This article first appeared in CUInsight.

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​This article about employee engagement is the second in a five-part series about workplace health. Part one focused on organizational culture.​

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No matter where your credit union falls on the spectrum of problematic workplaces, pretty much everyone knows that an unhealthy workplace can block organizational success. What many people don’t realize is that the pathways to identifying the underlying causes of workplace problems—and finding solutions for them—are not only concrete but also within reach. 

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Your employee engagement is one of five key factors—along with organizational culture, organizational structure, leadership, and training—that could be causing big problems in your workplace. These big problems include absenteeism, high turnover, frustration, and burnout. Big problems in your workplace can, in turn, block your organization’s ability to grow in service to members.

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Employee engagement is about the mindset of your organization. That mindset shapes whether employees show up with energy or purpose—or disengage. 

When employee engagement is a problem, you may experience symptoms like employees feeling that:

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• their hard work goes unnoticed or unappreciated,

• their career growth is limited by the systems your credit union has in place, and 

• they and their feedback is not included in decision-making.
   

​​This article will describe how to determine whether employee engagement is at the root of your workplace problems, describe best practices for treatment, and offer key questions to consider as you move forward toward a healthier organization.

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DIAGNOSING 'LOW EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT'

It’s important to find out the root cause of your workplace being less healthy than you’d like. Doing a staff survey is the best way to assess employee engagement and see what role it’s playing in your organization’s well-being and readiness to grow. 

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There are lots of affordable options survey tools out there, including SurveyMonkey. Even market leader Gallup has great tools for organizations of all sizes.

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To get the most out of your employee engagement survey, be intentional about what you ask. Your questions should explore foundational needs—like whether employees understand what success looks like in their role and whether they have the tools and resources needed to meet expectations.

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Go beyond the basics, too. Ask about their ability to contribute meaningfully, whether they feel their efforts are recognized and valued, and whether they’ve built trusting relationships at work. Explore their sense of belonging, teamwork, and whether they’re being challenged to grow—both by learning new skills and finding better ways to do their jobs.

The process doesn’t have to be long or overwhelming. A well-designed survey can be completed in 10–15 minutes. You can often move from planning to results in a few months:

Month 1: Select or design your survey and clearly communicate its purpose.

Month 2: Launch the survey and keep it open for 14 days to allow broad participation.

Month 3: Review the results with your team, identify one or two themes to act on quickly, and clearly communicate the next steps to everyone.
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​​​​​​HOW TO TREAT 'LOW EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT'

If you find that your employee engagement is low, you can take clear steps to raise it.

Have leaders and stakeholders work together to create action plans specific to high- and low-performing areas within your organization. Think: How can we … What can we do … Most often, the team has the solutions and will provide them to leaders who listen.

Then, take action. Be sure to communicate with staff at all levels throughout the process.

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​​FIVE QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER AS YOU WORK TO BOOST EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

As you go about doing an employee engagement survey and look to bolster your scores, these guiding questions may be helpful:

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• How often do we receive employee feedback, and how do we act on it?

• What are the common themes in exit interviews or turnover rates in our organization?

• What changes have we noticed in employee morale or energy levels, especially in response to organizational changes?

• How do we ensure that employees feel recognized and valued for their contributions?

• How often do we have conversations with employees about their career development and growth opportunities?​​​

 

THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT YOUR EFFORTS TO HAVE A HEALTHY WORKPLACE

While an unhealthy workplace isn’t a good thing to have, take heart:

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• The five key factors in organizational health—employee engagement, organizational culture, organizational structure, leadership, and training—can be improved.

• Because the five areas overlap, when you work on one factor, you’ll often get improvement in others.

• You can do this alone or with the help of an expert. In other words, this work is sustainable for credit unions of all sizes.

• Every credit union that improves in one or more of these five areas will be on course to be stronger and better able to deliver on its mission and strategy.

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​Whether you tackle the challenges of your organization’s health on your own or engage an expert to help, this work is doable now and also sustainable over time. Be one of those credit unions with a healthy workplace, and you’ll put yourself on track to have happier employees and members, deliver on your strategy, and be poised for sustainable growth.

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Carolyn Reeves helps credit union leaders build high-performing teams and thriving workplace cultures. With 20+ years in talent development—including 16 at SchoolsFirst FCU—she understands balancing exceptional service and sustainable growth. As a coach and strategist, she delivers practical, credit union-focused solutions grounded in real-world experience. Carolyn holds a Master’s in Education, SPHR certification, ICF coaching credential, and CUDE designation, offering guidance rooted in what drives lasting success: engaged people, strong leadership, and purposeful culture.​