? What is their outlook for the future?
   • Last Impressions exit survey: Exit surveys provide people the opportunity to reflect on their experience working for Metro North, both positive and negative. This feedback provides unique perspectives and insights to inform future improvements.
3. Other metrics:
   • Absenteeism: Monitoring sick leave and work relayed injury or illness.
   • Employee retention and turnover: Analysing the rate at which employees choose to stay with the organisation.
   • Performance metrics: Assessing individual and team performance and reporting, including clinical incidents, and RiskMan reporting.
   • Employee recognition and rewards: Tracking the frequency and effectiveness of recognition programs such as the Shout Out Portal and other awards given to staff for their achievements or contributions.
   • Patient reported experience measure: PREMS, compliments, and complaints.

Workplace culture is the shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours of the organisation. At Metro North Health we value high performance, teamwork, integrity, compassion, and respect. Values in Action is our way of working, the way we work helps us to achieve what we strive for.

Values influence people’s experiences of work, which is:

• the way people show care for one another,
• the emphasis on employees’ safety, wellbeing, and support,
• the focus on innovation, learning and growth,
• demonstrated leadership and behaviours.

As a result, workplace culture plays a big part in influencing peoples’ levels of engagement, that is, how committed they are to their workplace.

Employee engagement is not the responsibility of our senior leaders alone. A better workplace is everyone’s responsibility, every individual staff member contributes to the environment of those around them.  We all have a role in making Metro North a great place to work and investing in improvement strategies to increase employee engagement, enabling MN32 future workforce initiatives.

The role of employees

Taking charge of your own engagement

Employees are our voices on the front line and our main line of sight into the employee experience. Metro North Health rely on employees to:

• provide honest, candid, and actionable feedback about what is and isn’t working
• brainstorm new and creative solutions that address their concerns
• own their performance and development
• engage in meaningful relationships with their teams and managers.

Employees can and should experience the benefits of being more engaged in their work. When staff are engaged at work, they have a sense of contribution and meaning, and can leave work with an energy gain as opposed to an energy drain. Engagement builds strong and lasting work relationships and friendships, fosters career development and career advancement, while contributing to our overall wellbeing.

The role of executive leadership

Organisational leaders are the top promoters of an engaged culture. Metro North Health depend on leaders to:

• set the tone
• share a vision
• communicate change
• update the organisation on progress.

The role of managers

Managers create an environment where employees can thrive and truly be engaged. Metro North Health depend on managers to:

• build relationship of trust with each employee
• serve as a sounding board for employee feedback and suggestions
• recognise and celebrate individual and team success
• provide continuous performance feedback
• help employees develop and grow
• ensure behaviours align with the Metro North values.

With so many factors influencing engagement, it can be hard to know where to start. A good approach is to focus on:

1. What you can do to help individuals and your team to become more engaged, resilient and effective
2. How you can strengthen your own engagement as a leader.

The following actions will help individual employees, and the teams they are in, feel more engaged, resilient, and connected to both their work and the wider organisation.

Bring the right people in

Values based recruitment (VBR) ensures we are attracting, selecting, and appointing the best candidate.

• VBR coaches are volunteer staff trained to assist hiring managers in selecting the best fit – not just in skills and experience, but also in attitude.
• A strong job-person match sets the foundation for long term engagement. 

Deliver high quality inductions

Research indicates that the first few weeks in the role are crucial. A strong onboarding process ensures new employees receive the best start possible. A few tips to ensure high quality inductions include:

• Ensure new starters meet their team and line manager early.
• Equip them with the right tools from day one.
• Include a senior leader in induction to reinforce our values and culture.

 Be clear about expected behaviours

At Metro North, Values in Action (ViA) is more than a framework – it is our way of working. By turning our values into everyday behaviours, we shape a positive, consistent workplace culture and build a more unified and engaged workforce.

We are guided by five core values: Respect, Integrity, Compassion, High performance, and Teamwork. These values define who we are and what we care about.

While many staff have a clear understanding of the Metro North Values through values-based recruitment, it’s important to regularly reinforce them – especially for longer-serving employees who many have experienced many initiatives over time. Ongoing reminders and visible role-modelling help ensure values-based behaviours are consistently applied across the organisation. 

ViA Foundations training is available in TMS or email MNvalues@health.qld.gov.au.

Clearly communicate the Vision and Purpose

Unite your team with a clear sense of purpose—what you’re working towards together, and how it contributes to better outcomes for your patients, your team, and the wider organisation.

Effective communication is essential. Keeping employees informed about goals, changes, and initiatives builds trust, reduces uncertainty, and fosters a culture of openness and transparency.

Give all employees a voice

Employees are more engaged when they feel heard and involved. It is important that individual employees and teams have regular opportunities to share their views, contribute ideas, provide input into decisions that affect them. Involving employees in decisions can help to develop a sense of ownership and connectedness.

Ways to give employees a voice include:

• Staff forums (in-person or online)
• Regular team briefings with time for open discussion
• Suggestion boxes

One-on-one check-ins or informal drop-in sessions

Set clear goals

Clear goals should be tangible and achievable, and they should also be meaningful and in line with the organisation’s overall goals. This will help ensure that employees clearly understand their role and can work towards achieving their goals.

Promote and encourage participation in health and wellbeing initiatives

Encouraging participation in wellbeing initiatives can make a real difference to how people cope, connect, and perform at work. Simple strategies grounded in positive psychology – like showing gratitude, encouraging self-awareness, or fostering connection – can help boost resilience and emotional wellbeing. This is very important in health, where jobs and situations can be extremely stressful, and resources are constrained.

Explore practical tools and support on the Staff Wellbeing page.

Be generous with praise and recognition

A few words of recognition can go a long way. Most people work very hard and want to feel valued. Giving praise and recognition for a job well done not only takes very little effort but also lifts morale, builds a positive team culture, and encourages high performance. 

• Use the Shout Out Portal to recognise team members.
• Celebrate small wins as well as major achievements.
• Embed recognition in your team’s regular updates (for example, using weekly shout-outs, peer nominations or values-based achievements).

Support professional development

Professional development is key to building engagement, capability, and career satisfaction. When employees are support to grow, they’re more likely to stay motivated, feel valued, and contribute at their best.

• Prioritise learning conversations in PDPs and one-on-ones.
• Encourage access to training, mentoring, or stretch projects.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning at all levels.