February 11, 2026
Go into any rural coffee shop, and after the talk settles from the last high school game, you will probably hear laments about not having enough people for local jobs. It does not matter if this is on Main Street or in the ag community – there are more jobs than there are workers. This is not new. We have seen this for some time in rural areas. The real question is, “What can business owners and managers do about it?”
A lot of time and energy is spent on recruiting potential employees. But that is only half the story. There is also a need to focus on retention – keeping employees.
Research shows that now more than ever, people want purpose and meaning from their work. They want to be known for what makes them unique. This is what drives employee engagement, and it is engagement that is at the core of worker productivity and ultimately job retention.
Employee Engagement = Employee Retention
I know, I know, many of you are thinking, “that can’t be right - it’s about the salary or money.” Okay, you are right …but only to a point. It is understood that a competitive salary base and recognition through bonuses and meaningful benefits have to be in place to recruit and retain employees. But today, there is more than money that has to be a part of the package. Workers are in the driver’s seat, and they are looking for a package of issues and benefits to entice them to initially choose a position and then to keep them there.
When you think of “employee engagement,” I suspect examples come to mind at both ends of the spectrum. The Gallup organization globally defines employee engagement as “the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work and workplace (Gallup, 2026).
What Engagement Looks Like
Highly engaged employees are emotionally connected and committed to their work, and they perform better” (Gallup, 2026). Those that are disengaged, at best, go through the motions. Gallup research also shows that the workers that are disengaged have much higher absenteeism rates and safety issues.
Who Is Responsible?
Everyone in the organization has some responsibility for initially helping employees to become engaged and then stay engaged. From those at the top who set the vision, to managers who implement, to employees themselves who take full responsibility for and communicate their engagement needs – there are actions for everyone.
Engagement Drivers
From Gallup’s research, key drivers of employee engagement include:
- Purpose – doing work that feels meaningful and mission-driven.
- Development – having opportunities to learn and grow.
- Caring managers – feeling supported by someone who genuinely cares.
- Ongoing conversations – receiving consistent feedback and coaching.
- Focus on strengths – being encouraged to use what you do best every day.
But what do those drivers mean for the average small business owner or manager? How does this play out in real life? Here are a couple of ideas on how these suggestions can be incorporated into businesses of all types and sizes.
Coaching for Engagement
Let’s say you start off your week with a Monday morning check-in with the people you work with in your business. During that time, you might ask, “Last week, did anyone run into an issue that needs to be shared?” and then maybe a follow-up would be, “Last week, what worked well for you and what gave you heartburn?” This opens the door for conversations, and it allows people to learn from one another.
Another way to incorporate some of these suggestions is to periodically take the time to explain why things happen the way they do… that there is a reason behind some of the actions or procedures. Not always are those reasons obvious, and knowing that there is logic behind a practice can help the employee grow and understand how parts of the business fit together. They also start seeing how their role contributes to the larger business mission.
Do you catch people doing things well and then mention it to them? “That was perfect… so glad you caught that” or “You did a good job of handling that situation!”
Offering up new learning opportunities can also help connect people to their strengths. “Want to give this a try today?” And on the other side of the spectrum, if someone seems to be struggling with a task, offer, “Here is one way you might try it… this has always worked for me,” and offer some suggestions to coach them on alternative ways of doing things.
Engagement Supports Retention and the Bottom Line
Incorporating ways to support engagement is not hard, but it does take some effort to make these behaviors a habit. It may seem like a small thing to an owner or manager, but to new or existing employees, it can make a huge difference. That small thing can also add up over time. Some even go as far as to say, “Employee engagement is far more than a nice-to-have: it’s a game changer when it comes to the bottom line.” (Glatt, N., 2025).
References:
What Is Employee Engagement and How Do You Improve It? (2026). Gallup. Available at: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx#CHAP07-Q01
Glatt, N. (2025, Dec). Invest, Listen & Coach. GrowerTalks Magazine, Ball Publishing, West Chicago Ill.
Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Ph.D.
Professor/Extension Specialist – Rural Prosperity Nebraska
Department of Agricultural Economics
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
cburkhartkriesel1@unl.edu