Employee Engagement Requires Connection - #MDSHRM26

A big thank you to SHRM Maryland for hosting an engaging, relevant and fun #MDSHRM26 conference this week! The conference organizers consistently put their attendees in comfortable opportunities to connect with fellow participants and learn from captivating subject matter experts.

Today, we want to share Quantum Workplace's definition of employee engagement: "the mental and emotional connection that workers feel toward their organization, their team, and their job". The key word there is CONNECTION: sustained employee engagement requires connection.

Right from the jump, it was obvious that employee engagement was a huge focus of conversation at this year's conference - and for good reason. In 2026, nearly 70% of American workers are disengaged at work. But what does that actually mean?

-Decreased employee productivity, leading to lost company costs

-Lower retention rates, leading to lost company costs

-Burnout for the HR leaders who have to tackle these issues, leading to - you guessed it - lost company costs

And here's the thing: for all the crucial facts, figures and strategies that can and should be implemented, there is no magic bullet or policy memo that instantly fixes employee engagement problems if employees are not CONNECTING with one another.

One effective but often underutilized way to help employees connect is to regularly invest in live, pro-social teambuilding events. When done successfully, these human experiences are the key to breaking down silos and social barriers, while building up meaningful relationships.

At TeamCulture YOUR Way, our mission is to make a lasting impact on employee productivity, retention and engagement through personalized teambuilding. With a perfect 5.0 rating across 115+ Google Reviews, we create employee experiences that are both memorable and profitable for the future.

Reach out today to invest in YOUR employees for the upcoming holiday and 2027 kickoff seasons!